The Terminators: Army of Legend - Volume IV (2012 - 2013)
by Sir Areis Lionheart
Summary: The Terminator Militia, an army of fantastical characters, struggles in a continuous war as they attempt to rebuild morale with the citizens and with their former allies...and they struggle to survive in a world that wishes them dead. Rated M: For Intense War Violence, Strong Language, and Sexual Content DISCLAIMER: NOT ABOUT THE ROBOTIC TERMINATORS! NAME IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL!
1. Prologue: Coup de Grace

_**Prologue: Coup de Grace**_

-_Then_-

-_**The Siege of New York**_**-  
-New York City, New York-  
-**_**19**__** May 2012**_-  
-_**2300 Hours**_-

...Jazz picked himself up, brushing the dust from his fur and cloak as he healed his wounds. Alex, still recovering from his plummet from the Empire State Building, was paralyzed as he saw through a gray haze.

Jazz now stood tall, revealing his M1A911 pistol as he charged at his former CO.

"Alex!" Came a distant cry, and Terrias pounced on Jazz as the gun hit the ground. The two viciously fought hand to hand before Terrias gained the upper hand, with a loud crack, Terrias punched Jazz's cheek, and the rabbit hit the ground. The servine revealed his own P2K and fired three shots into the downed Maxian leader as he ran to his friend's side.

Distantly, Alex could hear Terrias say in a panic-edged voice, "Commander! Commander! Are you alright? Shit! Medic!"

Suddenly, from behind Terrias' shoulder, Alex watched Jazz stand, and he grabbed the servine's shoulder, throwing him backwards as the rabbit fired two shots, one into each of Terrias' legs.

He collapsed forward, and Jazz approached before recoiling as he grabbed his arm and blood sprayed with each shot. Alpha Company surrounded the traitor, but the Maxia then surrounded Alpha Company. In a thousand flashes of gunfire, Alex's brothers-in-arms fell to the ground, and Jazz stood, walking to his troops and ordering, "Take care of the bodies!"

He then smiled maliciously at Alex and stomped on the wounded Commander's face, to which, he instantly blacked out.

* * * * *

Slowly, ever so slowly, Alex stirred. He was in pain, every inch of his body burned and throbbed with a hellish heat. He was aware of being dragged, and he lapsed in-and-out of consciousness.

A sudden impact as his back slammed against New York Harbor's k-rail completely roused him, but he still saw through a haze of orange-speckled red, and he still could not move.

He managed to gain control of his head, and turned his gaze from the blood-smeared, crater-laden street, and to the left, where Terrias was forced to stand, facing the water. He was bound by heavy cinderblocks, tied to his wrists and ankles by thick rope.

Jazz stood behind him, bringing his pistol up against the back of the servine's neck, and pulling the trigger.

"NOOO!" Alex called, his voice too hoarse to be heard, and Terrias' head shot back in a spray of blood, bone, and flesh. Everything occurred in slow motion as the servine fell forward into the water, disappearing as the stones weighed him down.

Alex suddenly felt a strong grip on his collar, and he was forced to stand as Jazz picked him up, smiling maliciously and sadistically and saying, "I'm gonna have fun with you."

He was forced to stand, his back to the water, and Jazz nodded his head at the Maxia Spec Ops officers, whose laser-sighted, scope-mounted Deutsche M9Ks were trained on the Commander. Four soldiers stepped forward, beginning to bind the weights to Alex's wrists and ankles.

Alex clenched his right hand in a fist, punching the soldier who was binding his left wrist into unconsciousness. He heard a whoosh sound, and instant pain and heat flared as his head was forcefully sent to the right, someone had whipped his cheek with the butt of one of the SMGs.

He was bound and tied, and each of the soldiers nodded as they stepped back. Jazz stepped forward, bringing the pistol up and cocking it as he aimed at Alex's head.

"I've wanted to do this for a long, long time..." The rabbit said, "Goodbye, Commander," and he pulled the trigger.

A deafening crack of gunfire, and Alex saw spots of red as his head shot back and he fell backwards into the water. Instant warmth filled him, despite the freezing water, and he watched bubbles rise to the surface as he flipped over. Jazz stood where Alex had fallen, staring into the water. His form, and the rest of his officers, were silhouettes to the Commander's sight, standing against the burning skies from the fallen city.

Alex stared through growing tendrils of red as he sank deeper and deeper, and everything continued in slow motion as Jazz and the rest of the Maxia turned and walked away. As he sank deeper, one memory crossed his mind...the fountain...and Spyro...

_No..._ He thought, _It can't be over..._


	2. Chapter I: Cleaning House

_**Chapter I**_**:**

-"Cleaning House"-  
-New York City, New York-  
-_**19 May**__** 2012**_**-  
-**_**2335 Hours**_**-**

..._This can't be happening..._ Alex thought again.

Suddenly, the realization of his lack of air caused him to panic. As he cut at the ropes on a jagged piece of concrete on the wall of the harbor, he felt the familiar itch and tickle as his mutated genes healed his bullet wound before it did serious damage.

Free from the ropes, he quickly swam up, taking a gulp of air before swimming back down, searching the murky water for any sign of Terrias.

The servine was nowhere to be seen. Alex kept searching before a dim silhouette caught his eye. Quickly, he swam to the form, setting to work on cutting the ropes that dragged his friend down. One side unbound, Alex swam beneath his friend, untying those binds and watching as the stones, continued drifting down.

He swam beneath Terrias, swimming upwards and into Terrias as he position the servine on his shoulders and swam up to the surface. Once he surfaced, he lifted Terrias, effectively throwing him onto the docks. Alex climbed out of the water, pulling himself on the docks and flipping over, gasping for breath.

He checked Terrias' breathing...nothing...quickly, Alex began reviving the servine via mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Terrias began coughing, and Alex helped him to his side as he coughed up water.

"Alex?" He said, sounding in disbelief.

"Terrias," Alex nodded, hugging him.

"Wh...what happened?"

"I'll tell you later, for now, we need to get the hell out of here."

"The battle?"

"Over."

"And NYC?"

"Lost."

"We lost the battle?"

"Aye, but we will take it back in a vicious counterstrike!"

"What do we do?"

"Good question..." Alex said, peeking out from behind the storage container they were behind. Two guards, clothed in full _Maxia_ spec ops uniforms stood there, chatting. No skin on them showed, night vision goggles and black masks covered their faces, and Kevlar gloves covered their hands, they were clothed entirely in black, bullet-proof armor.

"I have an idea..." Alex began.

* * * * *

Slowly, Alex and Terrias approached the guards. At a sign from Alex, both charged forward, grabbing and wrapping their arms around the guards' necks. They struggled, punched, and kicked. Alex then reached around the man's neck, and with a loud crack, broke it. The man stilled, instantly becoming a dead weight as he lowered the corpse to the ground, removing the clothes and dressing himself.

Now clothed, Terrias said, "Well...how do I look?"

"Sexy."

The servine laughed, "Yeah...it was a bitch hiding my tail though, so if anyone asks, I have a big dick, and I'm hung like a horse."

"Yeah," Alex said with a laugh, then, sobering, "Okay, help me dispose of these bodies."

Grabbing cinderblocks and ropes, the two restrained the corpses in a manner similar to how they had been restrained. They then dragged the bodies to the edge of the docks and threw them into the water, watching as they sank.

"Burn in hell, fucking dipshits," Terrias muttered.

Alex walked straight and stiff, like the guards were supposed to, reaching to grab an AK47 that leaned against a shipping pallet. He threw the weapon to Terrias, before taking one of his own, checking and loading a fresh clip from the pallet.

"Okay," Alex said, "Don't address each other by our real names, just 'Ghost' and 'Roach'."

Terrias laughed at the _Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2_ reference. "Got it," the servine replied.

Also try to stay off your comm link as much as possible, the line isn't secure."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, let's find Jazz."

Suddenly, their earpieces went off, and Jazz's voice said, "All personnel, report to Grand Central Station in an hour for debriefing."

Alex and Terrias exchanged glances before walking towards the station. They heard an engine approach, and someone called out, "Hey! You two! Over here!"

Alarmed, they turned, preparing to shoot, until they saw a _Maxia_ tank, loaded with soldiers, stop before them.

"Heading to debriefing?" The man sitting on the turret asked.

"Um...affirmative, sir."

"Hop on soldiers."

The two climbed on, and as the tank moved up the street, the group excitedly talked about Alpha Company's annihilation, including the executions of the Commander and his protege.

"Excuse me, Captain," Alex said, seeing the bars on the Captain's chest.

"Go ahead, Private."

"Where are those bastard Alpha queers at anyway?"

The captain shrugged, "I've heard multiple areas, but I think that Commander Jazz took them to a mass grave in Central Park to cremate them. I don't know why he'd burn 'em. They didn't give our risen lord the same treatment."

Alex and Terrias secretly exchanged glances.

"Hmm..." is all Alex said before turning to face the road ahead.

"Oh! And hey! Private!" The Captain asked again.

Alex turned his head to look over his shoulder. "Yes, sir?"

"You were stationed at the docks, no?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you see them fall?"

"Yes."

"What was it like, was it good? Did they scream? Cry? Plead for their lives."

"They went down honorably."

"Ah, so you are the type who believes in honor? So do I...but if the Commander asks, I said nothing. I suggest you don't tell him that either. He festers a deep hatred towards them for their betrayal."

"Ah."

"Honorably, huh?"

"Yes."

"No crying?"

"No."

"No pleading for their lives?"

"No."

"Just lowered their heads, closed their eyes, and said nothing as they awaited the final shot?"

"Yes."

"Damn. I was hoping they could suffer...but alas, it takes a hero to die so honorably. I respect them a bit for that...but I said nothing."

"My lips are sealed, sir."

And there was silence for the rest of the trip.

* * * *

The tank rolled into the busted parking lot, stopping right next to the door. Alex and Terrias were the last to disembark, and the captain, who held the door open for them, laughed a bit.

"What's wrong? Cold feet about meeting our commander? Don't worry, you get over it after awhile."

"Yeah..." Alex said with a fake laugh.

They entered, "Who are you anyway?"

"Huh?" Alex said, suddenly alarmed.

"I mean, what's your names?"

"Oh..." Alex said, relieved, "My name is Ghost, and this here is Roach."

"I meant your real names."

"Oh...um...I don't have one."

The captain gave them a strange look, but said, "Okay?" and entered the building.

Alex and Terrias stood towards the back of the massive crowd of _Maxia_ and Russians, gathered together around a tractor-trailer-turned-stage, waiting for Jazz.

A few minutes later, Jazz himself stepped up onto the platform, turning on a megaphone and saying. "Well done, soldiers! The city has fallen, as have the Terminator Militia! For years they have encouraged this senseless war, and now they have finally suffered the consequences for encouraging their warmongering ways! It is now time for the next stage in our plan."

"Next stage?" a Russian soldier at the front of the crowd asked, "We are only seeking vengeance for their attack on our homeland! We want no part in your war. What was this? A plan to try to drag us into a worthless war? We are allies!"

"They attacked your city. Slaughtered innocent civilians, and you still speak of your alliance with them? What allies bomb their friends' territories?"

The Russian soldier didn't speak for a few moments, then said, "Good point, I guess."

"Would you let Hitler wipe out your people and claim them friends?"

"No, sir."

"I thought so."

"So what is the next stage then?"

"The next stage..."

"Yes."

Jazz smiled, then, fire lighting in his eyes, he said, "Kill them."

The room was filled with the sound of gunfire as the _Maxia_ soldiers massacred the Russians.

Jazz stepped down from the platform, turning and watching in sadistic pleasure as a wounded Russian dragged himself away, leaving a trail of blood smeared on the tile floor. Smiling once more, Jazz fired an entire clip from his AK47 into the man, then turned to the captain and said, "Rig this place to blow. Make it look like an accident."

The _Maxia_ moved out, and within moments, only Alex and Terrias remained.

"What do we do?" Terrias asked the commander, panic in his voice.

"Terrias, you head to Central Park and look for the others, I'll...I'll follow Jazz...see if I can stop him."

Terrias nodded, "Be careful Alex."

"No, _you_ be careful."

Terrias nodded, "Good luck," and Alex watched as Terrias left.

Soon after, he slipped outside and headed up the street, using whatever he could for cover. Behind them, the station erupted in a ball of fire.

* * * * *

For awhile, Alex traveled with the rest of the _Maxian_ soldiers, not speaking and paying close attention to how they held themselves. He was deep in enemy territory, alone, his squad was MIA, possibly dead, and Terrias, his only other form of backup, had left to find them. Here he was, in the lion's den, following one of his own, a murderous and vengeful turncoat. He hoped that Jazz no longer possessed the ability to sense the others of Alpha Company, or else he was in trouble.

He searched for a way to escape, but he was surrounded by _Maxia_, and any attempts to sneak away would arouse suspicion, which he did not want to do. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, as he continued his march into the belly of the beast.

* * * * *

Terrias crouched behind a wall, watching as a _Maxia_ patrol walked past. When he was sure the guards were gone, he mantled over the wall, diving mid-run and rolling into a ditch and the brush within. Guards dotted the park, and he crawled, laying prone, through the brush-filled ditch, activating his night vision.

Once through the park, the servine sped across the street and into an ally, scaling a dumpster and climbing a fire escape. Now on the roof, he sat down against an AC unit, peeking out over the burning and ruined city. In the distance, he could see the skeletal remains of Central Park. Grabbing a nearby pair of binoculars from a _Maxia _corpse, he zoomed in.

Sure enough, the streets leading to the park, as well as the park itself, were crawling with _Maxia_ soldiers. He also saw a crater, dug by hand, in the center of the park, but he couldn't see inside.

Without a word he advanced towards the distant park, leaping rooftop to rooftop until he lowered himself through a hole in the roof of a two story building, assassinating the _Maxia _soldier manning the M240 HMG in the window with a knife to the throat. He sneaked through the building, silently and swiftly assassinating any soldiers before heading downstairs, onto street level, and heading into the park.

* * * * *

Once they reached Broadway, the group of _Maxia_ broke apart, but Alex still stuck towards the group that Jazz led. Nobody else was behind him now, and he allowed himself to fall behind. Finally, he stopped, quickly looking around before dashing into an alley for cover.

He spied a metal door, and gathering all his strength, he kicked the handle. It broke free, and the Commander let himself in. Now alone in the darkness of an empty skyscraper, he closed the door again, speeding upstairs to where a locked door blocked his path. He punched through the glass window on the door, unlatching the bolt as he entered, closing the door again and running upstairs.

On the fourth floor, he stopped, running to the windows facing the street. No _Maxia_ in sight. Glancing around, he saw another door, and he ran to it. Having picked the lock, he crouched down and swiftly but silently dashed across the building.

To his luck, he was in a series of rowhouses, and he just ran along the buildings as the group of _Maxia_ drew closer. When he reached the end, he climbed onto the roof, doing a running jump off of the roof and over an alley. Landing with a somersault, he dashed across the roof, crouching down as his position overlooked a harbor, and Jazz stood at the head, about to climb onto another helicopter.

Feeling reservoirs of hatred and anger break free, Alex growled and leaped off the roof, hitting the ground with a roll as he cried, "JAZZ!" And pounced the rabbit.

"What-?" The rabbit began before Alex pounced him, pinning him to the ground.

Jazz punched hard, dumbfounded that Alex was alive, and also struggling to get the Commander off of him. "You bastard!" Alex hissed, "I'll make you pay for what you did! You hear me? _I WILL MAKE YOU FUCKING PAY_!"

Alex had grabbed the rabbit's head, slamming it repeatedly into the concrete as Jazz still struggled to get the weight of the furious Commander off of him. Alex took them, not even feeling the punches through his adrenaline-fueled blood lust.

Withdrawing a dagger, Jazz thrust the silver, poisoned blade deep into Alex's stomach. This caused the Commander to pause in surprise...his deadly mistake. With a swift kick, Jazz kneed Alex in the balls. The Commander fell off, stumbling as he tried to pick himself up. Jazz delivered a series of painful punches, to which Alex could not brace himself for.

"You have a nasty habit of surviving, Commander! Why won't you just give up and die like a good little boy?"

"I will die after I wash my hands in your blood! Argh!" Alex charged him again, head-butting him as the rabbit stumbled from the force of impact and Alex took advantage of his breach in defenses by delivering several powerful roundhouse kicks.

Jazz was knocked back as he smashed into the dock's k-rail. Alex sat upon him, delivering a constant stream of deadly blows. Once more, Jazz evaded the final punch, this time by grabbing Alex's fist and twisting it backwards. Alex cried out and recoiled from the pain, and Jazz delivered his own series of low kicks.

Alex collapsed to the ground, and Jazz, now standing over him, revealed his pistol again, preparing to shoot. With a roar of fury, the Commander jumped up, throwing his entire mass into Jazz and shoving the rabbit back. Jazz tripped, falling over the k-rail and bringing Alex down with him.

Now underwater, they continued their fight as Alex swam to the docked ship, grabbing for it. He felt Jazz grab his legs, pulling him away as he shoved the Commander's head down. The rabbit then grabbed a hanging rope and turned around, punching Alex to cause him to recoil. Then, with uncanny speed, Jazz swam behind Alex, wrapping the rope around the Commander's neck as the Commander clawed at the rope.

Flailing, Alex managed to score a lucky strike and he felt the pressure remove itself. Immediately he began swimming to the surface, but Jazz grabbed his ankle, trying to hold him down. The Commander then grabbed the hilt of the knife protruding from his breast, and his vision flashed red as he ripped it free.

Immediately the water grew red and he stabbed around. A watery cry accompanied by sudden resistance told him he had struck his target.

He then concentrated on getting to the surface, and just as he felt like his lungs would explode, he surface, breathing in the fresh air and coughing as it burned his lungs. He didn't know where Jazz was...he didn't care. All that mattered was getting to the banks. Once he struck the sea wall, he pulled himself up and out, rolling on his back as he waited for his breathing to return to normal.

* * * * *

Terrias peeked out from the underbrush, he was just outside of Central Park now. Once he confirmed there was no one else around, he charged in. Using whatever cover he could find when needed, he searched around for Alpha Company, mentally calling out for them.

When he received no reply, he moved around, looking everywhere. Suddenly, a voice behind him spoke, saying, "You are a _long_ way from home Sergeant Terrias," and he twisted around, finding himself staring into several _Maxia_ AK47s.

He barely had time to gasp as a dozen shots rang through the still, night air.

* * * * *

A sudden pain tore through Alex, as if a giant bandage had been ripped off of him, and he had a bad case of heart burn. He cried out, collapsing as he waited for it to dissipate. Once it passed, he stood up, suddenly feeling something cold, wet, and round stabbed into the back of his head.

The sound of a cocking handgun rang through the air, and Alex closed his eyes, lowering his head with a heavy breath. "Hello, Corporal," the Commander said in a tired voice.

"Enough of the niceties!" Jazz hissed.

Alex heard a whooshing sound, and he felt something hard crack along the back of his head. Instantly, consciousness winked out.

* * * * *

Alex slowly came to. He was first aware that he was numb, and that he had been undressed. Next, he was aware that he was being carried. He felt a dizzying rocking sensation as he was thrown. Dazed, he hit the ground, rolling into the bottom of the fresh-dug pit, the dirt and rock tearing at his naked flesh.

He was also paralyzed, and he could only look to his left. At the top of the hill, _Maxian_ soldiers surrounded the pit, and the four guards who had carried him returned to the cluster as two more, carrying someone else, took their place. They rocked the body before throwing it in, and in a snap, everything was slow motion, and Alex could see the bloody, unconscious form of Terrias hit the lip of the crater before rolling in and landing beside him.

Around them, Alpha Company lay, all tossed in. Several _Maxia_ soldiers stepped into the pit, dumping some kind of liquid on them. Alex could smell its strong odor, and he recognized it immediately, gasoline. Once six five gallon canisters had been emptied, and they were well doused. Jazz stepped up, holding Piermont's lighter. He flipped it on, breaking the button so that it stayed on.

With a twisted smile, he threw it in. A loud whooshing sound, Alex wanted to scream, he could feel the burning...but he couldn't. Everything was alight. He suddenly felt launched into an out-of-body experience. A heavy presence overcame him, enveloping and suffocating him like some black shroud. Movement returned, but he wasn't controlling it.

His elemental spirit, appearing like a fiery gladiator skeleton that only he could see, appeared as the fires flared and surrounded it, taking on its physical embodiment. The apparition stepped towards Alex, reaching down, and the Commander felt a powerful heat shoot through his breast, the point of contact. He let out a hellish scream as the apparition completely possessed him, evicting his spirit, but not completely.

He tried to return to his body, but the presence seized hold and pulled him in. The last thing he remembered before everything went black, was feeling as if he was being sucked into a black hole.

* * * * *

The fires flared, and a worried glance overtook Jazz's face.

"Sir," a soldier said, "Why aren't they burning? They should be black right now."

"I...I don't know..."

Suddenly, a tongue of flame shot out of the pit and at the _Maxia_, causing them to jump back. Out of the flames, the Commander, looking like some demonic gladiator, stood tall. Jazz fell back, eyes wide with fear, and the _Maxia_ fled.

"_Comos! Sereventos! Arramos!_" the apparition shouted in an eerie, corpse-like voice. Immediately, the crowd of _Maxia_ doubled over, screaming in bloody murder. And Jazz looked around, horrified, as the army's flesh bubbled and boiled, and exploded into columns of red liquid.

Shouting in ancient Draconic, the figure walked out of the crater, entire body surrounded in a protective bubble of fire. The demon alone was an easy eight feet tall. With red-trimmed, coal-black armor adorned with red runes. Its helmet was almost gladiatorial, with long, black horns that curved inward at a 90 degree angle around the middle. A 'T' shaped slot was in the helmet, but the face within was black. Two yellow, hemispherical eyes curving down at 45 degree angles were shining through the darkness, and its heavy, slow breath came in white clouds of cold vapor. It raised its right arm, and a fireball shot from its palm, igniting a cluster of retreating _Maxia_.

It swiped its arm, and a ribbon of fire spread outward like a visible shock wave, blasting the encircling soldiers.

Jazz stared at Alex's pure elemental form with a combination of shock, awe, and terror. He quickly turned and ran, tripping and landing sprawled on his belly in the mud. The Fire King moved slowly, but somehow was gaining on him. Jazz picked himself and stumbled to the helicopter.

"The fuck is that thing!?" The pilot asked.

"Goddammit! Go! Go! Go!"

The helicopter rose into the air as the Fire King launched ribbons of fire and fireballs at the machine, attempting to blow it out of the sky. However, it escaped, and as the elemental spirit watched the black chopper disappear beneath the burning horizon, the Fire King became enshrouded in black smoke. When the smoke cleared, Alex sat, on all fours, gasping for breath. Sweat shined off of his bare skin, and his boxers, the only clothing he had, was covered in mud.

Weakly, he stood, face contorted into a frown of pure hatred and anger. He rocked unsteadily on his heels before falling to the ground. A downed tree branch stabbed into his flank, and he grabbed it, hissing as he fell to the side and laid, unmoving, on the ground, semiconscious. Once his wounds healed and some of his strength returned, he limped over to where Alpha Company lay.

He extinguished the flames, clumsily falling to his knees as he healed his team. Little by little, they regained consciousness, and once they had recovered, they clustered around their leader, forming a tight barrier against the chill, and their leader's humiliating appearance.

Northwestern Regional Commander Spyro, and Alex's second-in-command, skirted the field of bodies and blood, the deeply battle-scarred purple dragon kneeling beside a puddle of blood-soaked clothes as he picked up a green smoke grenade. Pulling the pin, he tossed it into the crater, and with a hiss, it exploded as neon green smoke rose in a pillar into the night, smoky skies.


	3. Chapter II: Flashback

_**Chapter II**_**:**

**-''Flashback''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_21 May 2012_-**

**-_0000 Hours_-**

Spyro stood on the balcony overlooking the sprawling city. _Home_ he thought with a smile, _Home, sweet home_...

The hellish experiences of the past few days were quickly becoming nothing but a memory, and the small purple dragon knew he could overcome memories. He personally didn't have any serious traumatic experiences associated with this battle. Sure he had been shot in the head, but it wasn't silver, and the sniper's bullet did not have too much poison on it...thankfully, only really enough to prevent healing. With the extraction of the bullet, he had quickly healed the wound, and now he felt better than ever.

With the close-call battle of New York behind them, and another Terminator victory to add to the Terminator/Maxia conflict, he allowed himself to forget that and concentrate on the future. He stood on the balcony of the top floor of the penthouse suite of the military club that housed the entirety of Alpha Company. It was odd, but even the burning wastelands surrounding the _Fiernes Curtain_ and the debris-littered graveyard added to the homey feel. Apparently, after living in these conditions for an unknown length of time, one grew used to everything, every little imperfection. This was far from paradise, much of the city was rundown and damaged after innumerable attacks from the _Maxia _since the outbreak of the civil war two years earlier. The massive wall of dragonfire warmed his soul and heart, and he was happy to be here. He wouldn't trade this city for the safest and the most beautiful place on earth.

He didn't even think he could go back to the Mushroom Swamp or the Dragon Temple, this was his home now...being in the militia for four and a half years now, he gladly accepted it. Plus, he couldn't get used to the absences of all of this anyway. Sure they had their hard times, but it was safe to say that the city was safe for him. A safe haven for anyone who didn't mind living under the Terminator Militia's deeply conservative ideals. The crime rate was literally zero, mainly because there was a surplus of Terminator soldiers on patrol at all times, and strict curfews had been instilled to ensure safety, perhaps the fear of the war and need for safety also helped control potential criminals.

Needless to say, he didn't want to leave this place. He looked up into the dark, maroon, cloud-filled skies, the LEDs on the thin black ribbon of the Ring glowed bright amber, shining down through the always-present cloud cover. Spyro smiled as the warm wind gently blew past him, feeling good against his badly scarred right side, a medal from the Battle of Champaign that occurred a little over a year ago. He suddenly heard the sound of the sliding glass door, and he looked over his shoulder as his mate, a small black dragon named Cynder, stepped beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. Her stunning turquoise eyes were soft and shining, and he knew that she was happy to be alive, and happy that _he _was alive. Their relationship was strong, nothing could break it, and rarely did you see one without the other somewhere nearby.

"Hey, Cynder," he said softly, kissing her forehead.

"Hey, Lover," she replied, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder, "I missed you..."

"I missed you, too."

"I was so worried...after you got shot I thought...I thought..."

He placed one ivory claw to her lips, "Shh...it's okay, everything is fine, now."

She began to cry softly, burying her face in his chest, "I don't want anything to happen to you...I love you..."

"I love you, too."

He kissed her, and she surprised him by giving him her tongue. He met it with his own, and when their kiss broke, she whispered to him, "Please...show me everything is truly alright...that that battle is truly over."

"How?" he asked, knowing very well what her intentions were, but wanting her to say it.

"You know how..."

"Tell me..."

"Make love to me..."

They kissed again and he dipped two of his claws into her burning hot, soaking wet sex. He gently stroked and played with her lips, and she let out a little gasp and a moan under his gentle touch. She slowly stroked his sheathe, and as the object within emerged itself, she grabbed it, tugging gently. Their foreplay complete, she knelt forward and he mounted her, slowly entering her and touching her in the place he knew she loved. Her hot, already-moist sex was milking at him, and she gave out a little moan from beneath him. He silenced her with a kiss, and as he readjusted his position, she cried out, squirting her precious fluids onto his thighs. He himself was getting to the the peak of pleasure very quickly, it had been far too long since they had last been together. With a final moan from him, he thrusted spastically as he struggled to remain mounted, and his limbs trembled as, with a final, deep thrust, that nearly locked them together, he released his seed inside of her, hopping down as his scales, raised with arousal, once more lowered, and his sex-defining appendage slowly retreated in his sheath.

They laid down together then, cuddling close as they drifted off, and fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of peace and happiness.

Alex, too, was having a thoughtful moment, only he had no woman waiting for him in bed. His fiance refused sexual contact until marriage, and he didn't complain, although he had lost his virginity a year prior to Cynder, in an attempt to please her like Spyro requested before he embarked on his week-long romantic cruise with his second mate, whom he didn't even want, but mated to keep her from killing herself over her want for him.

His recollections, however, weren't of the thrill of being alive, and the joy in being back home...his were a constant repeat of the hellish battle he had just witnessed, especially his close brush with death. As he remembered every little detail about his intended execution. He suddenly felt bad for Terrias, and he re-entered Club Camelot, walking across the dark hall and to the door to the room Terrias and his mate stayed in. He slowly opened the door, happy when he saw his protege and her mate sleeping peacefully together in each others arms.

Smiling to himself, he slowly left and closed the door, returning to his post outside, overlooking the northern half of New Alexandria and the Burned Lands that lined the _Fiernes Curtain_. Returning to his thoughts, he realized that he shared a hellish experience with nearly every single member of Alpha Company following Cheet. _The stampede..._ he thought grimly, especially when he remembered the Battle of Pride Rock, where he first met his demonic self. He remembered how he let the cheetah, then still a cub, fall, and how he almost died. _Lake Michigan_, he thought, remembering the battle that saw the sinking of his battleship, and the near-death of Rudolph, to which the latter had to be cryogenically frozen until he could be healed. _The Battle of Champaign_, remembering the massacre at the fountain, the one where only he and Spyro crawled away. _And now this...the Siege of New York_, his hellish experience with Terrias. _What's next? The goddamn apocalypse?_ He then remembered _Operation: Armageddon, _The Battle of Installation 07, his, Spyro's, and Cynder's torture at the prison beneath what used to be Washington DC before a counterstrike and a rescue mission leveled the city, enabling the Necropolis to rise from the ashes.

"How much more do we need to suffer through?" he asked himself, "This shit is going to kill us..."

_But you know very well that this is all a test of faith_, his conscience told him.

"It doesn't matter what it is! One of these days, our luck will run out! Then what?"

_Everybody dies_.

"I don't care!" he hissed, punching the banister, breaking the wood, "I'm tired of these goddamn battles! I'm tired of my life always coming close to being lost!"

_You are a soldier. Soldiers are born to suffer through hell._

"And what is at the end of the line, hm? Hell? Eternal damnation!"

_Hell is for heroes_.

"BULL-FUCKING-SHIT! What the hell are we even fighting for? Every day we risk our lives to please those who want us dead! There is no purpose for fighting."

_What do you mean?_

"You _know _what I mean."

_You can not disband the Terminators._

"Why not?"

_Because of your men...they love you, they risked their lives for you. Their friends and family are gone, you and this army are all they have left._

"They aren't even supposed to exist apparently!"

_That was one experience._

"One experience that shows just how appreciative the universe is for our existence. I...I'm just so tired...I want to die...maybe it'll all end after that."

_You are _not _suicidal._

"Oh really? And how do you know?"

_Because I _am _you. You are only pissed at the battle, you don't mean your words._

"Maybe I do this time."

_But you don't_.

"And what if I did? What would _you _do about it?"

_I can't answer that, because I am merely an extension of yourself. The fact that we are even having this conversation implies that you _know _you are blowing off steam, else you would not allow this to happen. You are controlling what I say, I am not independent_.

"Maybe I just need someone to bring me back to my senses...or to make some goddamn sense in this damned war."

_Perhaps, this is it. But war is not supposed to make sense. If humanity did make sense, we would take the diplomatic approach instead of warfare_.

He sighed, "Perhaps."

_One thing that God wants me to tell you...don't give up now, you still have many happy days ahead._

Sure it ain't "an extension of myself" telling me this.

_Look into your heart for the answer_.

He did, and sure enough, he could sense an otherworldly presence pressing that thought into his heart. Giving one final look at the Burned Lands, he returned into the darkness of the building, retreating into his room as he climbed into bed, and fell asleep.

…_she turned to him, her blue fur glowing in the light cast by the fire, "If...if you will have me, I...I'll always stay by your side, even...even into the face of death...if you will have me..._" _her maroon eyes looked into his and..._

"_I will..._"

He suddenly opened his eyes, quickly squinting them shut as the light of day shined through his curtains and into his face. He sat up, standing, stretching, and throwing on a pair of jeans as he relieved himself and left his room. Spyro, Cynder, Terrias, Aria, Crash, and Spike were the only ones awake.

Alex sat down between Terrias and Spyro, he and Terrias looked away from each other.

"What's wrong with you two?" Cynder asked, noticing, "I haven't seen you so embarrassed to be around someone from your team since you were forced to suck Spyro off." Spyro glared at her, but she ignored him.

"Nothing..." Alex began.

"Nothing at all," Terrias finished.

"Is this because of the battle?" Crash asked, inspecting his neatly and freshly trimmed claws.

"It doesn't matter," Terrias said unhappily.

"Sure it does," Spike began, "You guys have been acting really weird since we got back from NYC."

"Heh..." Alex scoffed, "I wonder why. It's not like we were damn near executed and drowned."

"Yeah..." Terrias said, his voice sounding distant, looking off in sadness.

"But you are okay now!" Spyro said, trying to raise their spirits.

It didn't work, "Regardless," Alex said, "What we went through was hell."

"Yeah, I know about hellish experiences, Alex. Remember Champaign?"

"How can I even forget? We were fucked from the start."

"And yet God was on our side, we survived!"

"I love how you take such a cheery approach on it."

"You told me I should. Are you saying that my conversion to Christianity from Atheism was all for naught?"

"Maybe."

"What is wrong with you?"

"What is wrong with me..." Alex chuckled, he was pissed, "Let me tell you 'what is wrong with me'. Since the start, all we've had is a living hell. We went from being heroes to being public enemy number one. Nobody likes us! They want us dead! They don't care that we've been nothing but protectors since '97. They don't care that it was our goddamn government that initiated the war, not us. They don't care that every day we struggle to survive! What in the bloody hell are we fighting for, Spyro? Will you fucking tell me _that_ at least?"

Spyro frowned, he seemed offended, but tried to hide it. Looking down, squeezing his eyes shut, and biting his lip, he said, as calm as ever, "We're fighting for God, we're fighting for those who _do _still respect us, we're fighting, because it is the _good _thing to do. That's why we fight instead of rotting away in this city, waiting for death to become of us. You of all people should know that, Commander."

He stood up and began to walk away, "Spyro..."

He paused in his tracks, turning to face the Commander, "What?"

"Why do you want to be here?"

"Because you saved my life, gave me my family, and taught me friendship and respect, I am eternally grateful for what you have done for me. I want you to be happy, that's why I'm here."

"That's why we're all here," Cynder said, "Because you are our idol. We damn near worship the ground you walk on. You are our friend."

"...And our leader," Crash said, "Each and every one of us has something we owe you. You've helped us all in some way, and we want to be here to please you."

"I'm sorry if you don't like what I'm trying to do," Spyro said, and he walked away. "I don't want to hurt you, I only wanted to make you happy. You are my best friend, and one of the few I have now."

When he paused one final time to look over his shoulder, Alex could have sword he saw a tear on the dragon's cheek. The rest of Alpha Company dispersed, leaving him alone. And he was suddenly overcome with anger and sadness. He had succeeded in outcasting each and every one of his team members, and he didn't want to lose his friends because he was angry that one of his former soldiers tried...and failed...to kill him.

"Guys..." he began, "I'm sorry..." and he ran after them.

-**Connorsville, Illinois-**

**-**_**23 May 2012**_**-**

**-1747 **_**Hours**_**-**

The Hornet emerged from the teleportation vortex above the dark city. Despite being a relatively small city, Chicago, during the closing of several of their ghettos, sent the unwelcome residents down to projects and ghettos in Connorsville. So overnight, it was not safe. However, many of the gangs carried nothing more than small arms, and few were armed with silver or any of the _Maxia_'s poisoned rounds. So, the militia was largely safe. The gangs also didn't attack massive groups of soldiers, armed with helicopters, tanks, APCs, and wielding large weapons. Some of the members of the Terminator Militia also held a soft spot in the hearts of the ruthless gangsters, and that helped keep them safe as well.

The only real reason why they want on patrols was to keep an eye or an ear out for any _Maxian _activity. Which, they also were largely safe from, as the _Maxia _would much rather choose larger cities, like Chicago and New York over small towns and cities.

Terrias, piloting the aircraft, called over to his CO, "Yo, Alex! Any idea of where we've been assigned?"

"Sector 4."

"Alright!"

The aircraft turned to head northwest, and within moments, they could see the familiar structure of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School looming in the distance. "Well, I'll be damned!" Piermont said, a wide grin on his face, "If it isn't the ol' _Alma mater_. Stupid worthless, piece o' shit place."

"What's wrong, Pierre?" Spyro grinned, "Bad memories?"

"Fuck you, purple boy!"

"You'd like that wouldn't you?"

"Hell no! Fuckin' queer."

"Hey, you said it, not me."

"Enough! Both of you!" Alex commanded.

"Hey, Alex," Cynder began.

"What's up, Cynder?"

"Look up at the clouds."

Alex looked up into the sky and saw rotating thunderheads, "Shit!" he swore, "Be careful, Terrias, we have one helluva storm brewing."

"I see it."

"Be careful."

Silence filled the aircraft, and Alex looked around the cramped cockpit. All of Alpha Company stood around, ready for anything that would require immediate deployment onto the ground. However, several passes over the street turned up no suspicious activity, and the aircraft moved farther along. "Hey, Alex," Aria said from her position at the thermal camera.

"Yeah?" he began, walking over to her and holding a steel pipe over head, maintaining balance on the moving craft.

"Check this out."

She moved aside and Alex peered through the goggles. The world was a sea of gray and white, but five flashes stood out among the gray ground.

"What does it look like to you?" Aria asked.

"Hm..." Alex began, "It _might _be schoolkids...but perhaps we should get a little lower just to be sure. Terrias?"

"I heard you, Commander."

The Hornet lowered closer to the ground, and Alex peeked out the window. Four fourth or fifth graders walked down the street, chatting amongst themselves. "False alarm," Alex said, "Just kids."

"Yes, sir," Terrias said, and brought the craft back up.

"Nice catch though, Aria."

"_Gracias_."

"Uh...Alex?" Piermont began.

"What is it, Pierre?"

"I see lightning!"

"Yeah..." Terrias began, and Alex could see worry break out on his face in beads of sweat, "Wind's also pickin' up."

"Lower altitude."

"Workin' on it, but we're caught in the updraft."

"Shit!" Piermont hissed, "That just _barely _missed us!"

"Get lower, now!"

"I'm trying, Alex! _Argh!"_

There was the sounds of an electric zap, and a flash of blinding light filled the craft. The engine cut out, and the lights winked before everything came back on. The alarm on the craft went off, and the Hornet took on a deadly dive. "OH _FUCK_!" he swore, "I've lost complete control! We're going down!"

"Pull up! Pull up!"

"I can't! The controls are jammed! Shit!"

"_PULL UP, GODDAMMIT!_"

"What don't you understand! I can't!"

The Hornet, now with everything locked up, set itself on a course of impact with Thomas Jefferson.

"CRAP!" Terrias hissed, "We're heading right for the school! Brace yourselves! We're in for a bumpy ride!"

"Don't you mean a hard landing?" Piermont asked.

"Does it really fucking matter?"

"QUIET!" Alex hissed, "Piermont! Shut the fuck up already! Terrias! Concentrate on landing us safely."

However, a crash landing was imminent, and Terrias squeezed his eyes shut as he grabbed onto whatever he could. At his urging, the rest of Alpha Company did the same, and they awaited the crash. Suddenly, a forceful impact sent them flying around inside the cockpit, and the sounds of broken glass and groaning steel filled the air. Then, each and every one of the members of Alpha Company blacked out.

Terrias slowly opened his eyes, aware of a sharp pain in his gut, and his heartbeat in his ears. He looked around the wreckage of the Hornet, seeing broken glass and twisted steel laying around. Wires poked from the walls, shooting sparks down on him, and he could smell the odor of leaking diesel fuel. His neck burned in pain, and he feared whiplash. He could feel the usual tickle as his mutated genes healed any wounds they could, but the pain in his gut would not go away, and when the healing energy would get to that part of his body, it would fizzle out. Something was blocking the process, and he looked down, seeing a blood-crusted girder poking out from his stomach. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he vomited before passing out again.

Alex picked himself up, standing unsteadily and nearly falling over. After regaining his balance, he healed his miraculously minor injuries and looked around, "Spyro? Cynder?" he said, dazed, "Everybody okay?"

Unfortunately, his vision was blurred, and he couldn't see a thing. He lost his balance again, falling forward and landing, with a splash, on his hands and knees in a puddle of diesel, oil, and water. He crawled through the muck, seeing blinding light shining through the cracks in the door, the only way he knew it was a door. The door was jammed, and he fell backwards, raising his legs. With several swift, powerful kicks, the door broke loose from its track, and he could hear the tinkle as bolts, glass, and steel hit the ground, rolling away or settling. He climbed out of the wreckage, collapsing onto a warm, tile floor. Kicking open the door had expended more energy than he expected, and he struggled to keep from vomiting. As he rolled onto his back, he closed his eyes, waiting for his vision to clear.

Once it did, he looked around. He could see desks laying askew or on their sides. A chalkboard was across the room, and he could see a terrified female teacher staring at him. He blinked, and he could see the room was full of kids, all terrified. He placed his palms on the ground, attempting to pick himself up, but he briefly cried out as he looked at his hands. It took time for his vision to adjust and focus, but when it did, he saw a large piece of scalding hot steel and glass in his hand, and blood welled from the point of entry.

He stood, ripping the obstructing objects out and healing the wounds. Sparks rained down from the busted fluorescent lights above, hanging on thin wires. "Cut the power!" He commanded to the teacher, but his voice was slurred and inaudible. Clearing his throat, he said, "Cut the power! There's diesel everywhere. If you don't, one of those sparks could ignite it, and this whole room becomes a flaming hellhole, or a ticking time bomb."

The teacher nodded to a student, who ran out of the room.

Immediately, Alex stepped among the debris and pieces of Hornet and building, crawling back into the Hornet and pulling out his teammates, one by one. The last he removed was Terrias, mainly because he was difficult to get to. Holding Terrias in a fireman's carry, Alex re-emerged from within the debris and carried him over to the wall across the room, gently lowering him against the wall. The joystick and a piece of the steering column had jammed itself in his gut, impaling him.

"I need a medic!" Alex yelled, "NOW!"

More students left, and the power was cut soon after. Alex tended to the others, who had less serious injuries, and when the school nurse arrived, Alex led her over to the servine. "What-?" she began, "What is this?"

"A wounded soldier."

"I mean what species animal?"

"He's a servine, just fix him up!"

"But I don't..."

"JUST REMOVE THE FUCKING ROD SO I CAN HEAL HIM!" Alex then picked up one of his AK47s, laying among the wreckage. Upon acquiring the assault rifle, the nurse stepped up her efforts to care for him. Once the object was removed and blood began to pour at a much deadlier pace, Alex quickly healed him and brought him to where the rest of Alpha Company slowly recovered from the crash.

"Hey! You!" came a young-sounding, stern voice from behind them. Alex paused mid-crouch. "Yeah you!" the voice said, "Stand up and drop your weapons! _NOW!_"

Alex turned to complain, but saw five machine guns trained on him. "Oh..." he began, raising his hands with a look of annoyance and standing.

"That's it, nice an' easy! Back away from the...whatever the hell that is."

"A servi-"

"Did I say speak?"

"No."

"So shut the hell up and step back, now!"

"This is fucking ridicu-"

"Say one more word, and you will be laying on the ground, bleeding out, _comprende_?"

"Is that a threat?"

"You're damn right!"

Reluctantly, Alex did as he was told.

"Now, turn around, your back to me, and get down on the ground."

"I better not be fucking rap-"

"Shut up!"

Alex signaled that he would comply and sat on his knees. The figure who had spoke emerged from the shadows and began to handcuff him. His eyes shooting open, Alex quickly grabbed the figure's wrist, turning it completely around before, with eerie speed and agility, smoothly brought the figure to the ground, holding him at gunpoint. The figure looked up, staring into the barrel of his own gun. Alex, standing over him, smiled, "So, M1A911 9mm handgun? Old school man," Alex depressed a button, ejecting the clip before spinning the gun and handing it out, handle facing the figure. A furry green hand grabbed the gun and stood, holstering it. Alex was alarmed to see that the brown-cloaked man was none other than Jazz.

"Jazz!" he hissed, and he quickly aimed his AK47 at the rabbit.

Jazz immediately raised his hands, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! I'm unarmed! I'm unarmed!"

Confused, but ignoring it, Alex asked, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Showing your fucking face to me again? And so soon, too."

"What are you talking about?"

Alex then noticed that his voice sounded much younger, he was less scarred and looked younger, he also looked frightened. He stepped back, "Please don't shoot...I...I was just following orders..."

"From who? Necro? He's dead dumbass. The Govies? They can go fuck themselves."

"Who? No! My orders! I'm following them!"

"Who? _Whose _orders are you following!"

"C...C...Commander Alex Vaughn! H...He's my CO!"

"Huh?" Alex was genuinely caught off guard by his declaration. Lowering his rifle and switching the safety on, Alex asked, "You aren't following my ord..."

"Jazz?" came a young boy's voice from outside the room, "What's going on?"

The five shadowy figures stepped into the room, and a boy entered. "What?" he said, alarmed by the intruders and reaching for his MP40, "Who do you think you..."

With swift reflexes and speed, Alex instantly knocked the unsuspecting boy to the ground and his hood fell away...

Alpha Company, now mostly alert, stood to aide the Commander, but they were driven speechless and paralyzed by the figure in the robe.

"Holy shit, Alex!" Piermont began, "It's...it's _you!_"

Sure enough, a younger Alex Vaughn stared back at them, stunned that he was bested so easily. The more battered and bruised Alex was stunned to discover that his would-be assailant was _himself_!? "It can't be..." Alex said, his voice small.

Younger Alex said, "You...who are you?"

"He's you dumbass," Piermont said, still in shock, "Somehow..."

The figures then revealed themselves...Simba and Nala, who were still cubs, a much-younger Crash Bandicoot, and a much younger General Robert E. Elliot.

"Oh you have got to be shitting me..." Spyro said, stunned at the reveal. "What the fuck?"

"You...you're _me_? You can't be! How can you be me? I'm right here!"

"What year is this?" older Alex asked.

"2...2000."

"But Jazz was dead in 2000 wasn't he?" Spyro asked, "And how in the fuck are you in school?"

"I...I..." older Alex was speechless, "I don't know," he said.

"Ah shite," Piermont said, "We're fucked."

"Okay, so tell me again," young Alex began, "Where are you from, and how in the bloody hell can you be _me_?"

"Do I look like someone who really knows?" older Alex hissed, "And we're from 2012."

"I don't understand," Simba began, "How can this even be possible?"

"Ha!" Piermont said, lighting a cigarette, "If we knew we wouldn't be here would we?"

"I guess not..."

"To be honest," Terrias interrupted, "We really have no idea what's going on, but we've been sent back in time, or to another time, several times already...I had thought that it was Necro's doing...I guess not."

"It might have originally been," Spyro stated, "But somehow he gave us the ability to manipulate time, or rather, to travel in time."

"Yes, but wouldn't that imply that we know how to control it?" Piermont snapped, "Unless you forgot, _WE DON'T KNOW HOW IN THE BLOODY FUCK WE GOT HERE_!"

"Calm down, Pierre," Alex said, "You'll kill yourself one of these days."

"Whoopity-fuckin'-doo," he said, taking a long drag on his cigarette.

"We need to figure out what's going on so we can hopefully stop this," Terrias said, unhappily.

"I personally don't mind," Piermont interrupted, "I fuckin' love scaring the shit out of people, scaring the same person over and over and over again just makes it that much better."

Alex elbowed him.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"Are we finished here?" young Alex said, annoyed.

"Well, you're a balsy little prick ain't ya?" Piermont asked him.

"At least I'm not a narcissistic, sadistic, worthless piece of foul-mouthed shit."

Spyro laughed, "Ho-ly crap, that's definitely Alex...whatever happened anyway? You aren't fun anymore."

Older Alex sighed and said to his younger self, "The shit you will deal with between now and our time will completely change you."

"How? What happens?"

"You'll find out someday."

"That is," Terrias interrupted, "If we are even in our world, only in the past. I don't know about you bastards, but I see several plotholes in our little story here."

"Who knows?" Alex sighed, "Personally, it's not like it matters, I just want to get home."

"Amen," the rest of Alpha Company agreed.

"Well..." young Alex began, "I guess you could come home with me. You all have quite a story to tell."

"Yeah," Jazz smirked, "Unless they decide that they don't want to reveal anything."

"No we won't reveal anything you heartless son of a bitch," Piermont hissed at the rabbit.

Alex elbowed his dragon again, harder this time.

Once most of Alpha Company walked away, Cheet turned to Jazz, "Don't worry about him."

"Why do they hate me so much? Did I fuck up on something in your world?"

"Um...yes and no," Cheet replied nervously before he too walked away.

They arrived at their substitute home and were immediately greeted with stunned, if not frightened, looks. "Hey guys," young Alex said, ignoring their shock as he took his backpack into his room.

"Wh...who are these people?" his father asked him.

"I'm him," older Alex said, "Only from a different time."

"Very funny," he seemed angry at the comment, "But I'm serious, who are you."

"He already told you," Cheet said, "And he was telling the truth."

"How is it even possible?"

Piermont hissed, "Do we look like we know? If we knew, we wouldn't even be here right now!"

"Okay...so then who are the rest of you...I think I can guess a few of you, but others are new faces."

"Well, my name is Spyro, Northwestern Regional Commander and second-in-command to Alex, and this is my mate, Cynder, she is a five star general."

Cynder nuzzled him after the introduction.

"I'm Sergeant Major Terrias-Alex's current protege-and this is Sergeant Major Aria, my mate."

"I'm Rudolph, Lieutenant Colonel."

"I'm Cheet," the cheetah replied, "1st Lieutenant."

"Piermont, Great Commander."

"Rapid, General."

"Prancy, Corporal."

"Keisha, Sergeant, and Cheet's mate," and the cheetah nuzzled her mate.

"I'm Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog, and my rank is none of your business."

"I'm Spike, Spyro's protege and a private first class, PFC for short."

"Hm...so what is 2012 like then?"

The looks on the faces of Alpha Company suddenly darkened into gloom, "I'd rather not say," Alex began.

"Why not?"

"Because you would probably try to change it, and that would only fuck things up..."

"...Worse than they already are," Rudolph finished gloomily.

"That bad?"

"You can't even begin to imagine," Terrias replied, "But it's no sense worrying you about the future. What happens happens. I can only say that you should prepare for when the shit hits the fan."

Alpha Company managed to be able to find room in the living room to sleep. When Alex's mother returned home that night from work, she sent one look at the massive group of soldiers, and another to her husband, who was in their room, watching television. "Who are they?" she asked.

"Alpha Company, Alex's friends."

"More? Since when were there so many?"

"Since these somehow came from the future."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"How are they from the future?"

"You're asking me."

"I...I don't understand. Where can they even possibly come from?"

"They said they came from 2012."

"2012? They _do _realize that it's 2001 right?"

"Yes, but they are claiming, nonstop, that they're from 2012."

"So who all are they then?"

"Let's see...some new ones they have now are, Piermont, who apparently is Alex's dragon now. Rapid, some kind of skunk-man creature, Cheet, which is a cheetah, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, I know, funny right? Also some purple dragon, I think they said his name was Spearow or Spyro or something, then his mate, the black dragon, her name is Cynder. Some weird, snake-like thing called Terrias and his mate, Aria. Plus another purple dragon, Spike...and...our Alex."

"What?"

Alex's mother and father walked to the living room, and he pointed to Alex, who was collapsed on the couch, deep asleep. Spyro and Cynder were curled together at his feet. On the floor right beside them, Piermont, in his dragon form, was sleeping comfortably, curled into a tight ball with his mate. In the light of the fire, the numerous scars on Alex's body, especially the ones on his face, from the burns received back during the Battle of Champaign, were clearly visible, giving him an almost corpse-like appearance.

"What happened to him?" she asked, astounded.

"He wouldn't tell me."

"Did they tell us anything?"

"Only their separate histories and origins, they didn't go into detail about what their time is like," after a few moments of thought, he spied Alex's laptop, charging on the coffee table, now pushed against the wall, "I have an idea," he said.

Quickly but silently, he maneuvered through the scattered army, quietly grabbing the laptop and sneaking back to their room. Once inside, he closed and locked the door, and opened the computer...it was password protected.

For several moments, he recalled on their Alex's likes, and, after several attempts, he nailed the correct password, and the desktop came to life, displaying a beautiful picture of northern New Alexandria, the Burned Lands, north of the city, and the mystical _Fiernes Curtain_ in the distance. In the corner of the screen, they could see a stretch of the _Ring, _mounted LEDs on standby yellow.

"Oh my God..." she said, "What the hell is that?"

"It looks like the city he lives in..

His father first opened up the _My Documents_ folder, revealing a collection of news articles and photographs. "Look at these!" he said, perusing through the documents. Every article was ordered chronologically, starting from 2008 and moving onwards into the middle of May of 2012. The articles told of the Presidential Election of 2008, going into details about the overnight attacks, the president's framing, and the outbreak of the Second Civil War. Every consecutive article then gave out further details about numerous battles and events occurring during the war, from the erection of the _Fiernes __Curtain_, through to the Battle of DC, the Battle of Champaign, The numerous battles of New Alexandria, the Battle of the Necropolis, the _USS Retaliation_, their travels in Skyrim, the Battle of Installation 07 and Spike's kidnapping, and into the rise of the Shade King, the Fall of New Alexandria, and the Siege of New York.

"Oh my God..."

"What are they going through?"

Upon further exploration into the _My Videos_ folder, he discovered a massive amount of camera footage of the Terminator Militia. "It's like he wanted to keep these all for a television show."

"Or he wanted to make sure that the truth always came out. If what those documents tell are true, then the corruption in the US government would try to depict the militia as inherently evil..."

"They're just trying to survive."

"Jesus..."

"Hey, look at this," he played a video, labeled as "Siege of New York, Pt. II". As he watched through it, astounded, he then watched the execution. Exiting out, he closed the laptop. "I...I can't watch anymore, it's too haunting, and he returned it before heading off to bed...

_...Slowly, ever so slowly, Alex stirred. He was in pain, every inch of his body burned and throbbed with a hellish heat. He was aware of being dragged, and he lapsed in-and-out of consciousness._

A sudden impact as his back slammed against New York Harbor's k-rail completely roused him, but he still saw through a haze of orange-speckled red, and he still could not move.

He managed to gain control of his head, and turned his gaze from the blood-smeared, crater-laden street, and to the left, where Terrias was forced to stand, facing the water. He was bound by heavy cinderblocks, tied to his wrists and ankles by thick rope.

Jazz stood behind him, bringing his pistol up against the back of the servine's neck, and pulling the trigger.

"NOOO!" Alex called, his voice too hoarse to be heard, and Terrias' head shot back in a spray of blood, bone, and flesh. Everything occurred in slow motion as the servine fell forward into the water, disappearing as the stones weighed him down...

"NO!" Alex screamed, shooting up. Spyro and Cynder immediately sat up, almost falling off of the couch. Like a chain reaction, each of the rest of Alpha Company awoke with a similar reaction. Looking around, they all knew that they had shared the same dream, once again. One of the curses of their mutation, they shared dreams, thoughts...and pain.

The fact that Alex was the first to wake from the dream, told him that he was the one who had actually dreamed it, and that through the soldiers' mutual mental bank, he had transferred the dream to everyone else, broadcasting it like a tower to individual radios.

Spyro and Cynder, seeming to know exactly who initiated the dream, gave a worried look to Alex, "Is that..." Spyro began, "The execution?"

Alex and Terrias both nodded gravely, "Yes," they said in unison.

"Holy crap..." Piermont began, shaking his head, "That's..."

"That's fucked up," Spyro finished.

"Yes, it was."

"I know you said it was a hellish experience...but I didn't think it wouldn't have been _that_ bad. Hell, I thought the Battle of Champaign was worse," the purple dragon continued.

"Not at all," Alex replied, "True, the Battle of Champaign was a living nightmare, but that...it was much worse to me. A much more horrible experience in my personal opinion."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be, there was nothing any of you could have done to prevent it."

"But we tried to help you! He just gunned us down," Cheet said, "It _was _our fault! We failed you..."

"No, you didn't, don't you even say that, and no it wasn't your fault," Terrias said slowly, eyes closed, head lowered, he then opened one of his maroon-colored eye, looking at the ground, his eyes sad and longing, a tell-tale sign that he had had many unpleasant times, distant, as if he was lost in thought and memories, "You were outnumbered and caught off guard, and Jazz is incredibly strong somehow, a true juggernaut, more so than even Alex."

"More so than all of us combined," Alex added, "But he wasn't like that back when he was my protege, he was actually among the weakest."

"But...how, Alex?" Cheet asked.

"If only we knew, Cheet."

"Maybe that bitch Satan let him practice and master his abilities."

"But so have we, Pierre, why aren't _we_ stronger then? If you face it that way, we _still _should be a great deal stronger than him, except for some of our newer members, mainly because they haven't had the time to refine their skills to their maximum potential, like we, who have been here for a number of years, have."

This left Piermont, as well as the rest of Alpha Company, speechless, and Alex sighed, "Well..." the dragon began, grasping for straws, "Maybe he got some kind of mojo magic boost or some other shit from Satan? So he _would _be resurrected, exact his revenge, then live life again?"

"Now you're just talking about random shit," Spike said, eyes narrowed, but not at Piermont, at the floor, he was drawing shapes on the carpet with a light drag of his ivory claws.

"He has a point, actually," Kovu suddenly said.

"I agree," Sonic replied with a nod, "We are, technically speaking, an '_army of God_'. Everybody knows that the Devil hates God, that the hatred is ancient, and Biblical. So if we fight for God, are protected by Him, then surely Satan would try anything the bastard can to ensure that we are defeated once and for all."

"And yet," Kovu continued, "Despite all the shit against us, _we're still surviving! _Not many can say that they have survived a war where everything and everybody is against them."

"Mainly because they aren't alive anymore, so they _can't _tell us they survived because they are surviving anymore," Cherub said with a chuckle, and the rest of the group laughed.

Kovu didn't, however, and his eyes narrowed, "You know what I meant."

Spyro, smiling widely, said, "Yeah, we know what you meant, Lieutenant, regardless, however, we don't know _how _Jazz got so strong, but if we want to defeat and destroy him for good, we need to know this little missing detail."

"Exactly," Sonic replied, "We can't stop him unless we are absolutely sure that the tactics we apply are actually effective against him."

"So then, how do you suggest we acquire this little detail?" Alex asked.

"We don't know...yet," Crash said, "But I suggest we start looking."

"Where do we start?" Alex asked.

Crash shrugged.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Cynder said, and Aria nodded, "But we don't know."

"Well we need to think of something, and soon."

"I think," Aria began, "This is the best place to start..."

"Exactly!" Simba interrupted excitedly, "We don't have to worry about attacks from the _Maxia _or anything else we worry about back home. While we're here, we might as well take advantage of the total peace to make a battle plan." Aria glared at him, angry about the interruption. Simba smiled nervously at her and shrugged, "Just saying," he finished.

"Okay then," Alex began, twirling his cane like a baton, "So, anybody have _any _ideas?"

There was an overwhelming silence in the air.

"Anyone?"

Silence.

"Anybody at all?"

Still silence.

"So we have nothing..." and he sighed impatiently.

"Nobody said we'd have a battle plan immediately," Cynder said.

"Yeah, but we should come up with an idea soon, like _now_."

"Why?" Aria asked, "We don't know how long we'll be here. We could stay awhile."

"Or," Alex began, "We could go back in the next few seconds. We _don't _know how long we're gonna end up staying here, so then we _need _to treat this as if we could leave any moment."

"But even if we _did _get sent back, we could still plan at home," Cheet suggested.

The others were shaking their heads. "No," Simba said, "What if we get teleported back into the middle of a battle? Or New Alexandria falls again? We might not be able to take it back. And it would be too late if we got our chance with Jazz. If we face him, our window of opportunity might never come again..."

"Or he could kills us," Terrias added, and Simba glared at his interruption.

"Or he could kill us," Simba agreed, annoyed.

"And if we don't stop him before he makes a move to kill us, we're finished."

"Right..." Simba began.

"Especially if he has the same weapons as Necro did, which he should, being the new leader of the disbanded _Maxia, _and the government's new figurehead."

"Will you stop interrupting!" Simba exclaimed angrily, growling at Terrias, who flinched.

"S...Sorry," the servine said nervously.

"Fuck you," Cynder said, "You're interrupting us as well, Colonel."

"_ANYWAYS_," the lion continued, ignoring Cynder's spiteful comments, "We need to dispose of him _before _he even has a _chance _of disposing us."

"I guess I can talk to Bleu about developing an anti-mutation serum that works on Jazz, I don't think the _Maxia_'s poison will work on him," Alex said, rubbing his face and yawning.

"One issue," Sonic began.

"Yeah?"

"Bleu's back in New Alexandria."

"Shit, didn't think about that."

"Uh huh, next idea?"

"I...I don't know, got nothing."

"That's all you got?"

"I'm under pressure to think of something RIGHT NOW. Genius doesn't come overnight you know."

"Nonsense! You are the Great Commander, you're a mutant! Surely you can think of something."

"Nope."

"Shouldn't you have thought of this before? As in, been thinking about this _since _you saw the extent of Jazz's strength?" Cynder asked, "Under that regard, you should have at least _something_."

"Unfortunately, Cynder," Alex began, "I've had more important things to worry about."

"Really? Something is more important than a killer, vengeful zombie? A thousands times as powerful as us?"

Alex glared at her, "For one thing, we don't _know _the _exact _extent of his strength! Sure we have _seen _that he is extremely powerful, but we don't know _exactly how strong _his power is. If we knew where the cap of his strength was, we could try to get above that which he can survive. Unfortunately, as of yet, _WE DON'T KNOW_! And before we even _begin _to find out, we will be _forced _to undergo several more run-ins with him, and the possibility of death, I'm almost _positive_."

"Well," Cynder began, "_You _are quite passionate."

"Argh, _FUCK OFF!_"

"Fine," Cynder said, smiling arrogantly, "But it just proves a point," and with this said, she once more curled up beside her mate, and Alpha Company once more retired to bed.

The next morning, Alpha Company was awakened by the sounds of the family getting up and ready for the day. Knowing that they had nothing better to do, and knowing that they could leave whenever they wanted, they decided to follow the young Alex to school. As they headed out to the bus stop, Alex was amused and secretly overjoyed that the other kids looked at him with a combination of fear and wonder. "I think they're afraid of us," Spyro said, good humor thick in his voice.

"I love it," Alex said, smiling widely.

"Oh yeah, so do I," Piermont agreed, and to emphasize his point, with a brilliant flash of blinding white light, he transformed into his normal, dragon form. Instantly, the kids fled in fear, terrified of the now-large dragon standing before them. "Ura! Motherfuckers!" he cheered, "Fear me! Or I shalt end your putrid lives!"

Alex shook his head, "Oi...Piermont, I love you."

"I love you, too, Commander...but not in _THAT _way," and he cackled wildly.

"We're brothers, not queers."

"So _that's _what they're calling it now?" and he laughed again.

"Well," Spyro began, "It _is _called 'bromance' for a reason."

"See? Even Spearow has a word or two to add to the matter, and _he's _as dumb as a fuckin' post."

"Pierre," Alex began, "We're in a school zone, please refrain from using language."

"Ah! Fuck you, it's not like it's anything they haven't heard before."

"Still..."

Piermont transformed into his human form again, revealing a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it up. "Pierre," and Alex seemed more impatient now, "You're smoking."

"Thank you!"

"Not that way!"

"What? You are the one who's sounding gay right now."

Alex then pulled the cigarette from Piermont's mouth, tossing it to the ground and stamping it out.

"Hey!" the dragon protested, "The hell was _that _for!"

"Now is _NOT _the time, Pierre!"

"As if they haven't seen someone smoking before?"

"Why are you smoking anyway?"

"I have to..."

"Then transform into your goddamn dragon form so you don't _have _to!"

Piermont thought about egging him on even more, but he saw that Alex was thoroughly pissed off, and decided against it. Swearing beneath his breath, Piermont transformed back into his dragon form, and plopped down to the ground resting his head on his paws as he wrapped his cream-colored wings around his eyes, effectively shielding his face from their view.

The kids slowly stepped further away from the Commander, and Terrias and Spyro's jaws were dropped as they stared at him. Cynder shook her head, and the rest of Alpha Company either planted their faces in the palms of their hands or struggled not to laugh. Only then did Alex realize how much of a dick everyone here thought he was now, and the kids were even _more _scared of him now. His embarrassment suddenly morphed into a grin of general amusement and mischief, and he felt pride in the terror he had struck in all the children at this stop.

"You sick, sick bastard," Piermont said, chuckling quietly, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"But of course," Alex replied, smiling slyly, "It's always funny when people are scared of you."

"Especially since these kids ain't used to the newest version of Alpha Company."

"Exactly."

The bus arrived, and Alpha Company quickly boarded, ignoring the stares of confusion and worry on the faces of both the bus driver and the students on board. One of the students suddenly asked, "What happened to your face, mister?"

Alex paused in his tracks, "Life," he said, and kept going.

"Why did Life do that to you?"

"Because sometimes Life isn't happy with me."

"Life sounds mean," the young child frowned.

"Sometimes, it can be, at other times, Life is your best friend."

"If he's your best friend, then why did he hurt you?"

Alex shrugged, "I don't know, kid."

"Hey look!" someone shouted, "It's Spyro the Dragon!"

Everyone started crowding around Spyro who sent the Commander an alarmed glance. Alex only laughed and said, "C'mon, Spyro! Give them some autographs!"

"Hell no!" he exclaimed, then, "Maybe later."

"Did Life hurt your face, too?" another kid asked, gently touching Spyro's scars.

"Yes," he said.

"When?"

"A little over one year ago."

"Oh...I'm sorry."

"It's okay, there's nothing you should apologize about."

Spyro looked over to Cynder, who smiled at him, "Okay, kids," she said in the tone used by kindergarten teachers to their students, "Time to leave Mr. Spyro alone."

"Who are you?" the kids asked.

Instinctively, Cynder began to say "I'm his mate," but instead said, "I'm his wife."

"Wow! Cool!" another kid said, "So do you have babies?"

Cynder blushed, "Pardon?"

"Do you have babies together?"

Cynder and Spyro exchanged happy glances, and, blushing, both nodded, "Yes."

"Awww! Can we meet them someday?"

"Maybe someday," Cynder said, smiling, she then nuzzled her mate affectionately.

"Yay! We get to meet Spyro's babies! What's your name?"

"My name is Cynder."

"Spyro and Cynder..." the kid said, as if tasting the words, then, "Okay! Nice to meet you Cynder!"

"Nice to meet you, too."

Alex watched as Spyro and Cynder sat down together, hugging before cuddling together, as happy as they were the day of their first mating, and thus, they looked happier than they had in a long time, seeming to have forgotten the hellish past four years temporarily.

He, however, could not forget about those events, no matter how hard he tried, everything that he had experienced since the beginning, since the militia's birth, continuously haunted him in his of exposure to war, and his loss of innocence at little more than three years old, managed to convert him into an outcast, someone who was more mature in many ways than his peers. Because he knew so much about these dark topics, and his thoughts were often full of the evils of war, his intelligence was often overlooked, and he was treated as if he was some kind of freak of nature...which he very well was, as a mutant with unimaginable power and abilities.

He just sighed as multiple thoughts of his difficult past surged through his mind, and he looked outside the window, not seeing the bright sun of a brand new day in a world free from the horror of a civil war between government and protector, one that cost more lives than it should have, and based upon one president's vendetta against faith. He then tried to imagine what this day would look like in his own world, with the always-cloudy skies frozen in the shade of dried blood, the thin black ribbon of the Ring, spotted with gold, across the skies, and the red glow emanating from the _Fiernes Curtain _even if the wall of fire itself wasn't visible from here, which it normally was.

He was sure that the streets would be much more damaged than they were now, probably heated by numerous underground fires, laden with craters and cracks, spots where the road had buckled, probably ghostly shells of decimated tanks, and empty artillery rounds. The buildings lining either side of the road would be in ruins, burning on and on, and the grass would be a dark, dingy yellow, fully dead. Spots of mud would shine through, and the ground would carry the haunted aura of hundreds of soldiers and civilians whose lives had been cut short by the bloody sword of the US president, the _true _enemy in this hellish, civil war.

He closed his eyes, and the Commander could see it, his mind's image of this from his world, pasted over the land before him, as if shining through beneath the thin veil. He suddenly felt tired, more tired than he had in a long time, and as he pondered his past, he realized just how old he really was. Innocence, life's greatest illusion, he had never known innocence, maybe that was why his army was composed of childish characters like Simba, Nala, Spyro, and Cynder.

Maybe that was why he treated these little shreds of humanity and childhood naivety with so much respect, it reconnected him with his scarred and brutally beaten inner child, one who was abused by a strict commander of a tropical fortress, one who was forced to be locked away in a dark room and never shown the light of day. For as long as he could remember...he had held a gun, worn a soldier's uniform, trained in the strict ways of a heartless, efficient warrior. _What have I done... _he thought, _In all the years I have been a soldier...have I done the right thing?_

He looked sadly over to where all the schoolchildren played, talking and chatting, thinking about a little crush someone has on someone else, the newest video game on the market, the difficulty of their homework...and Alex, when he was their age, thought not of these things, but of strategies, plans, how to kill, who to kill, who he had slain, which friends he would even have a chance of seeing ever again. He was thinking of how to stay alive, how to fight, how to lead an army to victory, there was no innocent thoughts in his life.

_What would I be like if I would have never been kidnapped, never been enlisted, never been a soldier...would I be like them? Or would I still be who I am? What would have become of my friends, of Alpha Company, of the entire militia, had it never been formed? Would we have ever lost lives? Would Jazz have ever betrayed? Would the war have even happened? If only I could go back in time again...further this time...to the dawn of the day of my kidnapping. Could I have prevented it? Or is it all written in stone?_

Then, the soldier in him spoke up, as logical and down-to-earth as ever, _Why would you want to change this? Look where you are! Sure you might have fallen on hard times, even if you _hadn't _been conscripted into the Tan Army, you would still have hard times, that is one thing that can't be avoided. Look at you! Look at your friends! Look at your army! You are loved, respected, a god to many, blessed with so many things. Would you _really _throw it out for the illusion known as '_normality_'? How many people would kill themselves to be in the position you are in. You should be thankful for who you are, for being where you are. This is where you belong, not lost in worthless childhood experiences that would be forgotten anyway once you reached your adult life. The experiences you have had have been hard, true, but it has also been so wonderful and unique. In 18 years, you have traveled the world, seen the rise and fall of civilizations, conquered evil, turned a lost soul to God, helped someone win the love of their life, saved an abused soul from certain death and a hellish life, given someone a second chance to live and be happy, been happy, mated with a beautiful, kindhearted girl, met the young woman of your dreams, saved lives, live things that most could only wish to experience, you have extraordinary powers and abilities, and luxurious items and money that others would only wish to have. Would you be willing to throw all of this away?_

The negative part of his mind then countered, _Sure I have had all of these things, but I have also held friends as they bled out and died, ended so many lives, experienced things that will haunt me for life, seen so much terrifying, hellish experiences, a kid should never have to be exposed to this!_

_But you were_, the soldier said again, _So make the best of it, and think not of yourself, but of all the other lives that you have changed for the better._

_How do I know I changed them for the better? How do I know that they wouldn't have lived any better had I not intervened?_

_Do you honestly believe that young Terrias would have found freedom, friendship, love, and wealth? Of course not! Had you not been there for him, he would still be rotting away under the hellish rule of his old owner, or he would be dead for trying to escape. What about Crash? Cursed to lack of intelligence and speech? Rapid? An innocent baby that would have died, if not from the hunter, then his own wounds? Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles? Their home might have been fully destroyed had you not aided them. Would Simba have been trampled by the stampede? Cheet dead and a pelt? Keisha slain and never having met her mate? Cherub would have never met Piermont, Spyro would have never been with Cynder, would Terrias and Aria ever have mated? What about Sarah? Would she still be single with no hope of a future relationship? Would Spike be dead? Beheaded by Jarl Ulfric because he wasn't informed by you? Would Skyrim still be ruled by the Imperials? Would the citizens of Cartoon City still live in a dirty, crime-filled city? Would Earth have fallen to the Aliens and Minecrawlers? Would Installation 07 have destroyed Earth? Would Necro still rule and the Maxia rage, with no one to stop them? There is so much good that you have done for the world, and all you think about is the negatives effects it has had on you. I guarantee that everyone is better off now than they would be had you never been conscripted, and the Terminator Militia never formed. So stop thinking of yourself, being an egocentric prick, and look to how your life has effected the world around you._

_But that could have easily happened without my intervention!_

_You know that is a lie, but so be it, what if, perchance, everything really _did _turn out had you not been conscripted and taken your life's path? Would it have worked when it should have, or would have it taken so much longer, and so much more problems before a resolution?_

Alex had been stumped, he had no idea how to reply. It was true, and perhaps he _was _being too egocentric. Shaking his head, he pushed the conversation away, and continued to stare out the window as they neared the school.

"Commander Jazz, sir?" a soldier said, running into the war room where the Shade was currently having a meeting with his lieutenants.

"What is it? It better be worth the interruption," the _Maxia _leader said fiercely.

"It is, sir."

"Then spit it out, boy."

"We have located the missing Alpha Company."

"_WHAT!?_" Jazz hissed, slamming his fists down onto the map table, making the whole thing shake, and several of the object stand-ins fall over, "Dismissed!" he said, and the lieutenants left until only Jazz and the soldier remained. "Where is Alpha Company?"

"In a completely different plane of existence."

"Hm? How is that even possible?"

"We don't know, sir."

"Are you sure? Or are you just fucking around with me? If you are, that is a _very _bad idea, but I'm sure you already knew that."

The soldier nodded, "I'm sure, we distantly picked up their signatures on the Hubble."

"Hm...can we get there?"

"If we lock onto their signatures, we might be able to send out a platoon or two to attack them."

Jazz smiled, "If they are in a different plane, then how come they are not dead?"

The soldier shrugged, "I don't know, sir. But every unique signature read."

"Hm...lock onto them and send out a legion at once! Take them down while they are unable to defend themselves!"

"Sir, yes sir."

"Dismissed!"

And the soldier left.

_"I've wanted to do this for a long, long time...Goodbye, Commander."_

"Yo! Terrias!" Piermont said, shaking him awake. The servine quickly sat up, stretching and looking at Piermont. Alpha Company was in the back of the classroom, either asleep or watching the lesson occur.

"What the hell do you want, Pierre?" he asked, stretching and yawning.

"This damn thing is boring as hell."

"Yeah, I know. Why do you think I was sleeping?"

Terrias then looked around at all of the sleeping members of Alpha Company, they had the same troubled look on their faces, and he knew that whoever had started the dream had sent it to all of them, and now they all lived out the execution. He found it odd how nightmares of this event kept occurring, sure it was bad, but he had experienced much worse than this. He could only explain it as that it had had a greater effect on someone else, and since only Alex was around to experience it, he had to be the one that was troubled.

This confused the servine even more, Alex had been through much worse experiences in his life, Terrias had seen more of these than he would have liked when he slept, and Alex dreamed of old, past nightmares, reawakened and polished for one night, only to go back in storage for an unknown length of time before it was brought out again. "So tired..." Terrias muttered, smacking his head against the desk.

"I can tell," Piermont said, bemused.

"Fuck this, I wanna go home."

"So do I, but wishing won't bring us there."

"You say as if I didn't already know."

"Regardless..."

Suddenly, a faint drone filled the air.

"Hey..." Piermont began, "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

The dragon stood up, walking to the window and looking outside...in the distance, he could see infantry and armor coming up the street, and his face paled as he said, "Oh shit..."

A blast of thunder, and the force of the blow sent him flying backwards across the room. Students immediately screamed, shot up, and ran out, tripping over themselves as hundreds of MG rounds ricocheted around the room.

"Gah!" Piermont exclaimed, hitting the ground and crawling, prone, into cover, "MAXIA!"

The rest of Alpha Company, alarmed when the first explosion occurred, shot up and immediately ran for cover. Alex kicked over the teacher's heavy wooden desk and slipped behind it, leaning against it as he risked peeking out to see what was going on. Hundreds of soldiers, armed in full black Kevlar vests and armor, marched across the soccer field, M240s blazing as bullets blasted through the windows.

"Maxia!" Alex shouted, "Keep your heads down!"

"Jesus Christ!" Spyro exclaimed, "The hell are the _Maxia_ doing here?"

"I don't know! But KEEP YOUR HEADS DOWN! Unless you want to lose 'em!"

"We need to return fire!" Crash shouted, "We don't stand a chance unless we try to repel them!"

"The hell are you talking about, Bandicoot?" Piermont yelled, "How can we possibly do that? We don't have any weapons!"

"Figure out something, Pierre, else we're fucked!"

An explosion rocked the building like an earthquake, and they could hear hundreds of _Maxian _infantry racing up the stairs, "Yep," Terrias said with a nod, "We're fucked."

Another explosion completely decimated the classroom wall, and they found that they had to move deeper into the bowels of the building, pushing towards the center, if they hoped to survive the onslaught around the perimeter. Another explosion tore through the fourth floor, blowing the classroom door off of its hinges and leaving the area covered in flaming bits of concrete and plaster. Fire alarms went off throughout the entire building, and fires burned in classrooms' collapsed doorways. People were coughing and kids were crying as the adults struggled to get the children to safety.

"Stay close to the ground!" Alex commanded, "Beneath the smoke!"

Crawling prone throughout the wreckage, they saw_ Maxia_ soldiers, wielding submachine guns and assault rifles speed upstairs, soon sighting them and opening fire. Spyro picked up a chunk of tempered glass, throwing it like a Frisbee and decapitating a nearby officer in a spray of blood. Terrias ran to the corpse, prying the AK47 out of his hand and unleashing a spray of bullets down the hall. Gunning down _Maxian _troops and looting the bodies for weapons and armor, Alpha Company cleared the top floor and began pushing down to the next level, clearing out any _Maxia _in their path.

Now on the third floor, Alpha Company, now fully armed, dispersed as they moved to take various parts of the building back as soon as possible. Alex, along with Spyro and Terrias, charged into the third floor, clearing the hallways as they advanced to the main lobby and the office. With an audible click in Alex's mind, everything went to slow motion as one of the M240-wielding _Maxia _soldiers stepped out of a doorway, unleashing a spray of bullets. Terrias managed to kill the soldier, and the trio hit the deck as they dodged the bullets fired. As they stood up, another explosion rocked the building, and Alex finally lost his balance. He hit the ground, watching as Terrias and Spyro engaged unseen foes around the fallen Commander. He could see blood spray around his companions' feet, and they went down, bleeding from minor bullet wounds.

As Alex prepared to stand, he suddenly felt an iron grip grab the back of his shirt and pull him up. He was alarmed to see Jazz staring at him with a homicidal, angry look. The cold barrel of a revolver was placed forcefully against the Commander's throat, and his jaw smashed into his teeth, severing the tip of his tongue in the process.

"Why won't you give up already!?" Jazz hissed, "I've had enough of you!"

Just as the rabbit was about to pull the trigger, Spyro, having recovered, picked up a fire extinguisher that had fallen to the floor, and smashed it against the back of the rabbit's skull. There was a dull _thunk _and the treacherous hare collapsed forward. Spyro, gasping for breath, threw the object down and nodded to the Commander, helping him up, "Are you okay?"

"I am, thanks to you."

"Don't mention it."

"_Raaar!_" Jazz hissed, shooting up and picking the dragon up off of the ground, throwing him through the window of a door and into the flaming hell hole that was the office. With a forceful shove, Alex stumbled backwards, hitting the ground as a furious Jazz jumped onto him, sitting on his chest as he delivered punch after punch. "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR GAMES, COMMANDER!" he screeched, and with a final, vicious punch, climbed off of the gasping Commander's chest. Standing over him and staring down at him with a snide look of pure hatred, and sadistic pleasure. "Now," he said, his voice adopting a deceptively sing-song tone, "This time, I will make sure that you don't stand again."

The rabbit, reaching into the pocket of his Kevlar vest, revealed a strange, chrome, tube-like mechanism, with a bright red button fixed on the top. Wires poked from the bottom, and Jazz said, "This little baby, will send pieces of you flying all over the damn planet, and won't give you a bit of a chance to escape."

Swiftly stomping on the Commander's head, the rabbit got on his radio and ordered for the _Maxia _to evacuate the burning, collapsing building, before he quickly walked away and out the door of the lobby. Alex, stunned, could barely move his head, and saw Terrias and Spyro laying, unconscious thanks to a combination of blood loss and smoke inhalation, to either side of him. He could not gather the energy to pick himself up, and he was getting more and more tired by the second. He knew he couldn't surrender to sleep, but the urge overwhelmed all others...

From street level, Jazz stood beside his small invasion force as the school went up in a mushroom cloud, and hot air whooshed past his form, causing his uniform to blow in the hot wind. He only smiled as the heated cloud ruffled and singed the ends of his matted fur. In the distance, the sounds of police, fire, and ambulance sirens filled the air, quickly approaching, as the sounds of screaming people and screeching tires, as well as car alarms activated by the shock wave of the explosion added to the music of chaos.

"ALEX!" Piermont exclaimed, running to the street. The _Maxia _had pushed into the rest of town, intent on taking control of this plane. "_NO_!"

"We need to get out of here!" Sonic said running to where Piermont stood in shock, "We aren't safe here!"

Aria and Cynder were immediately beside Piermont, both worried for their respective mates. "Did you see them come out?" Aria asked, near hysterical.

"No..." Piermont said.

"They _have _to be okay!" Cynder exclaimed, "We didn't feel them die..."

Piermont, now infuriated, hissed, "Just because we didn't feel them die doesn't me that they haven't!"

"Piermont," Crash began, sounding the calmest of the group, "If Alex was dead, so would you."

"He has a point, y'know," Cheet began, "He can't be dead, if he was, so would you be."

"C'mon," Cynder said, taking a breath to try and calm her nerves, "Let's see if we can find them."

They wandered into the destroyed building, walking around, searching for any sign of their fallen comrades. The building was engulfed in a sea of flames, but they couldn't find any sign of their friends.

Suddenly, a roar filled the air, and they hit the floor as Jazz's dragon flew overhead, obviously he, too, was searching the ruins. "We need to get somewhere under cover," Cynder said, "They're not here, and we can't do anything as long as that bastard is searching for us."

"C'mon!" Alex whispered to Spyro and Terrias, "We need to find the others."

They were hiding in an abandoned building a mile south of the school.

"Where? They could be hiding anywhere in this damned city," Terrias said, shaking his head.

"I know...but we need to start searching anywhere we can, we're fucked without them."

"I'm sure they can take care of themselves."

"Still..." Spyro began.

"Wait! Look!" Terrias called.

Down the street, they could see a column of Maxian tanks approaching.

"Get down!" Alex called, and they hit the ground, hiding beneath the window, behind the wall as they felt the rumble of the tanks pass by. They also heard voices, and Alex whispered, "Keep your limbs as close to your bodies as possible. If they decide to peek in the windows, we have a lesser chance of being spotted the closer you are."

"We should move upstairs, or into another part of the building that doesn't face the street, or doesn't have any windows..." Terrias said.

"Unfortunately, right now, we're pinned down," Spyro began, "If they are searching through windows, we move out now, they could spot us, and that would be bad news."

"Any ideas, then?"

"Yes, stay here."

Alpha Company, moving south and using anything they had for cover from the patrolling _Maxia_ and their commander, moved in a tight cluster, using the surrounding foliage spilling onto the street for cover. With over thirty soldiers together in one group, few in camouflage, they found evasion difficult, and if they didn't move ahead of the _Maxi__a_, they would be easily spotted, and would not be able to avoid confrontation. With little supplies, limited ammunition, and few weapons, they would be unable to hold the _Maxia _off for very long if they were spotted.

Suddenly, Piermont halted abruptly in his tracks, and he gasped.

"What?" Crash began, becoming worried, "What's wrong?"

He closed his eyes, a ghost of a smile on his face, "Alex is alive."

"Where? I can't feel them..." Cynder said.

"They're nearby, keep moving."

"How do we find them, with all these _Maxia _bastards around? They're probably in hiding, and they won't come out for us, if they even know we are allies and not some of these other soldiers," Aria asked.

Kovu answered, "We _do _have telepathy, and surely they would recognize us and know exactly where we are, even if lost in an ocean of people, Alpha Company has that gift, remember?"

"He's right," Cheet said with a nod, "Don't worry about that, we'll find them."

"Alex..." Spyro whispered, "Are they gone?"

"I...I don't know."

Terrias peeked out, before quickly ducking again, "Oh shit!" he whispered.

"What?" Spyro asked, "What's wrong?"

"We have a crowd of 'em standing right outside."

"Oh shit..."

"Exactly."

"What do we do?"

"Wait for the others," Alex said.

"Are we getting closer?" Aria asked.

"Yes," Cynder replied, "I'm starting to feel them, too. At least Spyro."

"Naturally," Piermont said, "The bond between a mated pair is the strongest you can have. I'm not surprised that you can feel Spyro stronger than anyone else."

"Shouldn't I also be able to feel Alex, too? After all, we did...y'know...a couple of times..."

"But your bond with Spyro is stronger than with Alex," Cheet added, and Keisha, standing beside him, nodded at her mate's statement, "Sure you are bonded with Alex, and the bond you share with him is more powerful than the one you share with, say me or Pierre, or anyone else except for the ones you mate with, but the fact that your physical and emotional attachment to Spyro is stronger than anyone else, there is no wonder that you feel him over anyone else."

"Regardless," Piermont began, "I can sense Alex, he is near, and I can also sense the other two, they are all okay."

"Really!?" Aria said.

Piermont nodded, "Yes, but I'm quite surprised, Aria."

"What? Why?"

"Because, the fact that you have mated with Terrias...I would have thought that you would be able to feel him."

"Maybe it's because we haven't been together as long."

"It shouldn't matter how long you've been together. My bond with Spyro is as strong as it was the night of our first mating," Cynder began, then, "Oh well, that's the least of our worries right now."

They continued on, but Aria's look of confusion slowly morphed into a frown of worry and concern. She then decided that she would reaffirm her relationship with Terrias that following night. It had been far too long since they had enjoyed each others company anyway. At least a good two or three weeks. Both had just been too tired with training and work to find time to make love together. Spyro and Cynder mated every night, Piermont and his mate were together about once every one or two weeks, but she had been unable to enjoy a night alone with her beloved since a week and a half before the Siege of New York.

Alex, Spyro, and Terrias stayed against the wall beneath the window, as still and quiet as ever. The only sounds in the air were their slow, heavy breath, and their racing hearts, pounding in their ears. They had managed to pull the blinds on the windows, but they still did not dare to venture further out. "Shouldn't we start making our way upstairs?" Terrias whispered, "Or at least towards a more isolated room, preferably one without windows and plenty of spaces to hide."

_It would probably be best if we did so..._ Alex sent back telepathically.

_Then why haven't we started our advance? _Spyro asked telepathically.

Although neither would admit it, they were frozen to the spot in fear, it was the main reason why they hadn't risked moving out of cover to find somewhere safer to hide. They feared that the _Maxia _would somehow see or hear them and find them, and when they were only three members of Alpha Company, against an unknown number of enemy soldiers, deep in enemy territory, with each weapon poisoned with a serum designed to specifically counteract and neutralize the abilities of the mutation serum given to them, they could not risk arousing suspicion.

"On my word!" Alex whispered, and he signed for them to move out. Moving swiftly but silently, they hurriedly dashed, crouched down, towards the distant stairwell. Once there, Alex quickly picked the lock with unsteady hands, and they moved up the flight of stairs, crouching and running beneath the windows up here and the breezeway as they searched for a safe room. After two flights of stairs, they finally reached the top of the building, and Alex looked up at the tin, corrugated ceilings, "One thing's for sure," Alex began, "If they _DO _have any Predator drones or other unmanned aircraft, not saying they _DID _manage to acquire that before their transportation here, they won't be able to see us from here."

"How can you say that?" Terrias asked.

"Easy," Spyro began, "Metal roofing. If they have any radar or infrared systems, the roof will protect us from them."

"How?"

"Metal reflects those waves."

"We're only in trouble if they are flying at an angle steep enough to send the waves into the walls. I don't think these concrete walls will protect us," Alex said.

"Hopefully, we won't have to worry," Terrias said.

"We shouldn't have to," Spyro replied.

"We only need to sit here and wait for the others, they'll come to our aide, we just have to be patient," Alex added, and he relaxed up against a couch wrapped in plastic, nodding off."

"Can they evade the _Maxia_? Or at least kill them?" Terrias asked, worried.

Spyro nodded but said nothing, instead, he curled up into a ball at Alex's side and fell asleep. Eventually, only Terrias remained awake, and the servine sat up against the wall, eyes closed, waiting for the rest of Alpha Company to bail them out.

"Holy shit!" Piermont hissed, jumping backwards and nearly into Aria, who had been following close behind.

"What? What's wrong?" Crash said.

"Quiet, Bandicoot!" the dragon hissed, "Get back! Get back! _NOW!_"

"What? Why? I don't-"

"Quiet before you get us killed!"

"What-?"

"Bloody hell..." Spike said, peeking out from around the corner, "That's a lot of bad guys..."

The rest of Alpha Company took turns peeking out at the mass of soldiers, standing around outside of an old, abandoned, concrete building with a corrugated aluminum roof.

"The hell do we do?" Cynder asked, "We can't go in there! They outnumber and outgun us! We won't stand a chance!"

"We need to find another way around," Sonic sighed, "I just don't know what to do...Crash? You're the brains of the group, what should we do?"

"I...I don't know...this little predicament is beyond my payroll."

"What's worse..." Cynder said, "Is that I think Spyro is in there..."

"Yeah, Alex and Terrias are, too," Piermont added.

"Did the _Maxia _catch them!?" Aria said, near-hysterical.

"I don't think they have yet. But that doesn't me that they aren't looking for them," Piermont continued.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know, I'm brawn, not brains, ask one of the brainiacs here."

"I don't have anything for you."

"Neither do I," Tails said.

"Me either," Cheet added.

"Hm..." Rapid began.

"What? Got something, Skunk?" Piermont asked.

"I just might..." then, he smiled, "Piermont?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I borrow you for a moment?"

"Sure, what's the plan?"

"Knuckles?"

"What?"

"How good are you with a lockpick?"

"Good enough."

"You two, follow me, the rest of you, find somewhere to hide, I'll let you know when it's safe."

Alex was suddenly awakened by the sound of rapid gunfire. Immediately he was on his feet, making a run for cover as bullets tore through the concrete wall and plaster and dust blew around. There was the sound of shattering glass, and bullets tore through the floor as whoever had the 30 caliber machine gun randomly fired into the building.

"Argh!" Spyro cried out, "What the _fuck _is going on!?"

"Apparently we've been found out!" Terrias shouted over the roar of gunfire.

"No shit, Sherlock!" Spyro hissed.

"Stop arguing!" Alex exclaimed, mantling over a window sill and landing on a fire escape two stories down with a roll. He sped down the stairs, leaping off the platform once he reached the bottommost level of the fire escape. There was the dull sound of an exploding gas tank and they could feel it in their bones, and Alex looked around, amazed when a _Maxian _fuel truck that had been parked across both lanes of the street shot up in a ball of fire.

"Holy crap!" Terrias cried, "Holy crap! Holy crap! Oh God..."

Alex roared, grabbing Terrias by the collar of his trench coat and shaking the terrified servine, "Snap out of it! Goddammit! Snap out of it!"

"But I...oh God...I don't want to die...I don't want to..."

"You _WON'T _die if you just settle the hell down!"

"Where do we go?" Spyro yelled, near panic himself.

Suddenly, a voice, crystal clear, rang out through the air, "_URA _you motherfucking sons of _BITCHES_!"

Alex recognized the voice immediately, and his face brightened. Spyro and Terrias, alarmed by the voice, turned to keep running away, but Alex grabbed them by the collars, holding them and pulling them back, "The _fuck _you guys going?" he asked.

"Away from those machine guns!"

Alex laughed, "That's not _Maxia_!"

"What?" Spyro was confused.

"It's Rapid!"

"What?"

"You heard me," Alex said, "C'mon! Let's go give 'em a hand!"

Rapid, inside one of the buildings, fired his 30 caliber at the retreating _Maxia _while Piermont, locked in another one of the empty buildings a mile east from Rapid's position sniped. Alpha Company was spread out throughout the buildings, firing what they could at the _Maxia_, trying to trick the grunts into thinking there was more firepower and men then there really was. The inexperienced grunts, little more than cannon-fodder, fell for the trap, and quickly pushed to retreat, leaving the Terminators to shoot them in the back as they retreated.

"Normally," Rapid began, high on adrenaline and excited, "I would feel bad for taking such an dishonorable approach to combat, but right now, I don't give a pity fuck, these bastards had it coming!"

As soon as the last of the panicking _Maxia _began to retreat, more firepower came from nearby, and Alex, with his dual-wield AK47s, fired upon them, eliminating the remaining stragglers. "Well hello bitches!" Alex said with a genuine laugh, "Good to see you, my friends!"

"Took you bastards long enough," Spyro said, emerging beside the Commander with a smile. Terrias, remaining silent, appeared at Alex's other side.

"Apologies, Commander," Piermont, in his human form, said with an exaggerated bow, "We were tied up."

"C'mon," Alex said, reloading his weapon, "We need to get the hell out of here."

He began a sprint east, towards where the _Maxia _had fled. "What the hell?" Piermont began, incredulous, "Why are you running _towards _the people who are trying to kill us!?"

"_Because_," Alex began, not letting up on his sprint, "_Somehow _they got here from our time, it's not like they were always here."

"Maybe they were...we don't known."

Alex stopped dead in his tracks, turning stiffly towards Piermont, his face showed a look of thorough annoyance, "Now isn't the time for your smart-ass comments, Pierre."

"Sorry..." the dragon apologized, appearing frightened, "I was only trying to lighten the mood..."

"We need to be serious here, we're in danger."

"Yeah...sorry."

Alex quickly turned and continued his swift sprint. Whenever he saw enemy stragglers, he killed them, luckily for him, most were either too terrified or too wounded to do much damage. "Methinks Jazz could greatly benefit from some more BMT for his soldiers," Terrias remarked with a laugh.

"Agreed," is all Alex said, "INCOMING!"

Alpha Company recoiled and jumped back, several went prone, as they began to claw their way into cover. There was a machine gun nest up ahead, camped out in one of the buildings, and they had run into an ambush.

"KEEP YOUR HEADS _DOWN_!" Alex commanded over the roar of gunfire.

Alpha Company, unfortunately, was pinned down, and they couldn't even peek out just enough to see where to shoot. The gunner had a much higher vantage point than them, and unless they were pressed against a barrier, the gunner could very easily take out one of their legs.

"SOMEBODY TAKE OUT THAT DAMN HMG!" Alex commanded.

"FLANK IT! WE NEED TO FLANK THEIR POSITIONS!" Spyro added to the confusion.

"On it!" Terrias shouted, and he crawled over to the edge of the barrier, waiting for a clear spot to emerge from cover.

"Sergeant!" Alex yelled at him, "Wait until he has to reload!"

"Yes, sir!"

"On my mark, Sergeant! Ready?"

"Yes, sir!"

"3...2...1..._COVERING FIRE! URA_!" and Alex blindly fired his AK47 in a sweeping motion at the building. The _Maxia _on the street ran for cover, and as planned, the HMG had to pause to reload.

"_GO SERGEANT! GO! GO! GO!_"

Terrias nodded, and with a loud exclamation of, "YES, SIR!" he ran out of cover, speeding across the street. He was on an unknown time limit, and if he didn't get to that building before the gunner had reloaded, he would be as good as dead. There was no suitable cover between the downed pillar where Alpha Company was covering, and the building the MG nest was housed in across the street. Everything to him occurred in slow motion, and all of his senses became acute with an audible _click_. Suddenly, he could hear the slap as the gunner finished reloading, and the sound of the machine gun warming up, and he jumped, diving and landing with a roll just inside the doorway. He could hear a rush of muffled footsteps, and on reflex, he left the roll with his Frinesi 12-gauge out, he was already firing shots as he smoothly rolled onto his feet and continued his sprint. "_ARGH!_" he cried, sprinting with uncanny speed towards two _Maxia_, using the doorframe for cover. Enjoying the heat of battle, the blood lust, and the wind on his streamlined body, he was much faster than them, and before they even had a chance to depress the triggers of their M16s, Terrias had run both of them through with his two KA-BAR knives.

Removing the blades from their sternums, and enjoying the dull thud as their bodies hit the ground, Terrias sprinted up the stairs, not noticing the painful burn as his immense speed quickly exhausted his body and put his stamina to its limits. Within a minute, he had scaled five floors of stairs, and could see the the MG nest, surrounded by five _Maxian _soldiers. The servine hid behind the doorframe as the soldiers unleashed a hail of bullets at him. Reaching into the pocket of his trench coat, he revealed a flash bang grenade and threw it in, hiding his face as the grenade exploded, and he heard their bodies hit the floor. Using their immobilization to his advantage, he ran in, using the butt of his shotgun to pistol whip the corporal mounting the gun. The stunned soldier then fell forwards, screaming in terror as he fell out of the building and to his death. The other soldiers began to recover, and Terrias systematically forced the barrel of his shotgun down their throats, pulling the trigger as he blew them to pieces. Once clear, he found a smoke grenade, pulled the pin, and threw it to the ground, it exploded in flash of light, and the servine grabbed any weapons, grenades, and ammunition he could find.

Now starting to feel his excursions, he did little more than a simple jog down the steps, emerging onto street level with a grateful Alpha Company standing in a circle in the center of the intersection. "Way to go, Terrias!" Alex cheered, and Aria ran up to him, pressing her lips to his and quickly giving him tongue.

Breaking their kiss, Terrias distributed his gathered supplies to the appreciation of his comrades. Alpha Company moved up the street, continuing their pursuit of the escaped _Maxia_, searching for their staging grounds, hoping that they found, and at the same time, didn't find, Jazz. Suddenly, as clear as crystal, an angry voice pierced the air and the sounds of battle. It was cold, menacing, and very recognizable, "TODAY YOU WILL _DIE_!"

"Alex!" Spyro cried, "_LOOK OUT!_"

But it was too late. There was the sound of flapping wings, and Alex felt immense heat on his back as he was lifted and carried away. There was nothing below him, and if Jazz's dragon decided to let him go, he was done for. He then remembered his plummet from the Empire State Building, and though he had survived, he had used Jazz to absorb much of the impact, and still the rabbit had gotten up, nearly unscathed.

In one of the few times in his life, the Commander felt pure panic and terror. With a roar of pure hatred, Alex felt a sudden force slam into Jazz's dragon's side, and he was thrown around. The force of the blow knocked him out of the dragon's talons, and he screamed as he began to plummet to the ground. Beneath him, he saw an emerald blur, and a sudden, forceful impact as he slammed into the unusually wide space between the two spines at the base of Piermont's neck, the dragon's saddle. "Piermont!" Alex exclaimed, loving his beast more than ever before.

Piermont abruptly twisted his neck to face his rider, the dragon looked worried, and also furious, a fire unlike any Alex had seen before burned in his eyes, and the dragon asked, "Are you okay?"

Alex, breathing heavily from shock, managed a vigorous nod, "Yes...good enough."

Piermont nodded, and Alex cried, "PIERMONT!" as Jazz's dragon swooped, seemingly out of nowhere, and smashed into the dragon's neck. The two dragons wrapped around each other, roaring and slashing and biting at each other. They were locked in a death grip, and Alex could barely manage to hold onto his beast. Through the slurry of lashing teeth and slashing claws, the hot coppery odor of blood filled the air, and one of the dragons, the Commander couldn't identify which in his state of adrenaline-fueled power, let out a hellish scream of pain. Both dragons began spiraling down to the street, in a pile driver, but neither could gain control, they had become tangled, and they refused to relinquish control to the other. The speed of which they were flying down exceeded a hundred miles an hour, and if one or both didn't pull up within a second, both would be similar colored stains on the street.

"_RAAR!_" Jazz hissed, his eerie voice hoarse and corpse-like, "Today, Commander, is my day of Retribution, and your day of Judgment! You will not walk away this time, I will assure of it!"

"Go to hell!" Alex roared.

Jazz laughed, "My 'friend', I've already been there...and back. PREPARE TO _DIE_!" the rabbit had somehow managed to find his balance on the spinning dragons, and he leaped into the air, landing and kicking Alex, detaching the Commander. Alex began to free fall towards the street, and Jazz leaped off of his dragon, streamlining himself until he had caught up with his former leader. The rabbit grabbed the Commander, pulling himself closer as he began punching and kicking. Alex, relying on the same tactics he used during the Siege of New York, reached for and grabbed Jazz's shoulders, shoving the rabbit forward as he tried to steer them towards the roof of a building, still painful, but at least less damaging than hitting the streets.

The rabbit, knowing this tactic, took advantage of Alex's lunge and dodged effortlessly, surprising and stumbling the Commander. Taking advantage of the Commander's breach in defenses, he then took complete control of the fall, and Alex, unable to move now, was at Jazz's mercy. The two hit the roof of the eight story radio station, hitting the ground hard and rolling to a stop. Both figures glowing blue as they healed their wounds, they stood and charged at each other as hated enemies once more collided. The day began to darken as night fell, and the fists flew. Jazz reached for his damned revolver, but Alex managed to grab the rabbit's hand, twisting it and breaking it as the gun hit the ground, dislodging into the AC units and sliding across the roof.

Jazz then unleashed several kicks, nailing Alex square in the chest as the Commander fell backwards, hitting the ground. The Commander quickly recovered, revealing his twin swords as he charged at Jazz with a hellish screech. Jazz, removing two stilettos hidden in his waist, met the Commander, and the next sound to fill the air was the clash of metal-on-metal as the two master swordsmen, student and trainer, fought to the death over honor and revenge. The battle could not have lasted more than a minute, but to both parties it seemed to last forever and was physically exhausting. Somehow, they had fought in Jazz's favor, because the rabbit stabbed Alex in the chest, and as the Commander healed, Jazz quickly crouched, grabbing the revolver, and firing a single shot into Alex's chest.

This time, he had poisoned the bullets, and Alex found himself unable to heal, and feeling the paralyzing effect he fell forward to the ground, dragging himself backwards and pulling himself against the skylight, leaning against it as he watched his blood pool around him, a deep maroon against the dark, hot concrete, and he saw the rabbit, wind blowing his green, bloody fur, in avid colors. The skies were a deep maroon, full of innumerable planes and dragons, the distant city burned on and on, and the rabbit, clad in all-black body armor, stepped forward to make the final kill. There was the sound of a vicious, pained roar from Piermont, and Alex was aware that his body was being torn apart by the pain of his dragon, his lifelong companion. "ALEX!" came a stunned cry, and Jazz was thrown back as Spike pounced on him, delivering blow after blow. The rabbit attempted to evade these attacks, but the young dragon was too swift, and too difficult to hit. Finally, however, he managed to grab Spike, pistol whipping the dragon's head before slamming it against the roof. Jazz then tossed him aside. Spike hit the opposite edge of the roof, sliding into the AC unit as he stilled, unconscious. Quickly recovering and picking himself up, Jazz laughed, and he again moved in to make the _coup de grace_. Suddenly, from the fires of a burning helicopter that had crashed on the building sometime earlier that night, Alex saw a dark shape emerge, and he could hear the slick sound of sliding metal. Jazz recoiled, twisting around as a loud and powerful Unrelenting Force Shout blasted him to the ground, but Alex, having lost almost all feeling, could barely feel a mild gust, even as his body moved with the shock wave. Terrias emerged from the shadows, shredded trench coat blowing in the wind, face frozen in a look of pure hatred and insanity. The fire Alex saw in his friend's eyes terrified even him. With uncanny speed, Terrias delivered blow after blow from his swords, easily evaded by Jazz, who had taken the Commander's swords...and then...

Jazz smashed Terrias' temple with the hilt of his sword, and Terrias stumbled, his fatal mistake. As Terrias attempted to recover, Jazz was too quick, continuously hitting him with the hilt. The servine fell backwards, and Jazz leaped back, standing within feet of Alex, crouched down, blade withdrawn and ready to swing, and he waited. As Terrias stood, his back to Jazz, the rabbit jumped in, and slashed down, diagonally from right to left. The blow scored its target, and Terrias let out a painful wail as blood shot from his wound. In the upswing, Jazz brought the blade down again, slashing Terrias' back from left to right, diagonal, forming a bloody 'X' on the servine's back. The look on Terrias' face would haunt Alex for the rest of his life...a look of pure pain and terror. Then, Jazz grabbed the servine by the neck, lifting him up as he lunged, the blade running right through Terrias' back and out of his chest. Blood and tissue spewed out as the blade pierced the skin, and Jazz punched him off of the blade. The servine, bleeding heavily, hit the ground with a roll, and as he tried to pick himself up, Jazz once more leaped back, jumping in once Terrias had stood and turned to face the rabbit. In a manner similar to the last, he slashed Terrias' chest, diagonal, from left to right in a downwards motion. The servine's body flailed with each swing, and he slashed again, forming another bloody 'X' on Terrias' torso. The creature, still wounded, tried to fight, but Jazz then slashed horizontal, eviscerating the servine, and with a final punch, Terrias went flying to the side, flipping as he flew off of the building and began his descent.

As he fell, he stared, wide-eyed, at the growing concrete, and he pressed his bloody hand to his slit-open stomach, trying to keep his entrails inside of him. He let loose a pained howl, and squeezing his eyes shut, he hit the ground with a loud, dull thud. Jazz stared down where Terrias had fallen, the servine's ruby-red blood dripping from his blades, splashing on the ground and further growing the already massive pool and splatter of blood. Everything, Terrias' final stand, all occurred in slow motion to the Commander, "TERRIAS!" he cried weakly, "_NOOO!_"

Jazz, hearing Alex's cry, started, as if awakening from a dream, he quickly twisted around, angry grimace morphing into a twisted grin, "You thought that little cocksucker could save you? How sad, relying on your inexperienced protege to come save your wretched little life."

"You...bastard..." Alex said, gasping for breath, "You...will..._PAY_!"

"You wish. Unfortunately, I've already had to pay for your betrayal, and now, it's my time of retribution! Finally! Vengeance will be mine!"

Roaring, Alex leaped up, and with the last reservoirs of his strength, fueled from the grisly, gory sight of Terrias' final stand, Alex held the rabbit's throat in a deathly grip. In a deep, menacing voice, one that chilled even the rabbit's spine, Alex said, "I will let you go, now...but I promise, before I die, I will have your head on a pike!"

"So...be...it..." Jazz choked, "But...I...I...I..." and he became euphoric as he could no longer breathe. Alex then let go of his throat, and the semi-conscious traitor fell to the ground, gasping for air. The Commander limped to the edge of the roof, and Piermont, covered in crusting blood, and suffering from minor cuts and scrapes, landed beside him.

"ALEX!" the dragon called, running and embracing his rider as tears flowed down his cheeks, "Are...are you okay? We need to get you to a medic!"

"No..." Alex said, his voice weak, "T...Terrias...first..."

"Terrias? Where is he?"

Alex pointed to the edge of the roof, before he grew dizzy and fell forward, unconscious as his blood gathered around him in a growing pool.

Alpha Company surrounded Terrias' wrecked form. He was near death, and he wasn't healing, he bled profusely, and he was struggling to hold his internal organs in. Aria turned away, she couldn't bare the sight. White ropes of his intestines poked out from the blood-crusted slash, and Crash attempted to heal him. But there was too much to heal, it would take the combined efforts of all of the experienced soldiers of Alpha Company to heal the servine without risking death on anyone else, and there was no sign of Alex or Piermont, even though the remainder of Alpha Company had been called for, and sustained only minor wounds.

With a pained roar, they all felt the backwind as Piermont landed to the ground, the unconscious, heavily bleeding Commander laying awkwardly on his back.

"Oh my God..." Piermont began, "Terrias..."

"Piermont!" Crash cried, running to him, "Quickly! We need your help, it will take all of us to heal him, these wounds are devastating, and I think whatever blade stabbed him was poisoned."

"What can we do?"

"I can only administer an antidote and stitch him up, it will take a few days, or a few weeks, but once his wounds start healing themselves...if he survives that long...maybe I can heal him then, but we have to worry about more than aesthetic damage. If any of his vitals were damaged, he could be in trouble, he's been ran through, slashed open four times, and eviscerated, plus the fall didn't help. My biggest fear is his evisceration and being ran through...that could spell bad news."

"What about, Alex?"

"Oh no..." Cynder and Spyro said, running up to the Commander.

"Rapid!" Crash called, "Quickly! Give me the antidote!"

The skunk hurried over to the bandicoot, and Crash quickly gave Alex the antidote designed to neutralize the poison. "Rapid, I have to care for Terrias, you work on removing the bullet."

Rapid nodded, and immediately began to work on helping Alex.

"Will he be okay?" Aria asked, managing to somehow stomach the grisly sight to look at her mate. His eyes displayed complete pain and sadness, and he whispered, "Aria...I'm sorry..." before he slipped into the void of unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter III: The Platinum Conference

_**Chapter III**_**:**

**-''The Platinum Conference''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

** _-28 May 2012_-**

**-_0945 Hours_-**

Alex awoke in bed, shielding his eyes as the early morning sun shined down into them. As he sat up, stretching and yawning, he was suddenly aware of where he was. No longer was he in Connorsville, Illinois, bleeding from innumerable wounds, now he was laying in bed, back in Club Camelot in New Alexandria.

_Good, _he thought, _It was all just a dream..._

Or was it?

He didn't know, it felt so real...but so did all of the other dreams he had had. The biggest worry for him came when he felt a stiffness in his chest, and when he pulled off his undershirt, he saw a fading red stain, and a hole where his heart was. When he looked down at his bare chest, he could see that he had been bandaged, and the bandage was stained a deep maroon with drying blood.

_So..._ he thought grimly, _It wasn't just a dream..._

He instantly thought about Terrias and he began to worry if the servine was okay. The last he had seen of the young servine was when he was bested and defeated by Jazz. Right now, his worry over his friend trumped his wonder and curiosity as to how he was back home. He burst out of his room, running down the short hallway and to the living room. Alpha Company, having not awakened yet, suddenly sat up, exhausted and irritated as being awakened. Almost instantly, they realized that they were back home, and Piermont looked around, a look of pure amazement and disbelief on his face.

"What...?" he began, "What the hell happened? Weren't we just in Connorsville? The last I remember was heading off to bed and..."

"We're home!" Cynder cried, joyously kissing her mate as she nearly leaped from excitement.

"Alex!" Crash said, suddenly noticing the Commander's health, "You are okay!" the Bandicoot embraced his commander, but when Alex flinched and bit his lip, trying to hold back tears, Crash eased his grip, "Sorry..." he said, "Are you okay?"

"Fine...a little stiff in the chest, but otherwise fine...what about Terrias?"

Crash instantly sobered, remembering the servine, "I..." he began, "I don't know...where is he?"

Alex shrugged, wincing as he unknowingly stressed his sore pecs.

"We probably should find him," the medic continued, "If we don't ensure he's okay, he could still be bleeding. We need to make sure that the bleeding is controlled at least, then we need to check to see if he even has a chance of survival, apparently we left him alone last night, and that could bring very bad news."

As the group broke up, Alex laid down on the couch, wincing and grunting as he bumped his chest. He was terribly sore, although he had healed most of the wounds, and there wasn't risk of death from bleeding out, his muscles still felt as if they were backed against a stiff, concrete support. He found that he couldn't worry about Terrias' well-being in this state, he couldn't even think straight with the pain from his healing bullet injury.

When the rest of Alpha Company located Terrias he was wide awake, and alert. It appeared that he had healed the majority of his wounds, despite the poisoned blade, and when they found him, he was laying amongst a pile of used antidote syringes. "Holy shit, man!" Piermont began, mouth agape, "I'm glad you're okay but, Jesus Christ! Don't overdose!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, wincing as he stood, "I feel as good as ever."

"Yeah, but you look like shit."

"Same could be said to the rest of you, it appears none of us escaped unscathed."

"And yet, as usual, you and Alex are the worse for wear."

"Funny how Alex always sustains the serious injuries with his proteges..." Crash said.

"Well...good point."

"Regardless, it's good to see you are okay, Terrias. The place wouldn't be the same without you."

As much as he tried to hide it, the servine blushed at the compliment.

"Well," Crash continued, "I'm gonna check up on Terrias' wounds, the rest of you should probably go visit Alex, just to make sure he is okay as well."

"Yes, sir," the others replied in unison, and they left.

"_TERRIAS!" Alex screams, and he runs to the building as the servine picks himself up, swiftly decapitating the attacking cloaked soldier with a solid swing of his gemmed blade._

_In the distance, Alex hears a strange male voice, speaking in a hoarse, corpse-like rasp, something that chills him to the very core._

"_You can't stop us!" it cackles, "The Brotherhood can not be stopped!"_

"_Fuck you!" Piermont says, and he chases after the robed figure with a hellish battle cry._

_Alex, Spyro, Cynder, and Terrias follow in close pursuit, and they think that they have the man, but a helicopter suddenly appears, unleashing a spay of machine gun fire that covers the building rooftop. Alpha Company runs for cover, and the chopper lands as the mysterious man climbs in. "URA!" Terrias cries, and the self-proclaimed bodyguard to the Great Commander runs out of cover, while the rest of them supply heavy cover fire. Terrias manages to tackle the man, forcefully pulling him out of the chopper as a bazooka round, seemingly from out of nowhere, strikes the heli dead on, and it blows in a column of fire._

_Upon his capture, the man stills and becomes a dead weight, and Alex, Piermont, and Terrias struggle to hold him as they escort him downstairs and onto street level. Crash, along with the remainder of Alpha Company, eagerly await them, and they aide in transporting the captured enemy to the front of the crowd. The man then headbutts Alex, who is restraining him, and using some kind of telekinesis, all of Alpha Company is thrown aside. The Commander jumps up immediately, engaging his enemy in brutal combat as they fight over possession of the Commander's dropped P2K._

_Somehow, the man acquires the gun, and aims it at Alex, who only stares into the barrel of his own sidearm, shocked into silence. But...the man turns the gun on himself, and as Crash runs to aide him...a shot rings out through the air..._

Alex shot up, breathing heavily. Around him, Spyro, Piermont, Cynder, Terrias, and Crash, all who had been dozing, jump back at his sudden awakening. Crash was immediately to his side, and Spyro grabbed his arm, trying to calm him. Terrias and Piermont stared at him, frightened and confused. Cynder didn't show any emotion, but he could sense the black dragoness' concern for him as well. He sent her a glance that told her that he was fine, and she smiled as her eyes shined in relief.

Even though she was more than happy with Spyro, apparently, their own mating had left him a special place in her heart as well, and he suddenly, via his telepathy, singled her out within the shared mental bank, and told her, _I love you_.

She replied with a smile and a nod, and thought to him, _I love you, too_. Her eyes shined then, and he saw a small tear trickle down her cheek. She blinked it away, and adopted her usual, "Don't give a damn" demeanor. Alex suddenly wished he could kiss her, and she nodded that they would when they got the chance.

He smiled slyly, and the twinkle in her eyes told him that Spyro had another date with Ember coming soon, and no doubt, she had the Commander in mind to replace him for the night. Alex could not hold back a toothy grin.

"Well," Crash began, breaking Alex and Cynder's secret exchanges, "You seem perfectly fine to me. A raised heartbeat but..."

Alex's grin suddenly became a frown as he realized his attraction to Cynder had transferred to the heart monitor. He could feel an erection coming, but he bit his cheek, struggling as hard as he could to shock it away before it manifested itself. Although it was nothing new to his team, they were all guys, and they always hanged out together, so everybody had seen everyone else in a heightened sexual state, but Alex still was embarrassed to show his weaknesses to them.

Then Crash said, "Oh...well, the system must have glitched or something. His heart rate is fine now.

Alex smiled and shook his head as Cynder struggled not to laugh. The dragoness had purposely tried to arouse him, and when everybody else was preoccupied, he playfully punched her in the shoulder and said, "You're such a dick, Cynder."

The dragon was quick to counter, with a victorious, arrogant smile, a part that Alex and Spyro both loved about her, she said, "And _you _are such a bitch."

They both had a good laugh at this, and the others just looked at them with a look of confusion.

Once Crash had given Alex a clean bill of health, the others left to their own beds, and Spyro asked, "Are you coming, Cynder?"

"I'll be there in a moment," the dragoness said with a smile.

Spyro nodded in return and left. Once Alex and Cynder were alone, the black dragoness surprised him by kissing him, even slipping him her thin tongue. Once the kiss broke, she said, "I'm glad you and Terrias are both okay."

"Thank you, Cynder," he said, still blushing at the kiss.

She smiled, "You are welcome."

Alex was suddenly aware that he had become hard, and Cynder laughed before kissing him again and stroking him. "Are you open for tomorrow evening?" she said seductively, "Spyro is going out with Ember so...I am."

"But of course," he said, smiling slyly.

"Good," she said, and she pecked him on the lips one more time before she left towards the room she and Spyro shared.

"Goodnight, Alex," she said, smiling back at him, "Sweet dreams."

And she left him alone. As he laid his head down, awaiting sleep to return, he could feel arousal building even deeper inside of him...a phantom feeling, Spyro and Cynder were at it again. He smiled, and as he drifted off to sleep, he once more dreamed of the mysterious encounter with the blue-furred female.

"_If you will have me, I will never leave your side...I will walk by you, even into the face of death, if you will have me..."_

"_I will."_

The next morning, Alpha Company sat around the kitchen table, eating breakfast. As everyone repeated their statements of how happy they were for Alex and Terrias' well-being, Cherub came in, saying, "Hey guys, come here for a sec."

Alpha Company then moved into the living room, and Piermont sat beside his mate, kissing her as they all watched the announcement.

"...The Platinum Conference has come again! That's right folks, for the week of June 3, 2012, the best Pokemon trainers in the world will go to Tokyo, Japan to partake in the _Platinum Conference_! Will they test ready to face the Elite 4. or the Grand Masters? Or will they fall to their powerful peers! Stay tuned here on G4 for the FULL, COMPLETE coverage of this intense _Battle Royale_!"

"Grandmasters, huh?" Piermont said, arms crossed, frowning once the commercial was over with.

"Y'know, if they were wanting the Grandmasters to show up, then why weren't we informed?"

"What do you mean?" Terrias asked, confused.

Piermont laughed, "Oh! That's right, nobody told you yet."

"Told me what?"

"Terrias," Alex began, "Me, Piermont, Spyro, and Cynder are the Grandmasters."

"...You're kidding right?"

Piermont smiled and struggled not too laugh, Cynder was also soon overcome with laughter.

"Right?"

Like a contagious disease, Alex and Spyro found themselves struggling not too laugh, and soon the others were laughing as well.

"You're kidding?"

Not at all," Cynder said, finally controlling her laughter, "We really are the legit Grandmasters."

Terrias was stunned, "Holy shit! I've been with the legendary Elite 4!"

"But of course," Alex said with a million-dollar smile.

"So Alex, _you _are the Legend Master?"

Alex nodded "Yep, Piermont is the Eeveelution Master, Spyro is the Dragon Tamer, and Cynder is the..."

"Mistress of Darkness...holy shit..."

"Yeah, pretty cool huh?"

"Hot damn."

"So my best friend and loving rider."

"What do you want, Piermont?"

"Are we going to Tokyo?"

"Only if you stop brown-nosing."

"Oh hell yes! Deal!"

"Great, then let me get clearance from Elliot, and get the word that we AREN'T available, and we'll head out."

"Hell yeah!" Piermont exclaimed, "Have somebody else do those piece o' shit missions. We deserve a vacation, we've earned it."

-**Fuyusuki Arena: Tokyo, Japan-**

**-**_**2 June 2012**_**-**

**-**_**1118 Hours**_**-**

Alpha Company's Hornet emerged over the city of Tokyo, shooting out of the electric, blue, spherical teleportation vortex and into the morning skies. A blue smoke trail followed the Hornet as it flew towards the assembly hall where the tournament was being held.

As Alpha Company flew over the open stadium, Piermont, who was standing behind Alex, both looking out the window at the arena, said, "God I hope at least one of those announcers speak English."

"I'm sure they do," Alex replied, "Most foreign countries teach English as a second language."

"I wonder why."

Alex shrugged, "Maybe because America is too stupid to learn a second language, so they take the smart people of other nations and teach them to understand us since we are too lazy to learn to understand them."

"Bahaha! You sound like one of them liberal douchebags.."

Alex glared at his dragon.

"What?" he asked, "What did I say?"

They finally found a place to land, and upon emerging, they were met with frantic questions in Japanese. Suddenly, Terrias replied in Japanese, speaking as fluently as if he had spoken it his entire life. The man, frowning, sighed before nodding and running off. The servine then turned to face his companions, who were staring at him, mouth agape.

"What...the fuck...was _that_!?" Piermont asked, astounded.

Terrias shrugged, "What?"

"You speaking in tongues, man?"

"No, it's called Japanese."

"The hell did you learn how to speak Japanese?"

"Let's see, Pierre...um...One: I'm from Unova, so we speak as much Japanese as English. Two: I'm a fucking Pokemon which IS Japanese, and Three: My old owner enjoyed learning how to speak it."

"So you learned from him?"

"Heh...yeah. One of the few things I DID learn from that bastard."

"Good for you, you have been volunteered to be our official translator, since nobody else here speaks the language," Alex said, walking towards the arena's English registration desk."

Terrias shrugged, "Hey, I'm game with that. My Japanese is few and a little dusty, but I know enough to get us by most things. Just...don't ask me to carry out some random-ass conversation with one of these people."

"Do you know enough to get us hooked up with Asian chicks?" Piermont asked, "A-_GIGGITYGIGGITYGIGGITYGOO_!"

Terrias glared at him, "Don't push your luck, Pierre."

"So no then."

"Nope, not at all."

"Damn."

They managed to acquire a decent hotel with enough available space to accommodate all 40 something members of Alpha Company. They had managed to rent out several penthouse suites, and were all in bed early, hoping to be up early for the conference's opening. Within the room that Alex held, the Commander sat on the balcony outside, alone, watching the city from his vantage point.

There was a quiet knock on his front door, and he entered his room, closing and locking the balcony doors before walking to the foyer and opening the door. Cynder was out in the hallway, quickly peeking around before she sneaked in. Alex closed the door behind her.

"What's wrong?" the Commander asked with a laugh, "Afraid Spyro will find out we're still carrying on this little love affair."

"He knows, but he's with Ember tonight, and I seek release."

"Jesus, you guys seriously love sex don't you?"

"Every night," she said with a nod, eyes bright and shining, then, "Why are _you _complaining?" and she laughed, "Most guys would kill to have a girl as addicted to sex as I am. It's only best for you because I already know you are a huge scaly and have such sexual attractions to me."

"So how did I get so lucky to have you?"

"Because you are also my mate, and because of that, I love you and trust you, and will choose you over anyone else to go with."

"Aw, I'm your favorite second-placer."

"Mmhmm, and you are even MORE lucky."

"Why?"

"Because, I'm horny for some...experimentation."

"Okay, name your price."

"Are you into watersports?"

"Pardon?"

"Watersports? Pissplay? Ever heard of it?"

"Not...really...should I have? I can PROBABLY figure it out..."

Cynder smiled, "Oh, you, my friend and lover, are gonna have some fun."

"Okay."

"To the bathroom!"

Cynder quickly entered, and once Alex had entered behind her, she closed and locked the bathroom door as she began to draw water for the shower. Within moments the room began to steam. The Commander also noticed that she did a funny dance as she stood in place, hopping from side to side.

"The hell are you doing?"

"I have...a full bladder...need to pee...hurts like hell."

"Then take a piss."

"Later."

"Okay?"

She climbed into the bathtub, laying down on her side, her torso facing the Commander. She patted the floor beside her, "Come," she said, and her eyes were alight with happiness and ecstasy.

"You look horny."

"Oh yes, I am."

She then spread her legs, and Alex could see that her lips were swollen and extremely wet, not just from the water, and she was actually dripping onto the floor. Occasionally, her muscles twitched as she struggled to hold her bladder. Alex was quickly out of his clothes and inside the bathtub with her. She spread her legs even more, and Alex watched as her cavernous hole grew even larger, and he quickly found himself growing hard.

Once both were thoroughly aroused, Cynder laid down on her back, spreading her legs and dipping her fingers into her hole, spreading it as much as she could. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yeah...I guess...what are you doing?"

"Just wait..."

Her eyes then rolled into the back of her head and she involuntarily thrusted with pleasure, and a steady stream of her urine spewed from her hole, splashing against the Commander, much to his alarm and disgust.

"Drink," she said, and he hesitantly did, getting closer and closer until he was dabbing his tongue inside and around her hole. She moaned with pleasure and thrusted against his invading tongue as her body milked his tongue. He delved deeper inside of her, and she moaned as he found and licked at a rougher spot on her interior wall. She thrusted again as she climaxed, shooting her fluids on his tongue and into his mouth. He withdrew his tongue then, slowly entering her with his fingers and finding that rough spot again, stroking it softly as she climaxed again, once more drenching him in her fluids. She twisted beneath his gentle touch, and as he tried to bring her into her third orgasm, she began to suck at him, licking and wanting him.

Once she had brought him near climax, as did he to her, they both paused in their ministrations as she jumped off of him, making sure that she rubbed herself against his stomach, wiping her natural musk and scent onto him, instinctively marking her territory, and she twisted around, kneeling over and raising her tail to him. "Go..." she said, almost pleading, and her eyes were pleading.

"Where?"

"Both...start here," and she pointed, with her tail, to her vulva, "Finish here," and she pointed to her anus.

"...Seriously?" he said, the idea of anal contact disturbed him.

"Yes...please...I want it..."

"Does Spyro please you in that manner?"

"Sometimes...but I don't want him right now, I want _you_!"

He nodded, and stood on his knees, wincing as his chest screamed in pain. He grabbed her thighs, and pulled her closer to him, and with a sudden, tentative thrust, he was inside of her, stunned by the fiery hotness of her. Almost immediately following his entry, she came again, moaning uncontrollably. Then, as he traveled deeper within her, she unleashed another torrent of her urine, emptying her bladder. He cringed at the feeling of it splashing against him, trickling out of her and to the floor of the tub, turning the clear water golden.

He moved quicker and quicker as he neared climax, and then, she began thrusting back uncontrollably, her muscles spazzing out as she held off her fourth orgasm. Now with him approaching near, he followed her wishes, leaving her and moving into her anus, stunned by the tightness and pushing as deep as he dared to go as he reached his climax. Now thrusting wildly, she too unleashed her fourth and final orgasm, by far the most intense and drawn out. The tightness of her anus only increased as she peaked, and he found himself trapped until she was finished. Unsure of what to feel or say, and feeling as naked and exposed as ever before, he quickly withdrew from her, collapsing to his side as he watched her, her lips continued pulsing for awhile, leaking fluids, and her anus leaked his own semen.

He felt strange, and uncomfortable, and he suddenly wished that it was over. However, something roused him as Cynder slowly and gently climbed onto his chest, laying down against him, listening to his heart beat as she nuzzled his cheek with hers. She was happy, even he could sense it. Suddenly, he quickly changed his position until he was inside of her vagina again, and she smiled in pleasure as orgasm tore through him again, Ember and Spyro had climaxed, as had Piermont and Cherub, and Terrias and Aria, all four had been together that night.

Once his painful encounter was over, he washed off, climbing out of the tub, getting dressed, and climbing into bed. He felt Cynder once more gently and slowly crawl up to him, getting under the covers and curling against him. She smiled, her eyes closed, and she was purring as she nuzzled her human mate. "Thank you," she whispered to him, "For everything."

"You're welc-"

He didn't even finished as she kissed him, long and hard, their tongues touching and tangling together. Alex then slipped his fingers inside of her unaroused vagina, gently stroking it. She smiled and purred even louder, and once the kiss broke, she curled against him, and both, accompanied by their combined body heat, fell asleep, thinking and dreaming only of each other, and he left his fingers inside of her, his gently stroke bringing on louder and louder purrs from the content female.

The last words she said to him were, "I love you..."

Early the next morning, Alex and Cynder joined the rest of Alpha Company, still very exhausted, but excited for the tournament. "So, if and when we go up," Cynder began, "When do ya think it'll be?"

"More than likely, it will be towards the end of the week, and towards the end of the tournament. If we're lucky, we might only have to battle once."

"Ah fuck, I was hoping we could partake as well..." Piermont frowned.

"Maybe..." Alex said, "We can."

"How? Our teams are damn near blacklisted from participating in the normal battles."

"Our championship teams are."

"Okay? That's what I meant."

"_However_, we _all_ have casual teams, no?"

"Yeah," Terrias said, "But only like three our four Pokemon. I have six, but I'm also not a champion."

"I have six," Alex said.

"Three," Piermont said.

"I have five," Spyro added.

"Four," Cynder replied.

"Well then," Alex addressed his team, "Methinks we still have time to submit our casual teams."

"Sure?"

"Yeah, but if we don't hurry, they'll close before we have a chance."

With this said, Alpha Company quickly hurried towards the massive line at the English registration booth.

There was the sound of a fanfare of trumpets that played, signaling the beginning of the tournament. Over the intercom came a loud voice speaking in rapid Japanese, and Terrias tried to translate for Alpha Company as well and accurate as he possibly could. Everyone of Alpha Company had connected earpieces connected to their radios, and it was through here that Terrias was talking to them. "Perhaps our mutual mental bank would be more effective?" Spike said, "Then you can maybe transmit your understanding of the language to us, so that you don't have to repeat what he says, and we can just hear the announcer and instantly know what it's about.

"It doesn't work that way, Spike," Spyro replied, "But good suggestion nevertheless."

When Alex appeared beside them, he was in his usual officer dress uniform, using his cane now more than ever before. Around his waist, Alpha Company could see his six pokeballs, containing his 'casual' team. He always kept his casual team in Ultra Balls, and his legendary team in Luxury Balls. "Hey Alex," Aria began, "Where are your legendaries?"

"I have them," the Commander said with a smile, "They're in a safe place."

"Ah," Aria said with a nod, and she silenced as the announcers' English translator then came on through their earpieces, "Hello and welcome to the fifteenth annual Platinum Conference, where trainers come to prove their might and their abilities as trainers. We are blessed with some very special guests, so fight to the final four, and go for a chance to meet the Legendary Grandmasters and face them in battle, a true test of yours and your Pokemon's strengths. Let the games begin! Our first round match-up is..."

And suddenly, on the massive bulletin board in the center of arena, a list of every single trainer who signed up appeared. The list then narrowed down until two random trainers had been selected. Alex, who had bought a camcorder, was recording the tournament and was amazed when the first round match was between two young boys, both with three Pokemon a piece. It seemed that they were from Unova, as one of the boys had a snivy, and the other an oshawott. In addition to them, they also both had tranquil, and one of them had a drilbur, while the other sent out a watchog.

"How interesting," Piermont said, watching the battle, "Such weak Pokemon..."

Alex glared at his friend, "C'mon, Pierre, they can't be more than 12. It's amazing they went into this championship to begin with, besides, one of them we know will have to advance."

"Yeah, but if we're expected to fight eleven and twelve year olds, I think it's more of an insult to us than an easy win. Especially considering we're being demoted to fight little kids, this is gonna suck. I mean, each region's respective Elite 4 are the ones who are there to test new trainers, not the damn Grandmasters, the Elite 4 of the world."

"That," Alex began again, "Is why we are gonna charge at the one who qualifies for the finals and blast him into oblivion. Besides, the tournament is all in good fun."

"Yeah," Terrias began, interrupting Piermont before he could speak, "With a hundred grand of USD on the line, this is nothing but a real fun game. Besides, YOU probably won't even face him, y'know, you'll lose your chance to 'wow' the crowds with your badass team of legendaries. Because the moment our winners face the Grandmasters, either the first or second will wipe him out, and you are the 'Grand Champion' so to speak, the _pi__è__ce de r__é__sistance_, the final obstacle between an excited trainer, and the coveted title of the 'Ultimate Pokemon Master'. Which, I think you still hold the title of champion, as far as I'm concerned, you are unbeatable, and I _have _researched the Grandmasters quite a bit. So if you are no longer undefeated, it's a new development."

"One problem with your logic, Terrias," Spyro began.

"And what is that?"

"Well, to qualify for this tournament, you need to have earned all eight gym badges in your representative region. Each region sent up about twenty of their best trainers. So we will only be fighting the best."

"Any of them conquered their region's Elite 4?"

"They all did."

"Oh shit."

Alex nodded, "Mmhmm. Think before you speak, grasshopper. Aim first, shoot later. Not the other way around."

Terrias gave him the bird, and Alex only laughed, "Yeah, you do that," before he pushed his way to the crowd and to the front of the mass, camcorder set to record the second battle.

"Next up on the bulletin board!" the announcer began excitedly, "Alex Vaughn versus Shinjiro Ryuu! Put your hands together for this amazing match-up! Alex Vaughn is a known trainer in the regions of Kanto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova, having fought his way to defeat the Pokemon League of each of them! Shinjiro is from a famous family of trainers in the Johto region, known for his defeat of the Pokemon League in both Johto and Kanto!"

The crowd cheered as Alex, dressed in his military uniform, slowly limped onto the raised platform in the heart of the arena. Terrias was astounded by just how old the Commander looked, with the rate and way he was walking, and the way he was dressed. "Look at this Shinjiro character," Piermont said with a laugh, pointing at the young boy as he dashed up onto the platform, nearly dancing in place as he awaited his challenger. He boxed the air, much to the cheer and laughter of the audience, showing off his muscles. Alex just stood in place, looking at the ground, a black figure on the otherwise sandy field. He was statuesque in appearance, and it was eerie as the wind blew through his cloak he had tossed on his shoulders. Shinjiro was dressed in a green, scouts uniform, what many of the Ace Trainers wore.

"Are you ready to fall to the mighty Dragon, sir?" Shinjiro said, "I promise, I won't go easy on you."

Alex smiled, and he said, his voice as clear and loud as crystal, despite the hard, low and almost quiet tone he spoke in, "My friend, you will not reign victorious today."

"I've defeated the Elite 4 of Kanto, as well as the champion! Surely you can't be as hard as him."

"You seem to have forgotten, Child, that I, too, have fought and defeated the Pokemon League, in more regions than just two."

"Don't call me 'Child'! I'm ready to win and fight the Grandmasters!"

Alex smiled and chuckled, "The Grandmasters are your goal?"

"Of course! I will throw the Grand Champion off of his throne and reign as the new ultimate Pokemon Master. Hey, what's so funny?"

"Son, I wish you luck on your quest to defeat the Grand Champion."

"Yeah, yeah, now c'mon! Rhydon! I choose you!"

With his Rhydon out, Alex smiled again and said, "A Rhydon, eh? A rock Pokemon...hm..." and then he threw out his Luxray."

"What?" Piermont hissed, "The hell is he doing throwing out a Pokemon like that! Electric don't do shit to a Rhydon!"

"Hm..." Terrias said, "Interesting."

"Use Earthquake!" the trainer commanded, "Take down that Electric type! Hey, sir! For being such a seasoned trainer, you make rookie mistakes."

"Don't underestimate the judgment of a good strategy, son."

"Strategy? What strategy is there in sending out a Pokemon that has zero effect on its opponent?"

"All will be revealed to you shortly."

As Rhydon moved to attack, Alex suddenly commanded, "Nikolai, leap into the air and stand on top of that water tank. The Earthquake pulled off, not harming Alex's Luxray, and when the trainer ordered his Rhydon to use Rock Edge, Alex once more told Nikolai to dodge, who did. Suddenly, the tank exploded, drenching the battlefield and converting it into mud.

"Now Nikolai!" Alex said, "Use crunch and thunder!"

With Rhydon soaked, Nikolai bit down on its neck and shot a bolt of electricity from its jaws. Almost instantly, the Rhydon hit the ground, unconscious. The referee said, "Rhydon is unable to battle! Nikolai wins!"

Shinjiro said, "Fine! You wanna play that way? So be it! Go! Gyarados! Use surf to cover Luxray in mud, then use dive!"

The attack pulled off effortlessly, and Nikolai was inevitably knocked out as a result. Yet still, Alex was unscathed, and he sent out his shiny Charizard. "Go Pyron! Use flamethrower!"

"Suppress it with hydro pump!"

"Don't stop now! Grab Gyarados and use fly! Flamethrower her in the air and then pile drive her down to the ground!"

"Don't take it like that! Fight back! FIGHT BACK!"

But Gyarados had been defeated.

"Gyarados has been defeated! Pyron wins!"

"NO! Go! Jolteon! Thunderbolt!"

"Pyron! Flamethrower!"

The result of the two attacks colliding was a massive explosion, and when the smoke cleared, Pyron had been defeated.

"Pyron has been defeated! Jolteon is the winner!"

"Dammit!" Piermont said, kicking the banister.

"Don't worry," Crash began, "Alex still has four and Shinji has three..."

"Go! Duskus my umbreon friend! Use Psychic!"

"Jolteon! Dodge and use fissure!"

"_WHAT?_" Piermont hissed, "Fissure!? How in the bloody hell..."

"Obviously, he's been training hard."

"Duskus is unable to battle! Jolteon wins!" the ref said.

Shinjiro smirked, "Heh...doubt me now?"

"You are definitely strong, but don't think that I'm beat yet."

"Less talk, more action, old man."

"Suit yourself. Go! Cerberus! Use Night Slash!" and Alex sent out his Mightyena.

"Wow," Spyro said, "I haven't seen him use _that _one before..."

"I didn't know he even was training him, but Alex is full of surprises," Cynder said, "But I bet you anything, that his last two are Viktor and Juggernaut."

"Who?" Spike queried.

"Alex's Crobat and Excadrill, respectively," Cynder said.

"Oh..."

"Yeah," Piermont added, sounding disgruntled, "Alex especially babies his Crobat and Luxray, and his Charizard. Then again, how often do you see a black Charizard?"

"You got a point, Piermont..."

"You're damn right I do, Spike...What?"

Spyro shook his head, grinning.

"Got somethin' to say, Purple Boy?"

"Not at all."

"Good, you better not."

"Jolteon is unable to battle! Cerberus wins!"

"Haha!" Alex said, "Continue to doubt me?"

"You're just getting lucky."

"Then send out your next Pokemon and we'll test your theory."

"Okay, you'll regret it."

"Uh huh...sure."

"Get ready for TYPHLOSION! Use FIRE BLAST!"

"Cerberus has been defeated! Typhlosion is the winner!"

"Alright! Prepare yourself for Juggernaut!" Alex cried, sending out his Excadrill, "Use Fissure!"

"Typhlosion has been defeated! Juggernaut is the winner!"

"Argh!" Shinjiro said, "Go! Dragonair! Use Hyper Beam!"

"Juggernaut! Use Fissure!"

When the smoke cleared both Pokemon had been defeated.

"Oh shit..." Terrias said, "Alex is down to his last Pokemon!"

"They both are..." Aria added, her voice distant.

Alex, however chuckled, "_Mono e Mono?_"

"Less talk!" Shinjiro said, "Go! My star! Pidgeotto use Fly!"

_Perfect_, Alex thought, then he said, "Go! Viktor! You use Fly, too!"

After several more uses of the move, Pidgeotto hit the ground, unconscious, and the announcer said, "Pidgeotto is unable to battle! Viktor wins! The match goes to Alex!"

"Can I open my eyes now?" Cheet said, opening one eye.

"Yes," Cynder laughed, "It's over."

"WHAT!?" Shinjiro exclaimed, "How could I have lost?"

"Well," Alex said, looking up, and using his cane to limp over to the kid, "It probably doesn't help that you fought someone way over your rank."

"Impossible!"

"Trust me kid, if my casual team defeated you, I don't think you'd stand a chance against my legendary team."

"Casual...? Wait...are you..."

"The Legendary Trainer? Aye, that I am. Sometimes, even the Grandmasters like to have a little casual fun."

The kid's eyes then lit up, "Well...if I lost to the Grand Champion, then I can be honored."

"Sometimes, you should treat your battles as if you were fighting someone like me."

"Why didn't you tell me before? I wouldn't have been as snobbish..."

"I wanted to see how you fare against a peer instead of someone who holds such a royal rank. I don't want to battle a cheap facade. Especially when the trainer playing the 'honorable' and 'humble' one isn't really like that. You showed me your true, uncensored self, and that is what I wanted to see. Good luck on your journey, maybe someday I will see you on the Championship battlefield...but not yet. You are still young, so you still have time to become ready," with this said, Alex left.

"Next up!" the announcer said, "Terrias versus Pamela Johanneson! Terrias hails from the Unova region, and is a trainer as _well _as a Servine! Let's see how this one plays out folks."

"A Pokemon battling Pokemon." Piermont said, "I guarantee nobody here saw _that _one coming."

"Terrias is good, very good. Almost a prodigy," Spyro said.

"I'm not surprised," Alex said, suddenly appearing and seating himself between Spyro and Aria. He _is _a Pokemon after all, so he probably connects more with his team than the rest of us. I'm not surprised, and that connection is as important as strength or strategy."

"You sound like a Pokemon professor," Piermont said with a laugh.

Alex shrugged, "Why do you think I'm undefeated with my teams? It's not because they are legendary, it's because I train with them, and open to their thoughts and feelings, and developed a deep bond with them."

"You are also a master strategist, and put them through the Terminator Militia's BMT program."

"True...but you are missing the point."

"Regardless, I wanna see how Terrias fares here."

"It will be interesting either way."

In the end, Terrias' all-Unova Pokemon team reigned supreme with a significant display of strength and strategy, and with the completion of Terrias' battle, Day One of the tournament ended.

That night, Alpha Company sat around one of the tables in the local Pokemon Center, eating supper. As Terrias prepared to bite into an apple, a vine appeared, seemingly out of nowhere and snatching the apple from his paw, all he bit was open air. "What the...?" he said, frantically looking around, "The _fuck _did my apple go!"

"..._Vy! Snivy!_"

"Huh?" Terrias turned to see a snivy standing on the neighboring table, eating an apple she held in her vines.

"Hey!" Terrias hissed, "What the hell? That was _mine_!"

The snivy just looked at him, a look of arrogance and amusement at his misfortune on her face.

"Give that back you little shit!"

And she vine whipped him, sending the servine to the ground. Swearing, he picked himself up, brushing the dirt and dust off of his leather trenchcoat. From around the corner, came a small party of trainers, and Alpha Company brightened when a familiar voice rang out through the air, "Hey guys! Nice to see _you _here!"

Suddenly, Ash Ketchum appeared, and Pikachu hopped off of his shoulder, smiling and shaking hands with Terrias as it greeted everyone else.

"Well I'll be damned!" Alex said with a laugh, "If it isn't the wannabe Pokemon Master."

"Don't you know it, and how is the _current _master doing?"

"Tolerable, kickin' ass, fighting wars...same shit, different day. Yourself?"

"Preparing to finally fight and beat the Grandmasters."

"So...you defeated the Pokemon League in all six regions?"

"...No...not exactly...but I did get a special pass from Professor Oak."

"Ah, so the Pokemon professors all pitched in to get you in this tournament?"

"Well...I guess..."

"And I bet you are expecting to battle the Grandmasters?"

"Not just battle, beat! Especially, _you _Alex."

"I'm honored...but you need to plow through everyone else in the tourney before you come face me."

"I know, and I will!"

"Have you battled yet?"

"Nope, but I have the first one tomorrow."

"Ah, nice."

"Yep, and by the end of the week, I'll be the last one standing."

"Gotta love your enthusiasm, kid," Terrias said, "It's awesome to actually see a little respect around here. And good goal, you know exactly what you want...but do you know how to get there?"

"...Uh...enough."

"Okay then, I eagerly hope that you and I battle."

"Me? Battling another Pokemon in a Pokemon battle? Hm...that actually sounds pretty cool."

"I hope we get to battle then."

"Well...do you think we could battle now?"

Terrias spit out the soda he was drinking. "Battle? Now? Hm..."

"They still have to burn through the last quarter of Round One before they start Round Two. Since you already battled and won Round One. You have some time to heal your Pokemon before your next battle."

Terrias thought about it for a moment, then nodded, "Okay...yes...I could use some more training. If I hope to beat Alex."

"Bahahaha!" Alex laughed, "You gonna challenge _me_, Terrias? Holy crap, you're still a new trainer."

"I think I can defeat you, I'm already better than everyone else I've faced."

"Big difference between the Unova league and the Grand Championship, my friend."

"I think I could defeat you."

"If they will even let you...you do have the advantage of knowing Alex's team and battle strategy, that could play in your favor...perhaps too much for the judges' liking."

"Are you kidding?" Piermont said, "They don't give a pity fuck about who challenges who, as long as they get money from submissions and spectators, as well as some good entertainment, they don't care! If Alex is forced to battle Terrias, that would literally be the battle of the ages, few manage to fight him, and when they do, they are easily squashed."

"Do you think they would prevent it because Alex and Terrias are friends?" Cynder asked, "Would they be worried that they would try to rig the battle in one or the others favor?"

"Once more," Piermont said, "They don't care about who battles who, or what relationship the competitors share. As long as they get a memorable battle, that's all they care about, and a battle with the Grandmasters, especially the Grand Champion, is bound to be a memorable one, despite how lame it is, or the outcome."

"Terrias," Alex said, standing and stretching, "Meet me out back in two hours."

"Okay...are you gonna fight with your casual team? Or your championship team?"

Alex smiled slyly, and the servine could see a faint glimmer in his eyes, "Just be prepared."

Terrias stood out behind the Pokemon Center, trembling for no reason at all. He was nervous, but he didn't know why. At his waist, he had his team, ready for action. The story of the impending battle between the Grand Champion and the only Pokemon trainer who was, himself, a Pokemon had spread quickly, and now a huge crowd was gathered around the battlefield. Alex was nowhere to be seen, and this made Terrias even more nervous. He just hoped Alex didn't make a flashy entrance, which he might if he was using his championship team. The crowd was obviously drawn, believing that the battle would see the Commander using his championship team. If he did, Terrias was more or less fucked.

Suddenly, there was a low rumble, and a quake-like shake, and in an explosion of light. Alex, dressed his Grand Champion attire, black silk cloak draped over his Daedric armor, stepped down from the Pokemon Center. The crowd parted and stared in awe as the legendary Grand Champion stepped forward. At his waist, as clear as day, six Luxury Balls were positioned neatly in place in a row, and Terrias said, "Oh shit..."

"Yep," Piermont whispered to him, elbowing the servine's arm and smiling widely, "You are fucked, my friend."

"Welcome! One and all!" Alex said, practicing his well-rehearsed introduction perfectly. "I am the Great Commander Alex Vaughn, a seasoned soldier, veteran of wars, and Champion of Champions. Prepare for the final battle, prepare, Challenger Terrias, for your defeat!"

In a swift and eerily fluid motion, his cloak went flying off, and he was immediately in battle position, a smile of victory on his scarred face, and the fire and thrill of battle alight in his eyes.

Spyro, who was refereeing, then said, "Each trainer can use up to six Pokemon! There will be no substitutions, and the match is won when all of a trainer's Pokemon are unable to battle. Let the match between the Challenger Terrias, and Legendary Master Alex Vaughn begin!"

"Go! Emboar!" Terrias said, throwing out his Pokemon.

"Go! Mewtwo!" Alex returned, sending out the first of his six legendary Pokemon.

"What? Does he always use the exact same order in sending them out?" Ash asked.

"Bud, if it ain't broke, don't fix it," Piermont answered.

"But can't that make him predictable and easy to defeat?"

"Nonsense, he's faced and destroyed Pokemon who held type advantages over him before. He could care less about advantages like type advantage or the predictability of the way he orders his team into battle."

"Emboar use Flamethrower!"

"Mewtwo! Use Psychic and turn the flames back on it!"

With a single nod, Mewtwo swiftly charged into action, his eyes glowing as he raised his hand, and the flames paused in midair, turning around in a sharp curve and flying back at Terrias' Emboar...instantly knocking it out.

Terrias' jaw dropped at the impossibly quick victory.

"Emboar is unable to battle!" Spyro said, "Mewtwo wins!"

_Fuck... _Terrias thought, _Surely there is a way to beat him...regardless..._ "Emboar! Return!" he commanded, "Go! Excadrill! Use Fissure!"

It didn't work.

"Mewtwo, use hyper beam!"

The servine gasped, "Excadrill! Use dig to dodge it! Then use fissure!"

This time it was successful, and Mewtwo was knocked out.

"Mewtwo, you did good, return. Go! Raikou!" Alex then sent out the second of his legendaries, "Use crunch!"

"Excadrill dodge and use Earthquake!"

However, Raikou was much faster, and managed to strike Excadrill before it worked. All they saw of the electric dog was a yellow blur.

"Holy shit!" Spike exclaimed, "That damn thing is _fast_!"

"Unfortunately," Piermont said, "I saw this coming...actually, Alex is doing his worst that he's ever done."

"What?"

"Yeah, most of the time they don't even get past Mewtwo."

"Whoa...has anyone seen his full team?"

"Whenever he feels generous, he allows his team to get knocked out, before he annihilates them with his sixth...and strongest...Pokemon. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if he's replaced any of his...now that he has Reshiram."

"What is he trying to achieve?"

"Get a legendary from each region, I'd imagine. I think it would be pretty badass if it worked."

With another impossibly quick shot from Raikou, Excadrill was down for the count and Terrias exchanged him for Simisage. "Simisage, use leaf blade!"

"Dodge it, Raikou! Grab a hold of his Simisage by using crunch on its neck!"

With a roar, Raikou fulfilled his attack, and Terrias' Simisage struggled to throw the dog off.

"Now, Raikou! Use thunder!"

Simisage was suddenly blasted by the close-contact attack dealt by Raikou, and was knocked out.

"Simisage is unable to battle!" Spyro added, "Raikou is the winner!"

Terrias gritted his teeth together, "Simisage return! Go! Unfezant! Use grab Raikou and use fly!"

"Raikou! Use thunderbolt!"

"Dodge Unfezant! Carry out your attack!"

It did.

"Good job! Now, use Aerial Ace! Put 'em into the ground!"

Suddenly, with speed near the speed of sound, Terrias' Unfezant disappeared, reappearing mere inches off the ground and leveling as he slammed Raikou to the ground with forceful impact. The female bird then landed beside its trainer, cawing happily.

"Raikou is unable to battle!" Spyro interrupted, "Unfezant is the victor!"

Yet still Alex didn't seem worried, in fact...he almost seemed to be _expecting_ this to happen."

_Alex..._ Terrias thought to himself, _Don't go easy on me...I want to prove my strength, don't rig this..._

Suddenly, an alien voice he immediately identified as Alex's pierced his thoughts, and the Commander impressed upon him, _'Going easy'? I don't understand such a statement, whatever does it mean?_

Terrias couldn't help but to chuckle at the comment.

Alex then said, "Go! Dialga, my friend! Use Roar of Time!"

The attacked carried through, easily annihilating Terrias' Unfezant.

"Unfezant! Return!" Terrias commanded, "Go! Hydreigon! Use Draco Meteor!" and the recharging Dialga was assaulted with a direct hit.

"Dialga, retaliation using Draco Meteor!"

"Hydreigon is unable to battle! Dialga is the winner!"

"Urgh...Hydreigon, return."

"Oh no..." Aria said. "Terrias is down to his last one..."

Piermont had crossed his arms, "Of course, I told you he was fucked."

"But he tore through two of Alex's Pokemon."

"Alex let 'em,"

"What?"

"Exactly," Cynder said, "Alex let them get knocked out."

"What? Why? Is...is he going _easy _on Terrias?"

"No, it's called building suspense."

"What?"

"Stop talking and just watch!"

"Go! Zoroark!" Alex's relaxed demeanor suddenly stiffened as he sat straighter...Terrias had caught him off guard."

"Now _THIS _will be interesting!" Piermont said, frown becoming a smile, "Dialga v. Zoroark, I wonder who will win?"

"Whoa!" Cynder said, laughing, "Did you _see _what Alex did?"

"What?"

"I did," Cheet grinned, "Alex was NOT expecting that."

"Huh?"

"Look at him...he's not as relaxed anymore, he stiffened."

"Ah, involuntarily reaction?"

"Precisely," Crash said with a nod, "He may act cool and chill, but he can't hide his body language, Terrias actually one-upped him. Let's just hope that Terrias can see the advantage he just opened up."

"How?"

"Lapse of focus equals collapse in defenses. This is what could put Alex in a tight spot, making rookie mistakes. If Terrias knows how to play his cards right, however..."

Aria suddenly adopted a stricken look, "Unfortunately, I don't think Terrias noticed that he made Alex stumble."

"What?"

"Look," and she pointed at him.

Sure enough, Terrias was so lost in the passion of battle and his fury that he hadn't noticed Alex loss of intense focus. Within moments, Alex had fully recovered, and ordered a Roar of Time that resulted in a direct hit, and an instant knock out from Zoroark.

"Zoroark is unable to battle, Dialga wins! The match goes to the Great Commander Alex Vaughn!"

"No..." Terrias muttered, collapsing to his knees before quickly standing and extending one paw to the Commander.

Alex shook it, "You are very good, indeed, but, at least yet, you are not ready to face the Grandmasters."

"At least the Grand Champion...maybe I could defeat the others."

"Survive until the final round of this tournament, and you will get your chance."

"How did I lose?"

"Well, for one, you were doing good for the first few minutes of the battle, but as you scored more and more successful attacks, you grew cocky, and ordered random moves, you pitched your strategy when you knocked out my Mewtwo, and you had several clear windows of opportunity, even until the end, to fully destroyed me, but you missed them...maybe next time," and Alex went back inside.

As the crowd dispersed and Alpha Company gathered around Terrias, the servine asked them, "What did he mean that I had several clear windows of opportunity?"

"You didn't see it?" Cynder asked, sounding surprised.

"No...what should I have seen?"

Piermont then laughed, "Told ya so, Cynder."

"What? What did I do?"

"When you sent out Zoroark, you scared the shit out of Alex, made him stumble a bit...I'm surprised you didn't catch that. If you did, he had made several fatal errors, you could have destroyed him."

"What? Oh you have got to be shitting me..."

"Nope," Spyro said, appearing beside them, "You need to be more observant."

"Maybe your observance is why you are the Grandmasters and I'm not."

"Exactly the reason," Piermont said with a nod, and the others agreed.

"God dammit...no...fuck my life, I can't believed I fucked up bad enough that I lost the match..."

"Oh well, it's not like it was official or anything, you'll get your chance...just not yet."

"Gah! _FUCK!_"

"Anyways..." Cynder began, let's head to bed, it's getting late."

"I agreed," Piermont said, "And we need to be up early anyway for the tournament."

"Welcome one and all to day two of The Platinum Conference!" the announcer began, "Today we will finish Round One and move onto Round Two, yesterday, we saw many amazing battles, so let's see what happens today!"

The crowd cheered as Alpha Company shoved their way to the front of the stadium to an empty spot closest to the battle arena.

"I'm surprised this spot ain't taken yet," Piermont remarked.

"Probably because we're right in the path of a hypothetical stray attack from the battle below." Terrias replied..

"Bah! Load of bullshit, it's just missing the best parts."

"Do you honestly wanna be on the business end of a Pokemon attack?" Terrias asked the dragon.

"Hell yeah! It'd be pretty fuckin' cool."

"Trust me, it ain't fun."

"You know from experience?"

"Duh. You seem to have forgotten where I come from, remember? I was a battling Pokemon."

"Right..."

"Yeah..."

The announcer continued, "First match-up of the day is...Nigel Berkshire v. Ash Ketchum! Nigel Berkshire hails from a humble town in the UK countryside, and has earned the title of Champion of the Johto region. Ash Ketchum hails from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region, and has made it to the Pokemon League conferences in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, and is currently in the process of working his way through the Unova region with his sights set on entry into the Unova league. Let's give our competitors a warm welcome!"

From the immense stadium rose a hundred thousands cheers and claps of applause, "Well done!" the announcer said, "Well done! So, without further ado, let the battle begin!"

As soon as the battle started, Alex trained his camcorder on the battlefield as Ash sent out his snivy against the English kid's Feraligator.

"This shall be an interesting one," Terrias said, looking through binoculars, "I wouldn't doubt if that Feraligator was the Nigel kid's starter Pokemon, and he looks about fourteen or fifteen."

"I still think Ash will kick his ass...he's got style, and he is one lucky-ass bastard," Cynder remarked.

"Agreed," Terrias said.

"Fuck yeah," Piermont agreed with a nod.

The battle was painfully quick, with Ash taking down all three of Nigel's Pokemon with just his snivy.

After two hours, the final match of Round One was completed, and the board flashed the remaining competitors moving onto Round Two. "Hot damn," Terrias remarked. The 120 had been cut in half into 60, and come Round Three, only 30 would remain. From those thirty, 8 would move onto the semifinals, four into the finals, then two would compete in the championship round, and the victor would face the Grandmasters.

As Alpha Company prepared for being called upon, Ash suddenly raced in, face pale.

"What's going on?" Alex asked, tying his boots.

"They have the next two competitors up."

"Okay, and they are...?"

"Come see for yourself."

As Alpha Company wandered out of the bathroom, looking towards the bulletin board, their faces paled, and Piermont and Terrias shoved their way to the front of the crowd, before both gasped. The next two competitors were...

"And now!" the announcer began, "For our next round! Piermont the Dragon vs. Terrias the Servine! Will the competitors please make their way to the arena!"

The portcullis doors opened as Terrias and Piermont advanced towards the center of the arena. Neither wanted to fight the other, but neither of them would back down. Once they were positioned in place, Piermont said, "Terrias...I don't want to do this...but I have no other option. We will fight, and I will show no mercy. Out here, we are not friends, not acquaintances, we are mortal enemies, understand? I will show you no mercy, and I do not want you to show mercy either."

"I'm not gonna fight you, Pierre."

"You will, cowards are not acceptable."

"I don't want to fight you."

"Neither I you, but I will, prepare to meet your defeat."

Terrias sighed, "Fine, so be it, I will not be thrown aside by you like I was by Alex last night."

Piermont smiled maliciously, "Well then, I guess the games will begin."

"I guess they will."

"LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!" the announcer cheered, and the stadium was full of applause.

"Go! Blaziken!" Piermont cried, throwing out his Pokemon.

"Come on out, Samurott!" Terrias replied, and the two friends-turned-enemies clashed.

"Blaziken, use fire punch!"

"Dodge and use hydro pump!" but Blaziken was incredibly fast, and nailed his opponent.

"C'mon, Samurott! Use hydro pump!" Samurott finally fired, blasting Blaziken in a direct hit.

"Blaziken, use peck!"

"Dodge and use bubblebeam!" Terrias countered.

"Jesus..." Cynder said, stunned, "I don't know who to root for."

"I'm not rooting for either one," Alex said, "And rooting for both is not worth it either. They are entirely on their own here."

"Yeah..." Cynder said with a sigh, "But I still think we should do something, Alex."

"Do what? Cheer Piermont on? Or cheer Terrias?"

"Blaziken is unable to battle!" the referee said, "Samurott is the winner!"

"Blaziken! Return, buddy! Go Venusaur! Use leaf blade!"

"Samurott! Dodge! Quickly!" but it was too late.

"Samurott is unable to battle, Venusaur is the winner!"

"No!" Terrias hissed.

"Haha!" Piermont cried, "Venusaur, use solarbeam!"

"Samurott," the servine began, "Return. Okay, go Emboar!" as Terrias sent out his Pokemon, he ordered, "Quickly now, use flame charge before Venusaur uses that solarbeam!" Emboar charged forward, sights set on taking down Venusaur, but Piermont had trained his three man team well, and solarbeam fired, blasting Emboar dead on. "Emboar! No!" Terrias cried as his Pokemon struggled to stand.

"Well done, Venusaur! Now, use giga drain!"

Emboar was too slow and weak from the previous attack to fight back, and was subjected to the attack. He was growing weaker, but still he pressed on. "Emboar, use flamethrower!"

"Dodge Venusaur and use Leaf Blade!"

Emboar managed to get off its attack, sending the plant Pokemon sliding back towards his trainer.

"You okay, Venusaur?" Piermont asked.

When it roared in confirmation, Piermont then said, "Finish it with solarbeam!"

Emboar did not have the strength to dodge, and was struck head on with the beam, knocked out.

"NO!" Terrias cried.

"Emboar is unable to battle, Venusaur is the winner!"

"Oh no!" Aria exclaimed, "Terrias is down to his last Pokemon!"

"I know..." Alex said, "Let's hope he makes the right choice this time."

"Hm..."

_C'mon Terrias..._ the servine thought, _Think! Think, think, think...what is effective against a plant type like Venusaur? Hm...let's see, um...Fire, Flying, Bug...but doesn't it also have a second type? Goddammit...I don't remember...I might as well shoot for the moon, if I win, awesome, if I lose, oh fucking well._ "Go!" the servine called, "My friend, Unfezant!"

"Hm...he chooses his Unfezant."

"Good choice," Cynder said, "A flying type is perfect against a grass type like Venusaur."

"Uh huh," Aria said, "Good choice, love...good choice..."

"Unfezant! Use fly!"

"Use dig, Venusaur!"

"Follow it into the hole and use Aerial Ace!"

In an explosion of debris and dust, the two fighting Pokemon disappeared, and when the dust cleared, a massive crater lined where Venusaur stood. Suddenly, a nearby explosion occurred, and something shot out from the ground, landing in the center of the arena. Upon closer examination, it was Piermont's Venusaur.

"Venusaur is unable to battle, Unfezant is the winner!"

"Alright! Way to go, Terrias!" Aria cried, "Good job!"

Terrias smiled a million-dollar smile as Piermont unhappily recalled his Pokemon.

"Now we're talkin' one-on-one," Spyro began, "I wonder what Piermont is gonna throw out."

"I have an idea..."

"Go! Empoleon!"

"Nailed it..." Alex finished.

"Use BLIZZARD!" Piermont ordered.

Terrias commanded, "Dodge it and use Aerial Ace!"

"Another good motion, this one by Piermont," Cheet said, "Using ice-type moves against a flying-type Pokemon."

"Yeah," Alex agreed, "Both are damn good trainers, this is only just a battle of the wills."

"And the most nerve-wrecking part," Cherub began, "Both are down to only one Pokemon a piece."

"She's right."

"Oh shit."

"Unfezant! Use...um..." Terrias paused, freaking out as he struggled to think of a good move to counter Piermont with. Then, his eyes brightened as he thought, _That's it...that's the one..._

"What are ya gonna do, Sergeant?" Piermont asked, laughing, "I have the type advantage right now."

"Unfezant, remember that special move I was teaching you?"

The bird nodded and cawed in agreement, "It's time we decide if it will work."

"What's your plan? Gonna peck me to death? Bahahaha! I'd like to see you try!"

Terrias smiled, "Nope, not peck."

"Then what is your plan?"

"Unfezant! Use Hellfire!"

"_What_!?" Piermont exclaimed, "You can't do that! A: It's a move built by Alex, not official, and B: BIRDS CAN'T EVEN LEARN IT!"

"Yes, but I learned something interesting about the move."

"What?"

"For whatever reason, it is also part flying."

"It's because it is a storm move..." Alex said, "Calls upon a storm of fireballs to rain from the heavens. Insanely overpowered move, but also has a nasty recoil."

With a loud caw from Unfezant, it began to glow as it began charging power.

"OH _CRAP_!" Piermont exclaimed, "Quickly, Empoleon hyper beam him with full power before he uses that move!"

As Empoleon used hyper beam, Terrias' Unfezant released its stored energy, and a massive ball of fire shot from the Pokemon colliding and easily tearing through the beam, striking Empoleon in an explosion. When the smoke cleared, Empoleon had been defeated, and Terrias had won.

-_That Night..._-

Terrias slipped quietly into his room, stretching as he walked to the fridge, searching for something to eat.

"Terrias..." came a soft voice, and when the servine turned, Aria ran up to him, hugging him tightly and repeatedly kissing him, "Oh my God...I'm so proud of you...so, so proud of you..." He seemed confused, and she said, "You made it into the semifinals!"

"Whoa, we're already there?"

"Mmhmm, you were in the bathroom when they called Round Three."

"I thought I was rematching or something."

"No! It was Round Three, and you made it into the semifinals!"

"Oh...okay..."

"Oh, and I have a little surprise for you!"

"Really?"

"Yep!"

"Where?"

"Come here and I'll show you."

She anxiously ran to their bedroom, and when he entered, he was stunned to see her laying on the bed, in an extremely seductive manner, revealing herself to him. Candles surrounded the bed, and he joined her, "But...we just did a few nights ago..."

"Lover, I...I want us to do this whenever we want...we never spend time together, and after that little...incident...that happened last week, I...I don't want to risk losing you without proving to you that I love you."

"You've already proven that to me."

"No, I haven't. I haven't really been a good mate. I mean I...I 'm not like Spyro and Cynder. We don't make love that often."

"That is also how they bond and overcome their past amnesty."

"Yes, but I...I want you to be happy, I know I've turned you down when you try to be flirtatious and..."

"And what?"

"From now on...if you ever, ever, _ever _want to make love to me...then we will."

"Really?"

"Yes, and if I'm not quite feeling in 'the mood', then you can do whatever you want, or have me do whatever you want, to relieve yourself. If you want to lick me off, then do it, if you want me to suck you off, I will, but I want you to be happy. I want to prove that you really are loved, and that I don't see this as a 'friends with benefits' type deal. As of now, my body belongs entirely to you, you can have it as much, or as little, as you want."

"Aria..."

"That's what a mate does...so please...do with me whatever you want, whenever you want."

"I..." and he began to cry, "I love you..."

She hugged him, "I love you, too..." and she began to feel something hard poke into her abdomen. He backed away, fearing that he had turned her away.

"No..." she said, and grabbed him, pulling him close, "Allow me," and she knelt down as she began to trail kisses down his abdomen and to his thighs. As her mouth closed over him, and she began to suck lightly, he pulled her up, gently lowering onto the bed and climbing onto her as he entered her, she was so warm and tight, and he was amazed that she still felt as if she had never been with him before. He kissed her, slowly starting to rock forward as she joined his movements and rocked into him, and with sudden thrusts from both parties, they peaked almost immediately. Once their mating had finished, he separated from her, and they laid down together, kissing and hugging as they drifted off into the pleasant dream world together, locked together, their love reaffirmed.

However, Terrias' dreaming face suddenly adopted a stricken look as...

_...his head shot back in a cloud of blood and gore as he fell forward into the water..._

...pain overwhelmed him. A deep pain, coming from deep inside him, coming from...

_...where he had been sliced by Jazz..._

...from his stomach, and as he slept, he began to cry, cringing from the terrible and cramping pains. After several moments, the pain faded away, but he had been shocked from the his pleasant fantasy dream world by the stomach ache, and now, he couldn't return. The rest of his night's sleep was restless and dreamless.

"Welcome back for another day of intense battles!" the announcer began, "Today we will decide who gets to move on to the Championship round tomorrow, and then from there, we will decide who goes against the four most powerful trainers in the entire world. Are you ready?"

The stadium was full of the cheers and applause from the crowd as the announcer, "Now, without further ado, let's not delay, we have much to do! The next match line up will be...Ash Ketchum vs. Alex Vaughn!"

"Oh shit..." Alex said.

"Great," Spyro added, "That's lovely. What happens if one of us makes it into the Championship round? We _are _the Grandmasters, we can't necessarily battle ourselves."

"That is why, I intend to lose."

"What? Are you shitting me?"

"I'll still give 'em a run for his money, but if he beats me, oh well."

"I honestly believe you have finally lost your mind, Commander."

"Spyro, I lost my mind years ago."

"Will the challengers please enter the arena!" the announcer called again, and Alex and Ash stepped from the portcullis, entering the arena and taking their spots to either side of the battlefield."

"Now! Let the battles begin!" the announcer finished.

"Go! Nikolai, my friend!" and Alex sent out his Luxray.

"A Luxray, huh? Hey Pikachu, think you can take him on ol' buddy?"

"_Pika! Pikachu!_"

"Alright! Pikachu, use thunderbolt!"

"Luxray, evade and use crunch!"

Luxray was swifter than Pikachu, and before the electric mouse had even launched his attack, Nikolai had Ash's Pikachu by the neck.

"Pikachu!" Ash called, "Get out of there!"

"Keep your grip, Nikolai, you are doing fine."

"Hm..." and Ash looked around the battlefield, "That's it!" he suddenly said, "Pikachu! Use thunderbolt to escape from Luxray!"

With a deadly shock from Pikachu, it broke free from Nikolai's grasp, but the move had little to no effect on the Commander's Pokemon.

"Nikolai, chase him down and grab him again!"

"Pikachu! Use thunder on the water!"

"What?" Alex said.

The battlefield was made of sand, and there was a pond nearby towards the outer edge of the battlefield. As Pikachu used thunder on the pond, an explosion occurred and water shot from the pond, splashing the battlefield and drenching the sand. The sudden change in terrain also made it impossible to move very well, and drastically reduced both Nikolai's speed. Pikachu's small mass enabled him to run on the sand without sinking in very deep, where every step Nikolai took started to make him sink, as the sand's suction became quicksand...Alex's Luxray was stuck.

"No! Nikolai!"

"Pikachu, now use volt tackle and electro ball!"

The small mouse charged at the Commander, full swing, and with a loud crunch that could be heard over the roar of applause, Alex's Luxray was sent flying out of the sand trap, hitting the ground and sliding to a stop.

"Luxray is unable to battle!" the referee said, "Pikachu wins!"

"Alright, Pikachu! Good job buddy!"

"_Pika! Chu!_"

"Nikolai, return," Alex looked at the Pokeball for a moment before returning it to his waist, "Now! Face the wrath of my next Pokemon! Viktor, I choose you!"

In a flash of light, Alex's Crobat appeared. "Go, Viktor! Use fly and pick up Ash's Pikachu!"

In a swift move that Pikachu tried, and failed, to avoid, Viktor immediately grabbed onto him, picking him up and high into the air. "Now! Pile drive 'em right into the ground!"

"Pikachu! _NO!_"

Viktor surpassed the speed of sound, and in a loud sonic boom and a purple blur, they met the ground in an explosion of sand and dust, and a pillar of dust surrounded them. When the haze cleared, both Pokemon were unconscious.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle, neither trainer wins!" the referee said.

_Last one..._ Alex thought, _Better make it count..._ "Go!" he began, "Pyron!" and he sent out his shiny Charizard.

"Oh..." Ash began, "Hm..."

"What do you want to send out, Ash? Something to defeat my superior power?"

"Possibly...or maybe not, Go! Snivy!"

In a flash of light, Ash's Snivy appeared, and with an arrogant smile, Ash said, "Perhaps let's make things interesting;."

"What the hell is he doing?" Piermont asked, "Sending out a wimpy grass type that he hasn't had for any longer than a few months, against a fuckin' fully evolved fire type that has been in intense training for seven years?"

"There must be some kind of reasoning..." Cynder said.

"Hey!" Terrias grumbled, "Grass types aren't weak!"

"I wasn't talking about _you_, Terrias. I was talking about Ash's Snivy."

"_I _was a Snivy for the longest time!"

"For one thing, Terrias, you are much stronger and intelligent than Ash's, I was making an insult at his Snivy, not your species in general, I'm not _that _much of a cruel bastard."

"Hah!" Spyro exclaimed, "Yeah right!"

"No, I only make fun of you, Purple Boy, because you piss me off, and you're queer."

"Am not!"

"You sucked Alex's cock didn't you?"

"He sucked mine!"

"Oh, so you admit then for being in a domestic partnership with him? That's just disturbing."

"That's not-! Oh! Nevermind! Faggot..."

"Anyways, as I was saying..." Piermont said, changing the subject."

"Hm...a very stupid move, but there must be some logic behind it...or some plan," Cynder said, "Ash is NOT an idiot, he's alarmingly intelligent, he has a plan..."

"You don't see it?" Terrias said, "I'm surprised."

"See what?" Spyro asked.

"All Ash wants to do is make an example of the Commander."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, that's the only reasonable explanation."

"Look! Look how fuckin' huge that dragon is! PLUS he has the type advantage AND the experience advantage, he is also FULLY evolved! There is no way in _hell_ that a Snivy can take down Pyron."

"Then why did he send her out?"

"I don't know, but to make an example is a pretty dumb choice for Ash's part, especially with THAT."

"Let's just watch and see what happens..." Cynder interrupted.

"Pyron! Use fire blast!"

"Quick, Snivy! DODGE!"

But it was a direct hit, and Snivy hit the ground, unconscious.

"Snivy is unable to battle!" the ref said, "Charizard is the winner!"

Ash frowned, as if his plan had been foiled by the success of Alex's attack.

"Hm..." he said, then, "Go! Boldore! I choose you!"

"Well," Cynder began, "What a choice for Ash's part. It probably would have been best if he sent it last time..."

"So, a rock type versus a fire type, huh?" Spyro began, "Smart choice."

"Go! Use hellfire!" Alex called, "In this battle with a bang!"

"Dodge, Boldore, and use Earthquake!"

"_Earthquake_!?" Alex exclaimed, then, "Hurry, Pyron! Get into the skies, now!"

But he was paralyzed as he absorbed power to use against his move. There was no way Alex could break his Pokemon's paralysis.

"Pyron! Use fly!"

"Still nothing."

"Oh shit..."

And the impact was a direct hit, as the referee said, "Charizard is unable to battle! Boldore wins! And the victory goes to...Ash from Pallet Town!"

Alex walked up to where the rest of Alpha Company, sat, and he collapsed beside them.

"Tired?" Terrias asked, amused.

"Quite, I'm going to take a nap, wake me up when something interesting happens," and the Commander lowered his cap over his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning back as he allowed himself to fall asleep.

"Welcome back, folks!" the announcer began, "Today, we will have our championship round between Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town in the Kanto region, and Michelle Rodriguez from the city of New York in the United States of America!"

"Well," Alex began, "I think Ash has this one in the bag, he's one helluva good trainer."

"Are you ready to face him?" Cynder asked, "You know that is what's next."

"Unfortunately, I do."

"Are you ready?"

"I will be...what about you?"

"I think we can win. What do you want to do anyway? Do you want him to get to you?"

"No, go all out on him, show no mercy."

"Then we will."

As it turned out, the battle was incredibly quick and pathetically anticlimactic, and so, as a short break was taken, the Grandmasters armed themselves with their championship teams, and prepared for the fight.

"Well," Spyro asked, "How do I look?"

"Handsome," Cynder replied with a sly smile, pecking him on the lips.

"You look tough," Alex replied.

"Let's hope I am."

"If you are a Grandmaster, you are."

"Thanks for the compliment, Pierre, that really means a lot."

"Don't grow used to it, Purple Boy."

"Welcome back folks! Soon, the champion, Ash Ketchum, will go up against the four most powerful trainers in the entire world. They way he fights will be as follows, he will fight each one consecutively, starting from the first, and leading up to the fourth. Upon defeat of the fourth champion, the first of the Grandmasters will surrender their title to allow to place as the Grand Champion."

Ash was nervous, although he knew the identities of the Grandmasters, he knew that they weren't forces to be trifled with. They were the four strongest trainers in the world, and the rightly earned that title, wanting to maintain that as long as they possibly could. Although he was nervous for the impending showdown, he was still excited, and he awaited the rare chance to fight them.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am!" Ash cheered.

Suddenly, there was a loud, grinding sound as the ceiling of the once open stadium closed, enveloping the arena in darkness. Smoke rolled onto the battlefield as the portcullis across from Ash opened, and harsh red light poured through. Smoke poured from the opening, as if the jaws of hell had opened wide. As the first of the Grandmasters stepped out from the door, a silhouette against the bloody backdrop, candles to either side of the path leading to the trainer's mound flashed on to illuminate the path. The astounding entrance alarmed and even terrified him, and for the first time, Ash saw just how serious this situation was. Involuntarily, he stood tall and straight, gloved hand on the first of the Pokeballs at his waist.

From somewhere at the edge of the darkened stadium, a fanfare of trumpets sounded, playing a song of impending doom. Once the first of Ash's competition had arrived at his post, he stopped, the fanfare and fog machines paused right when the trainer did, and simulated lightning illuminated the world, along with the boom of very real sounding thunder. The crowd suddenly cried out in alarm as tiny lights, simulating stars, flashed on the ceiling, and the first of the Grandmasters spoke. As soon as he had uttered his first syllable, there was what sounded like an explosion, and the simulated dark blue nighttime sky flashed a deep, dark, very macabre red, and a few of the stars became meteors, all appearing as if they were falling...as if the apocalypse had arrived, along with the meteor shower, the fog generation had increased tenfold, and it now completely obscured the floor of the arena. Eeriest of all, was the fog, as cold as a predawn mist, and a faint sound track of distant explosions...the world was ending...played at a low volume. Not enough to be terribly noticeable, but enough to really set everyone on edge.

It all looked very real and convincing, the entrance had left its impression on both the challenger, and the audience, and yet still, the Grandmaster was shrouded in darkness, a silhouette against the realistically simulated, apocalyptic landscape. In a brilliant flash of fiery light, the Grandmaster suddenly became visible illuminated by the environment lighting. "My name is Spyro the Dragon, the Dragon Tamer," Spyro was wearing armor gold-trimmed, silver-plated steel, and he wore a silk, dark violet cloak. His purple eyes were alight with excitement, intensity, and intelligence, he was ready for anything. "So," the purple dragon began, "Are you ready to face your destiny?"

"Bring it!" Ash taunted, excited.

"So be it."

"Go! Boldore!" Ash called.

Spyro smiled as he sent out his Garchomp. "Go Garchomp!" Spyro began, "Use Dragonbreath!"

"Dodge it and use Earthquake!"

"C'mon now, Ash!" Spyro laughed," You can do better than that. Go! Garchomp! Use fly!"

"Boldore! Use explosion!"

"What?" Spyro said, and in a loud blast, both Pokemon were unconscious.

"Well, Ash is mopping the floor with your second-in-command, Alex," Piermont mused.

"Spyro has only lost one member of his team."

"Yes, but watch that one member become two, and those two become three, until eventually, all six members of his team are out cold."

"Hm..." Alex began, "Ash might want to think a bit more before he makes his next move."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well...look at him. He's already lost one of his own Pokemon, and he's only managed to take down one of twenty one Pokemon he will have to face in a consecutive order."

Cynder shrugged, "Yeah...I guess."

"If he hopes to make it all the way to me, he better plan his moves out accordingly, he can't afford to lose anymore of his Pokemon."

"Yeah, you've got a good point."

"It's simple strategy, that's all it really is."

"What do you think he should do?" Piermont asked.

"Try to keep his team alive while systematically wiping out the opposition."

"Unfortunately," Terrias added, "We'll just have to let him do his own thing. He obviously knows what he is doing, else he wouldn't be here right now."

"Yes, but I think he doesn't understand the full scope of things, he's being reckless."

"Come on, Spy! Come on! You can do it!" Spike cheered beneath his breath.

"Charizard is unable to battle!" the referee said, "Unfezant is the winner!"

"Way to go, Unfezant!" Ash cheered.

"Charizard, return," Spyro said with a nod, "You have fought well, my friend."

"What's next, Dragon Tamer?"

"Next? Well, that will just have to be a surprise won't it?"

"I guess."

"Go! Hydreigon, my friend! I choose you!" and Spyro sent out his third Pokemon.

"Brace yourself, Unfezant!"

Ash's Pokemon cawed in reply.

"Hm..." Piermont said.

"What?" Alex asked.

"Unfezant against Hydreigon?"

"Aye."

"Do you think that Ash will survive? I mean, his team will be exhausted by the time he gets to you, Alex, IF he manages to get that far that is," Spike asked.

"I don't know, Spike," Alex replied, "We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

"It doesn't seem really fair..."

"All is fair in love and war, my friend. The more you fight along my side, the sooner you will learn that cold fact."

"Hm..."

"Hydreigon is unable to battle! Unfezant wins!"

"Way to go, Unfezant!"

"_UnfezANT!_"

"Return, Hydreigon, you fought well. Go! Gyarados!"

"I'm afraid for Ash..." Rudolph began.

"Why?" Cynder asked.

"His Unfezant must be getting exhausted!"

"Yes...but it hasn't taken much damage."

"Unfezant! Use Aerial Ace!"

"Dodge it, Gyarados and use Hydro Pump!"

"You can beat 'em, Unfezant! Keep it up!"

"What the _fuck _does he think he's doing!?" Terrias asked, astounded.

"He's playing it to the best of his abilities," Simba said.

"He _does _know that he still has like twenty Pokemon to defeat, right?"

"I don't think it's hard for him to forget that fact."

"He's taking awfully balsy moves versus the goddamn Grandmasters!"

"Let him do what he wants, if he wants to lose to them, so be it, but that's HIS decision."

"It just seems to me that he's throwing away a perfectly good opportunity for success."

"Well, what he does is up to him."

"Whatever. I wouldn't take such chances."

"And maybe that is why you aren't in the Grandmasters?"

"Ouch, that was really cold, man."

The lion shrugged, "It's the truth."

"Gyarados, return! You fought well, my friend..." once Spyro had recalled his Pokemon,he turned to face Ash, "Well Ash, I think I have underestimated your abilities. You seem to understand that power alone will not win the war...that is a truth that many fail to understand. But my next Pokemon will test your abilities to their maximum potential...Go! Rayquaza!"

"_WHAT!?_" Ash began astounded, "You have the legendary, Rayquaza!?"

Sure enough, the Pokemon that Spyro sent out was Rayquaza, emerald scales reflecting the fiery light of the arena, making it appear as if covered in blood."

"Unfezant! Hit him with Aerial Ace! Use everything you got!"

"Rayquaza! Use FLY!"

"Dodge it!"

But it was a direct hit...

"Unfezant is unable to battle, Rayquaza is the victor!"

"Ash has lost two and has only knocked out four of twenty-something," Terrias said.

"Yeah, thanks _Captain Obvious_," Piermont replied embittered.

"Terrias...please stop the commentary," Cynder asked.

"Sorry..."

"Go! Pikachu! Use thunderbolt!"

"Don't let that little mouse fool you, Rayquaza! Use Aerial Ace!"

"Zap him with thunderbolt, Pikachu!"

"Use your superior speed to your advantage, Rayquaza! Dodge it!"

"You use quick attack, Pikachu!"

"Rayquaza! Use fly!"

Ash smiled, then thought, _Right where I wanted you_, "Pikachu! Use volt tackle!"

"Dodge it, Rayquaza!"

But the attack pulled off smoothly, and in a violent explosion, the referee said, "Rayquaza is unable to battle! Dragon Tamer Spyro has been defeated, Challenger Ash is the victor!"

"...Oh my God!" Cynder exclaimed, jaw dropped.

"Spyro lost..." Terrias said astounded.

"Alex..." Piermont began.

"Yeah, Pierre?"

"You might be facing that kid after all...Shit...I really don't want to have to go up against him."

"C'mon, Pierre!" Alex said, slapping his friend on the back, "Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Back in the hotel."

"Get down there!"

Spyro left the arena, taking the seat beside Alex that Piermont had recently vacated. "Holy crap man!" the dragon began, "That bastard is tough as hell!"

"Sure you weren't going easily on him?" Alex mused.

"Nope, not at all."

"So he just kicked your ass?"

"Well...yeah."

"Let's see how he fares against Pierre."

"I wish him luck, he _will _need it."

Piermont stood, tall and proud, at the end of the battlefield opposite of Ash, arms crossed, wearing his standard uniform consisting of dark blue jeans, a leather jacket, zipped halfway up and revealing his clean white undershirt. He wore steel-toed boots, sunglasses, despite the darkness, and his unnatural emerald eyes shoe out from beneath his slicked back black hair. He had a toothpick tucked at the corner of his lips, and an obnoxious grin on his face. "Well, so it seems you have defeated my companion in battle? I guarantee, I won't be nearly as easy to beat as he was. My name is Piermont the Dragon, the Eeveelution Master, and my army will defeat you! Now, go Vaporeon!"

"You head out there, Pikachu, give him a blast of your thunderbolt!"

"Vaporeon, use surf to counter that thunderbolt!"

As the beam of electricity shot at the water Pokemon, it opened its mouth and shot a massive wave of water, enveloping the bolt and neutralizing it.

"Pikachu, keep at it! Use thunder!"

"C'mon, Vaporeon, use hydro pump!"

"Volt tackle! Now!"

Pikachu charged full speed at Vaporeon, and although the water Pokemon tried to dodge, it just wasn't quick enough, and Piermont recalled his fainted Pokemon, sending out Flareon.

"Well," Spyro began, "It's quite boring when you aren't participating."

"Quiet, Spyro," Alex said.

"Yeah, I just got Terrias to shut up!" Cynder replied.

"Hey!" the servine protested, "The hell did _I _do?"

"QUIET!" everyone in Alpha Company said in unison, causing the servine to flinch.

"Flareon, return!" Piermont said, astounded that he was losing to just Ash's Pikachu, "Go! Espeon! Use psychic!"

Ash's Pikachu didn't stand a chance against the powerful psychic attack, and was knocked out.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" the referee said, "Espeon is the winner!"

"Go! Snivy! Use leaf blade!" Ash commanded.

"Dodge it and use your psychic attack again!"

However, in the end, Ash's snivy proved superior, and Espeon went down.

"Dammit..." Cherub said, mouth covered by her paws, "Piermont's down three out of six."

"Correction, they're down three for three," Terrias added.

"Do you think Ash will advance?" Cynder asked, obviously concerned about the fact that she was the next challenger if Piermont lost.

"Yes," Spyro said, "He is one helluva trainer, I have never seen anyone like him before...his strength matches even Alex's I think.

"Umbreon is unable to battle! Snivy wins!"

Piermont frowned, recalling his fourth Pokemon as he grabbed another from his waist, and sent out his Jolteon. "Use thunder fang!" he commanded.

Jolteon charged forward at an impossibly quick speed, but Ash's snivy, still so much smaller and consequently much more agile, dodged effortlessly, repeatedly whipping the recovering eeveelution with her vines.

"Don't let her do that to you, Jolteon! Use volt tackle!"

"Dodge and use leaf storm, Snivy!" Ash commanded. Jolteon was suddenly lifted off of the ground, spinning rapidly as she was tossed out of the windy vortex, slamming into the ground and sliding to a stop, unconscious.

Growling beneath his breath, and panicking as he saw his imminent defeat looming in the horizon, Piermont recalled Jolteon, sending out his final Pokemon, Leafeon. _"Planta contra Planta! _We are evenly matched, _meus amicus_! _Pr__æ__parate vinci contra meo ultimo bellatrix, Aemulator! Non eritis adipisicing elit! _YOU SHALL NOT WIN!"

"I can and will defeat you, Piermont!"

"_Non est verum!_ I shall reign victorious! _Ego regnabo victor!_"

"What are you speaking?"

"_Placidius delectabiles! Ego loquentes lingua antiqua Imperia! _I speak the language of ancient Empires!"

"Alex? What is he speaking?" Cynder asked, "Really?"

"_Loquitur in Latinam. _He's speaking Latin."

"What? Why?"

"He's excited, and he thinks he sounds badass when he speaks in tongues."

"So he's a demon?

"_Daemon ipse est_! Demon he is!"

"Okay, enough of the Latin speech please.

"_Combustio in Inferno, Diabolus!_"

"Enough!"

"Okay! Okay! _Excusantis_! I'm sorry."

"Use leaf storm, Leafeon!"

"Dodge it, Snivy! You know what to use!"

Snivy moved in to use vine whip in an attempt to immobilize the deceptively quick Leafeon, however, Piermont's Pokemon managed to score a direct hit on her, sending the latter flying across the arena.

"Snivy! No!"

"_Vobis deficimus_! Do you honestly believe I would let you win so easily?"

"But I'm not finished yet!"

"What?"

"Snivy! Stand up and use vine whip!"

"_Sni...vy!_"

"Grab onto Leafeon!"

In an instant, Snivy's vines latched onto Piermont's Pokemon and began to wrap around it. The Leafeon only stood in place, eyes following the vines as they wrapped around them. Now fully trapped, it tried to break out, and then Piermont yelled, "_VOS BASTARDUS_! _Quid agis? _What are you doing?"

"Now, Snivy! Pick her up!"

"_Lea...?_"

"Oh no..."

"Throw her then finish this up with a leaf blade!"

As Snivy threw the helpless Leafeon, she unleashed several devastating direct hits with leaf blade, and the eeveelution hit the ground, unconscious.

"Leafeon is unable to battle! Sinvy is the victor! The Challenger Ash has defeated the Eeveelution Master Piermont!"

"Oh crap..." Cynder said, "I really don't want to have to face this kid."

"Don't worry, Cynder, I'm sure you'll do fine," Spyro replied, nuzzling his mate.

"How? Even Piermont lost to him!"

"Yes, but the reason why you are third is because you beat Piermont as well, remember?

"Still, Ash only lost one of his team to Piermont, he lost two to Spyro."

"And," Alex began, "He will lose the rest to you, so I won't have to embarrass him by kicking his ass when I go up to fight."

"Haha, no. If I fight him, so will you."

"Don't purposely lose just so I'll be forced to fight him."

"I'm not going to do that either, I don't want to damage by reputation as one of the Grandmasters by being depicted as a weak trainer who is so afraid of a challenger that she purposely lost so as not to have to face him for very long. I'm not THAT selfless..."

Alex laughed, "You mean, you aren't THAT pathetic?"

"Yeah...well...whatever."

"Wrong phrase, girl."

"Fuck you!"

"Yes please."

Cynder planted her head in her paw, and the others of Alpha Company laughed. When she looked up again, shaking her head, she smiled and said, "Fine, I'll kick his ass, and then I'll kick yours as well, Alex."

"A challenge after you defeat him?"

"Yes."

"And what if you lose to him."

"Then I won't enslave you."

"Huh?"

"If I win, you become my slave for a whole day, if I lose, then I will be your slave."

"What? What I-? I'm confused..."

"Never mind," Piermont said, "He had sneaked back in, unnoticed, "Better head down there, Cynder, your challenge awaits."

Piermont's arrogant grin had melted into a grim look of unhappiness and disbelief. "Can't believe I fuckin' lost."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Pierre. It ain't worth the mess that I'll have to clean up anyway."

"Bye, guys."

"Bye, Cynder, good luck, girl. We're cheering for you."

She gave him the thumbs up, and continued on.

"She's fucked," Piermont replied grimly.

"Don't say that, Pierre."

"It's true though, he's...he's one helluva trainer...Spyro was right, I've never seen anyone quite like that before."

"We watched the whole thing, seemed like a normal battle to me."

"Yeah, try getting down there onto the goddamn battlefield yourself, only then will you understand. He seems to be totally in sync with his team, that's never a good thing."

"Yeah it is, and I don't it's as bad as you say it is."

"You doubt me?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, I hope Cynder loses, just so I can see _you _face off against him."

"I am quite impressed with your level of skill, Challenger. You manage to tear through two of my allies, and now, I will have the pleasure of defeating you myself. My name is Cynder, the Mistress of Darkness, prepare to be given nightmares by my dark and ghostly team of Pokemon."

"All right! I will take you down! Just like I did with the other two!"

Cynder smiled, emerald-sapphire eyes glowing with amusement and lust, and she chuckled.

"Go! Pignite!"

In a flash of light, Ash's pignite appeared, looking focused and ready for battle.

"A Pignite, eh?" Cynder said, smiling again, "Okay then, I believe this one is a good type against you...Go! Haunter!" and the she-dragon, clad in gold-trimmed, gold-runed, obsidian-black armor, sent out her first Pokemon.

"Pignite! Use mach punch!"

Pignte charged forward, throwing his full force into his attack, it scored a direct hit on Haunter, but didn't seem to have much effect.

"What?"

Cynder laughed, "You seem to have forgotten that Fighting and Normal type moves do not work against Ghost type Pokemon."

_Oh man...I forgot!_ Ash thought.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. If you hope to face the Grand Champion, you can't be making mistakes such as those."

_Even though I don't have any Ghost types_... Alex thought to himself, spectating as Cynder used the move night shade.

"Pignite! No! Get up!"

Pignite hesitantly stood, and Ash said, "All right! Now use flame charge!"

"Use psychic, Haunter," Cynder said, inspecting her claws, "And stop him."

"Oh crap...psychic moves are super effective against fighting types..." Terrias said.

"I'm more concerned about how unphased she is through all of this. It's like she doesn't even care!" Aria yelled.

"She has the advantage right now. Ghost types are definitely hard to train, but they can reap great rewards if you are successful, including immunity to a variety of attacks. Unfortunately, Ash has more than just normal or fighting types...but I don't think he has any super effective ghost or dark type moves," Piermont said.

"He doesn't...so Cynder's doing good for now..."

"I wonder how this one will play out..." Spyro wondered.

"So do I," Terrias replied with a nod.

"I think we all do," Spike said, and Alpha Company nodded in unison.

"Pignite! Dodge her confuse ray and use flame charge."

The attack was a direct hit, and Cynder used night shade again. However, Pignite's speed had greatly increased, and he managed to dodge again.

"Pignite! Use Overheat!"

Suddenly, Pignite began to glow red, and and he raised his snout to the sky, a massive ball of fire at Cynder. She recoiled in surprise, and the referee said, "Haunter is unable to battle! Pignite wins!"

"Return, Haunter, you fought well..."

"Way to go, Pignite!" Ash called, "All right!"

"Go! Crobat!"

"A Crobat, huh?" Ash said, then he thought, _Pignite is fire and fighting type...Crobat is ghost and flying type...both are super effective against fighting...hm..._ "Pignite, use flame charge!"

"Crobat, dodge with your superior speed!"

Ash gritted his teeth together, "It missed!"

"You might be fast, Ash, but my Crobat is lighter and much more agile than your juggernaut, do you surrender?"

"No! Never surrender! Use flame charge again!"

"Dodge it Crobat, and use bite!"

"Use flame charge again!"

"What is he doing?" Spike asked, "He knows that isn't working..."

"Flame Charge increases the user's speed," Terrias began, "That's what he is trying to do."

"Surely he has another plan..."

"He probably does, I just don't know what it is right now."

"Ash is a mystery..." Spyro said, "Turn your back on him, you get your ass whupped."

"Wonder what he's planning..."

"Use overheat!"

_Again? _Cynder thought, _Hm..._

It was a direct hit, and the referee said, "Crobat is unable to battle, Pignite is the victor."

And so, they watched as Ash systematically took down each one of Cynder's Pokemon. Her Alakazam, Umbreon, Seviper, and Arbok all fell to Ash. Cynder accepted her defeat without a word, and returned to where Alpha Company stood and stared in shock. "Your turn," she told Alex, and that is all she said.

He smiled, then said, from the balcony, "Ash, heal your Pokemon, and I will take you on once you are fit to battle."

"What?" Spyro said, astounded, "The hell are you doing man?"

Alex smiled at them, "Making things interesting."

"He raped us, and he was exhausted from the other battles! What makes you think _you_ can beat him!"

"Because I can."

Ash stepped up to the platform at one side of the arena, his team fully healed, and himself fully prepared to take on the Grand Champion himself. "Alright, Alex!" he said, "Let's finish this battle!"

The crowd cheered with his enthusiasm.

The portcullis across the arena from the young boy opened...but there was no pouring of smoke, no flashy entrance. Instead, the Great Commander, clad in a black cloak, limped towards his spot on the arena, using his cane for support.

"What the-?" Ash began, surprised at how frail Alex seemed.

"Ah shit!" Spyro said, "He's going for the weakling facade again, this battle will be quite the interesting experience."

"Why is he trying to depict himself as weak?" Spike asked.

"To lower his opponent's defenses," Terrias said, frowning in thought, arms crossed, "It might seem like he's being overly dramatic, and he is, but the tactic is actually quite effective, it also confuses the crowd, making them excited once he ditches the facade."

"He's limping..." Spike continued.

"Yep, he actually really does have a natural limp, in fact, that might be it, but he normally doesn't show it."

"Why does he limp?"

"When you've been in as many battles as he has, and been injured as many times as himself, you...kinda can't help it."

"Hey! What's up, Commander?" Ash asked, irritated, "Hurry up!"

Yet still Alex maintained his slow pace. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an organ began to play. The song was something that Alpha Company recognized as the song "N's Castle" from the Pokemon Black and White soundtrack.

"Yep...shit just got serious," Spyro replied, lowering his head.

"What's about to happen?" Spike asked, alarmed.

"You'll see..." Cynder replied.

"What the...?" Ash asked again, looking around for the organist.

Alex finally approached the mound, standing in place, statuesque.

"You awake?" the young trainer asked.

No reply from the Commander.

"Hey! Wake up!"

"Huh? What?" Alex asked, acting startled from sleeping, and sounding genuine.

"Are we gonna battle or what?"

"Oh yes! Yes, of course! Um...My name is Great Commander Alex Vaughn, I am the..." and his voice trailed off.

"Wake up!" Ash yelled again.

"Wha...? Oh yes! I am Great Commander Alex Vaughn, the Legend Master, and you will face the wrath of my legendary team."

The referee then appeared, saying, "Each trainer is allowed to have six Pokemon. The battle will continue until all of a trainer's Pokemon have been defeated, there will be no substitutions! Let the battle begin!"

"Okay!" Ash called, "Go! Scraggy!"

Scraggy emerged onto the battlefield, looking around with wide eyes at everything, and looking ready for battle once his eyes fell upon the Commander, still standing, absolutely still.

"Oh shit..." Piermont began, "I have a feeling that Alex is gonna go all the way."

"What do you mean?" Spike asked.

"Whenever Alex acts like this," Cheet began, "It usually means that he's gonna play the weak trainer card until Alex reveals his six and final Pokemon. He's gonna show off his whole team to us today!"

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"Right!" Alex began, and he threw his arms into the air as his cloak flew off of him, revealing his Daedric armor. He then put on his helmet, and yelled, "Go! Mewtwo!"

In a flash of red light, Mewtwo appeared on the battlefield.

"Go, Scraggy! Use focus punch!"

"Evade it Mewtwo and use your psychic attack!"

Mewtwo leaped into the air, doing several front flips as he telekinetically picked up Ash's scraggy, throwing him across the arena.

"Scraggy! No!" Ash yelled, but his Pokemon held on, and stood up again, face contorted in fury.

"Use swift, Mewtwo!"

"Dodge it and use headbutt!"

Mewtwo charged forward, and Scraggy just barely managed to evade the attack, suddenly, with a loud crack, Scraggy smashed his head against Alex's Mewtwo's stunning the latter.

"Great! Now use focus punch again!" Ash cheered.

"Mewtwo! Use recover!"

Mewtwo suddenly became ensconced in a light blue glow, and when it winked out, it stood up again, appearing completely unscathed.

"Now, use psychic to throw that Scraggy away from you!" Alex commanded.

Once more, Scraggy was picked up, and he yelled in panic and terror as he was thrown across the arena.

"Good! Now use Hyper Beam!" Alex commanded.

"Dodge it and use headbutt!"

Scraggy dodged, delivering a successful headbutt on Mewtwo.

"Again! Keep it up!" Ash shouted.

Scraggy continued.

"Mewtwo! Use recover!"

"Don't let him do that! Finish the fight with focus punch!"

In a loud crack that sounded like an explosion, both Pokemon were sent flying backwards, but Scraggy stood, and Mewtwo remained on the ground.

"Mewtwo is unable to battle! Scraggy is the victor!"

"Mewtwo, you've done well, return!" Alex recalled his Pokemon, smiling as he shouted, "Go, my friend! Raikou! I choose you!"

In a flash of light, Raikou appeared.

"Now! Use volt tackle!" Alex ordered, and the extremely quick legendary dog sped forward, smashing into Scraggy, knocking the Pokemon out.

"Scraggy is unable to battle! Raikou is the victor!"

"Scraggy, return!" Ash began, "You deserve a good rest. Go! Snivy!"

Snivy appeared on the battlefield, eyes closed, arms crossed. As Raikou returned to his trainer's side. Snivy opened on sharp eye, taunting them.

"Raikou! Thunder!"

Raikou roared as a massive bolt of electricity shot from his jaws, but Ash's snivy evaded easily.

"You can do it, Raikou! Again!"

Once more, Ash only ordered a dodge.

_What is he planning?_ Alex thought, then, _Ah...he hopes to tire me...smart boy._ "Use crunch! Cling onto Ash's Snivy!"

"Jump into the air and use leaf storm!"

Raikou was blown back, and Alex said, "Use thunder!"

However Snivy launched a combination of vine whip and leaf blade, and Raikou suffered a direct blow, unable to withstand it.

"Raikou is unable to battle! Snivy is the winner!"

"Return, Raikou! Haha! Ash, do you think you will reign victorious? Nevertheless, I don't intend to allow that to happen. Go! Dialga! Use Roar of Time!"

"Snivy! Dodge it!"

But it was a direct hit, and Ash's snivy slid backwards.

"C'mon Snivy! While he's recharging! Use leaf blade!"

Snivy unleashed leaf blade after leaf blade, but it had little effect on Dialga, and he soon recovered.

"Dialga! Metal claw!"

Is struck Snivy head on, knocking her out.

"Snivy is unable to battle! Dialga is the winner!"

_What other kind of power does he possibly have?_Ash thought, gritting his teeth. _Let's see...Dialga is a Dragon and Steel type, so Dragon, Fire, and Water are all effective..._ "Go!" he said, "Oshawott! Use Aqua Jet!"

"You know what to do Dialga!"

But his mass severely crippled his speed, and the attack was successful.

"Dialga! No!"

"Keep it up Oshawott with a water gun!"

"Dialga, use Draco Meteor!"

Dialga unleashed his attack, and Oshawott panicked as it tried to avoid the attack, somehow, it did, and Ash ordered, "Water gun!"

The attack nailed Dialga again, and after several more blows with Oshawott's smaller mass, quicker speed, and effective attacks, the referee interrupted the match with his announcement, "Dialga is unable to battle! Oshawott is the victor!"

Yet Alex's insane smile still lasted, and he said, "Time to see just how good my newest friend is, Go! Reshiram!"

"_What_!?" Ash exclaimed, astounded.

Reshiram emerged onto the battle with a vicious roar, and Ash took the entrance as an opportunity to scan the legendary in his Pokedex.

"_Reshiram, the Vast White Pokemon_._ This Pokemon appears in legends. It sends flames into the air from its tail, burning up everything around it._"

"Reshiram, huh? And it's dragon AND fire type...Go! Pignite! Use flame charge!"

Pignite then charged forward.

"Dodge it Reshiram, and use fly!" Alex said.

The massive legendary shot into the air, arching high in the sky and shooting down as fire gathered around it in a ball. It smashed into the ground, sending Pignite flying backwards from the shockwave.

"Use Draco Meteor!" Alex commanded.

"No! Pignite! Quickly! Use tackle!"

"Pick up Pignite and use fly!"

"_Oh no!_"

"Oh yes!" Alex laughed, "Now! Take him into the ground!"

Reshiram once more arched in the air, charging down.

"Fusion flare!" Alex commanded, and the dive-bombing duo were surrounded in a ball of fire. They smashed into the ground with such force, that an explosion sounded, an the world shook, and the field was obscured by dust. When it cleared, a massive crater was in the ground, and the referee said, "Both Pokemon are unable to battle!"

"Return!" Ash said, growling, and he sent out Unfezant.

"Go! Regigigas!" Alex roared.

"What the...?" Ash exclaimed, staring at the massive king of the Golem Trio.

Pulling out his Pokedex, it said:

"_Regigigas, the Colossal Pokemon. It is said to have made Pokemon that look like itself from a special ice mountain, rocks, and magma_."

"Unfezant," he said, "Use fly!"

"Hold steady!" Alex ordered. Because of his immense mass, and his slow start ability, Regigigas could not move very well. But he was a juggernaut compared to other Pokemon the Commander had in his team.

"C'mon! Keep up the attacks! Wing attack!"

While Regigigas was immobilized, Unfezant pushed herself to the limits, delivering a constant stream of attacks. Although the Commander's Pokemon had suffered a devastating amount of damage, it still held sturdy.

"Superpower!" Alex ordered.

As the silent Pokemon began its attack, Ash ordered Unfezant to dodge and keep up the consistent blows.

_Hm..._ Alex thought, _Ground type moves have zero effect on a flying type like Unfezant...which means Earthquake and Fissure are out...and he's too slow for an effective Superpower right now...that leaves only one last choice..._

"EXPLOSION!" Alex roared.

Regigigas then exploded, taking down Ash's Unfezant at the same time.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle!"

"Oh lord...both have only one Pokemon remaining..." Cynder began, "Alex better be careful..."

"Are you kidding?" Piermont laughed, "He _wanted _this! He could have wiped Ash out with just his Mewtwo, there is a reason why he's delaying his attacks."

"What purpose could that possibly serve, aside from showing off his star team?" Terrias asked.

"Why, he wanted to unleash hell on Earth."

"Huh?"

"Just watch."

"Well," Alex began, "It seems I'm down to only one more Pokemon...how unfortunate."

"Go! Pikachu!"

"So you send out your Pikachu on my final Pokemon? I have a question, Ash, do you even know who my sixth one is?"

"No."

"Well, better get that Pokedex of yours out, because it's something few have ever seen before!"

"What?"

"GO! ARCEUS!"

"Arceus?"

In a flash of light, the immense Arceus appeared on the battlefield, and with a hellish roar, there was the crack of thunder, and the clouds swirled around above the PokeGod's head as lightning struck the city, and the storm intensified, very rapidly.

"What in the hell is _THAT_!?" Terrias exclaimed.

"Haha!" Piermont began, "The Pokemon God! Arceus! The only Pokemon to know more than four moves."

Ash brought out his Pokedex again:

"_Arceus, the Alpha Pokemon. It is said to have emerged from an egg in a place where there was nothing, then shaped the world._"

"Arceus!" Alex began, "Use Perish song!"

"Perish song? Oh no!" Ash exclaimed, "Pikachu! Quickly! Use thunder!"

"Dodge it, Arceus!" Alex roared, "Use Hyrdo Pump!" suddenly, there was a flash of light, and Arceus turned blue. It unleashed it's hydro pump, nailing Pikachu in a direct hit.

"No! Get up, buddy!"

"Use leaf blade!"

In another flash of light, it was now green, and it successfully used it's attack, once more striking Pikachu.

"Now! Flamethrower!"

It turned red, and it once more carried out its attack successfully.

"Now! Use JUDGMENT!"

Pikachu was incredibly weak now, and Ash watched in horror as Arceus began to levitate, in several spontaneous flashes of light, it changed to all types as rings shot from its body, each ring representing one of the types. The rings grew together, and glowed with blinding intensity as the massive ball flashed rapidly, like a strobe light. Suddenly time seemed to slow, and everyone almost seemed to have left their outlines, as the world was warped and a high-pitch screeching noise filled the air. Still, Alex seemed unaffected, and the massive orb of lighted rings sped down, smashing into Pikachu with a resounding explosion that caused an actual earthquake.

Rain fell from the heavens, as the world suddenly became silent, and the referee, stuttering in shock, said, "P...P...Pikachu I...is unable to b...b...battle! A...A...Arceus is the winner, the m...match g...goes to Legend Master Al...Alex."

Ash was stunned, as was the rest of the crowd, never before had anyone seen such an intense finishing move, from such an ancient Pokemon. Alex didn't seem to notice anything, only stood in place, eyes closed, chin against his chest, arms crossed, Arceus standing behind him, roaring as it began to collapse. The effects of perish song. In a swift move, Alex had recalled Arceus, placing its luxury ball right next to the others at his waist, straightening it as his obsessive compulsive tendencies forced him.

"That..." Terrias began, amazed, "Was fucking, _AWESOME_!"

-_Evening of the Final Day_-

-**Fuyusuki Arena: Tokyo Japan**

-_**8 June 2012**_-

-_**1640 Hours**_**-**

Alpha Company sat around the table at the local McDonald's, enjoying the Japanese spin on American cuisine. As they talked about events that had occurred that past week, and what plans were once they returned that night, Ash approached them, asking, "Where are you guys going?"

"Home," Alex replied, "We've overstayed our welcome here, I think."

"Nonsense!"

"I think so, I scared the shit out of the townspeople, now everywhere I go, I get little dirty looks from people."

"You are the Grand Champion! You amazed them! But I do have a question."

"Ask away."

"You were intending to finish me with Arceus, weren't you?"

"How can you say such a thing?"

"Because I've seen how you normally fight, you could have obliterated my team with just your Mewtwo, yet you chose to wait until Arceus...why?"

"Because, I wanted to make the battle exciting and memorable."

"When are you leaving?"

"In a few hours."

"You can't stay?"

"Negative, we have other places to be, unfortunately."

"Well...goodbye then. Hey, you guys will be at the contest in Nimbasa City in Unova won't you?"

"Maybe, when is it?"

"Next week. It's not a multiple day thing, but it does happen once every month, I figured maybe you'd want to come watch, or even participate."

"That sounds nice, we'll have to check it out."

"You think you will be able to attend?"

"I dunno, Ash, it depends on what Elliot has us do. We were lucky to find a gap in our obviously busy schedule to come here."

"So, I take it sitting locked inside of a city is busy work?"

"Surviving man! We barely have time to do anything else but sit on our asses in a recliner in front of a television and survive."

"Sounds like hard work."

"Oh! You won't even _begin_ to imagine! Oh my god!" Alex laughed, then, "But yeah, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be able to attend...unless Jazz and the _Maxia _decide to be douchebags and interrupt our summer vacation."

"Well, I hope to see you there."

"We'll try, but no promises."

As night fell, and the moon rose on the horizon, Alpha Company and Ash exchanged their last goodbyes, and with a loud farewell roar from Piermont, they took off, disappearing in over the horizon, flying towards the east. Ash smiled as he watched them leave, then returned inside, alone.


	5. Chapter IV: The Contest

_**Chapter IV**_**:**

**-''The Contest''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_11 June 2012_-**

**-_0810 Hours_-**

Alex climbed out of bed, stretching and wincing as his back muscles popped, sending little flares of pain out of his chest. He walked to the French doors in his room, opening the curtains and stepping outside onto his private balcony, and into the warm, summer morning. The wind was fair, the sun was shining, and he felt wonderful. He smiled as he watched the citizens of the city, standing in a massive, silent crowd, staring up in amazement at the tiny sliver of blue sky. Above, the clouds that had forever loomed over New Alexandria since the dawn of the war had broken loose, revealing the first rays of bright sunlight, and the pristine, blue sky. He could sense that today would be a fine day, and he felt relief.

As he had predicted, Elliot had nothing for them, the _Maxia _were being nice and quiet, which was both a blessing and a curse. Usually, extended periods without word of the _Maxia_ Regime led to an intense, merciless battle whenever they did emerge from their sea of filth and scum to launch a piss-poor attack. As promised, he was planning on taking Alpha Company to the Unova region for their Pokemon contest, and besides, he had always liked Nimbasa City's theme park. So, with another deep breath of fresh air, he returned into the darkness of Club Camelot to prepare for the day, and their trip.

Terrias once more found himself dreaming of the Siege of New York, specifically, his and Alex's executions. Once more, he relived the pain he felt in brutal clarity, especially the final moment where Jazz pulled the trigger...and he, dazed, fell forward into the water, sinking deeper and deeper into the cold depths, watching as light faded away, and the water before his eyes grew red with his blood...

He gripped his stomach, moaning in pain, and he suddenly shot up, running into the bathroom and barely managing to make it to the toilet before he vomited, emptying his stomach. Trembling as he gagged, he vomited again, then grew worried when he noticed specks of blood. However, for whatever reason, his body didn't find it necessary to heal, so he put it off as him just getting sick. Perhaps his little dip in the cold water of New York Harbor gave him a bout of pneumonia?

Again, he doubled over, grabbing his stomach as it pained him mercilessly. Once the nausea and pain had passed, he stood, staring at himself in the mirror. Sweat dripped down his face, and he was alarmed at how much he really did look ill. His eyes were sunken in, and he was losing weight, very quickly. His stomach, however, bulged, and it was bloated terribly. He shook his head, walking over to the toilet as he relieved himself, and he was again alarmed when he saw specks of red in his urine. _What is happening to me?_ he thought. _Make it stop...just please make it stop! _He wondered if he should go see a doctor, he didn't know if this was something serious. Eventually, however, he decided to just pass it off. It wasn't unbearable yet, just very uncomfortable.

Rinsing his face and taking one final look at himself in the mirror, he stepped outside of the bathroom, returning to his room as he awoke his sleeping mate.

Spyro awoke next, struggling to untangle himself from his mate, who still slept soundly. As per usual, they had mated, and their nightly activities had left them tangled together as they slept. He finally managed to silently separate from his mate without waking her, and he climbed out of bed, wandering into the bathroom as he too observed himself in the mirror.

What he saw scared him. He no longer saw the Spyro the Dragon that had been back when he had first joined the Terminator Militia. His face was scarred, the left slide of his body and face was disfigured, not terribly so, but enough that it was obvious he had been burned. Thin white scars covered his body, medals displaying his experience in warfare. He also looked alarmingly older than he really was. His four years of service had really taken a toll on him. The face staring back at him was entirely alien to him, something he did not recognize, as if it was merely just a crude doppelganger.

Looking in the mirror through the open door, he could see Cynder, still asleep, but now on her side, facing towards him. He smiled, even though his experience had taken a deadly toll on him, he had everything he needed to be happy. A warm home, food in his stomach, a loving mate...he was surrounded by friends, had three children...

He had everything he needed to be happy.

And still, he felt a dark aura hanging over him, but not just him, the entire militia. This aura did not feel right, and he could hear his internal alarm wailing away inside of him, a distant, endless, high-pitched screech, not a direct warning to him exactly...but something was coming. He didn't want anything bad to happen to the people he considered his family. He also, however, understood that he was a soldier, and that death of close friends and relatives was common, but he still didn't want to lose someone he really loved.

Shoving these thoughts aside, he instead concentrated on his plans for today. Alex had kept his promise, had kept in contact with Elliot to see if anything showed up, but apparently, the _Maxia_ were playing hide-and-seek, so they had no missions, or at least any that required the deployment of Alpha Company and the Terminator Militia's High Command. So, unless something came up overnight, or this morning, which he doubted would happen, Alex was going to cart them all to Unova for a Pokemon contest in Nimbasa City.

Although he could really care less about the contests, or the musicals, he did like the little theme park annex, and the romantic view of the city, distant forests, Castelia City and the Skyarrow Bridge far to the south, and the mystifying Charizard Bridge between Nimbasa and Driftveil City that the Ferris wheel gave at sunset. He heard a loud knock on his bedroom door, and he opened it to find the Commander standing there, "Wakey, wakey, are you guys ready to head out?"

Spyro glanced back at his mate, "No," he said, "But we will be in a few moments."

"Okay, please hurry then."

"Yes, sir."

By the time Spyro arrived in the living room with a sleepy Cynder, the rest of Alpha Company, appearing equally exhausted, had already congregated. However, despite their obvious exhaustion, they still seemed excited for the day's planned trip.

"I must admit," Piermont began, "It's nice to actually have a proper Summer vacation."

"Yeah, don't get used to it." Alex replied grimly, obviously hating the idea that their vacation could end any minute, "If we're in the middle of the damn contest and we're called into action, we have no choice but to make haste back here, and be ready for deployment."

"Sounds like a shitty plan," Terrias muttered.

"It is, but unfortunately, we have no control over it. If we don't like it, we can only just go bitch to the _Maxia_, or the President, but neither will listen to us, being public enemy number one and the scum of the earth in the flesh."

Terrias shook his head, "That's bullshit, you know that?"

"Yes, Sergeant, we ALL know that. Unfortunately, that's life for you."

"Life is a cruel mistress, Terrias," Spyro said with a sigh, "You eventually learn to realize that."

In the room's dim light, Spyro never looked older to the servine. The jagged scarring on his face from his largely healed burns gave him an almost corpse-like appearance.

"Anyways," Alex said, in a brighter tone, "How about enough of the 'poor me' bullshit. Let's get on the road so we can enjoy what time we have to spend on vacationing."

"Hopefully it lasts awhile," Terrias sighed.

"Ha! Good luck," Piermont replied embittered, "We're living on borrowed time, so enjoy it while you can, and instead of thinking 'hopefully it lasts awhile', instead think, 'thank God for these five minutes of relaxation."

"Why should he have to?" Alex mused, "That's how _you _think!"

"Well...yeah," Piermont replied in a sing-song tone, "But _I'm _special!"

"Ha! Whatever gets you through the night, Pierre."

"But I am!"

"How so?" Spyro asked, smiling mischievously.

"I've been here longer than 90% of the rest of you morons, I'm entitled to certain beliefs and ideals."

"Yeah, and then you'll get your ass on a one-way ticket out of the city," Alex mused.

Piermont frowned and his eyes narrowed as the rest of Alpha Company laughed at the comment.

"Nah, I'm just kidding, Pierre, but seriously, everyone here is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions, as long as our opinions don't clash, you don't shove your ideas down someone else's throat, or your beliefs don't compromise your fellow comrades or our mission. If you are someone who sees the glass as half-empty instead of half-full, then that's your opinion, and you're entitled to think so. I wouldn't suggest it, but at the same time, I'm much the same way, so I can't really damn your opinion."

Spyro turned to face his CO, "What are you rambling on about?" he asked, and the rest of Alpha Company broke out in laughter. Alex shrugged in reply.

"Anyways," Terrias interrupted, "Let's just get on the road."

"Aye," Alex replied, "Let's."

-**Route 4, Unova**-

-_**11 June 2012**_

**-**_**0927 Hours**_**-**

Alpha Company emerged from the teleportation vortex above Route 4, and with a roar, Piermont signaled his approach as he dropped lower, zooming over the expansive route and over through the outskirts of the city, landing amongst a crowd of frightened citizens in the heart of Nimbasa City, right in front of the gym.

"Ah!" Alex said, leaping off his dragon and taking off his Daedric helmet, "Just smell that fresh, clean air."

"Yuck, more like fresh, clean _city _air," Spyro complained.

"Bah! C'mon now, Spearow, the air is cleaner than New Alexandria's."

"New Alexandria, at least, smells like pleasant burning wood, instead of pollution."

Terrias shrugged, "I don't mind it. With my sheltered past, any outside air is fresh air in my book."

"Oh, good for you," Piermont muttered, transforming into his human form, "Onward!" and he sped off towards the brilliantly architectured building in the distance, the musical hall.

"Jesus!" Spyro complained, "_Someone's_ excited! Wait up, Pierre!"

"Fuck you, Purple Boy! If you can't keep up with my superior speed, don't bother to follow."

"Superior...? Fuck you moron!"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Go to hell!"

"You first, dumbass."

"Queer!"

"Retard!'

"BOTH OF YOU, _SHUT UP_!" Alex yelled, "We're in public, representing our army, I don't need you two idiots to fuck up our reputation. We already have low morale with our own damn country, we don't need to lower it with our allies, especially a newer one. If you guys want to keep arguing, I'll just call of this whole damn trip and we'll head back to New Alexandria. There is a crapload of things we could do around the city, I'm sure."

"Sorry," both dragons said in unison, but they glared at each other.

"Good, now, keep moving."

"Holy crap!" Terrias exclaimed as they entered the building, "This place is freaking packed!"

"You don't say..." Piermont replied, astounded.

The building lobby was literally full of people, and the line for entry was wrapped around the large room twice over.

"What? Does nobody have anything else to do with their lives?" Piermont asked.

"Pierre," Alex warned, "Quiet."

"Looks like a shorter line if we particip..." Terrias began.

"Alex! Guys!" interrupted a voice from within the sea of people.

"Ash!" Alex said as he watched the boy push and shove his way through the crowd and to where the Commander and his team stood. To his left and right, two other young trainers flanked his heels. One of them, a tall, skinny, green-haired, green-eyed fellow nearly trampled the Commander as he said, "Oh wow! It's _the _Grand Champion Alex Vaughn! And the rest of the legendary Grandmasters! It is such a blessing to bask in your awesome presence!"

"Eh..." Piermont began, "Thanks?"

"My name is Cilan, grass type leader of the Striaton City Gym!"

"Oh yeah..." Alex began, remembering, "I think we met..."

"That's before I knew who you really were! I saw you battle Ash on the television!"

"Who are the Grandmasters?" the female said.

"_What!?_" the excitable Cilan exclaimed, "You don't _know_!?"

"You don't know, Iris? I thought everyone did," Ash said.

"Never really got into that," and she blushed.

"They are the greatest trainers in the history of Pokemon battling! Their strategy is composed of such delicate flavors, blended together into a delicious, heavenly recipe whose flavors would bring tears to your eye."

"Uh..." Alex began.

Instantly sobering, Cilan then said, "I also happen to be a Champion Connoisseur, it's _evaluation time!_"

"Oh brother..." Iris said, "Here we go again."

And the Axew hiding in her wild hair replied in a similar tone.

"The Grandmasters began their journey in the Kanto region after their transport aircraft crash landed just outside of Pallet Town. From their, they trained and trained, learning that they were naturals in Pokemon training, and them, with only their starters, managed to collect 151 Pokemon in the Kanto region, collecting it for Professor Samuel Oak and completing the Kanto Pokedex. In a delicious, aromatic battle with the region's Elite 4 at Indigo Plateau, they disappeared, presumably back to where they came from, only to reemerge at a later time in the Sinnoh region. They did the same with the Sinnoh region as they did for Kanto, leaving after effortlessly defeating the Sinnoh Elite 4. From there, they challenged the Platinum Conference, fighting their way to the Championship Cup where each one of the four brought down the standing Grandmasters and were declared champions of the world! Recently, they traveled through the Unova region, defeating our own Elite 4 as well! They're like...they're like a recipe from Heaven! However, they have yet to explore the Johto or Hoenn region."

"Yeah...we'll get there...eventually."

"Oh my! I'm so honored to meet you! This...this is the happiest day of my life!"

Alpha Company exchanged uneasy glances.

"But, I doubt you came here to hear me express my joy for being in your presence."

"No, we're here for the Pokemon contest," Alex replied.

"Are you going to enter?" Ash asked.

"Dunno, probably not."

"You should, not only is the line much shorter, but I'm curious as to see how your awesome legendary team will stand against this messy compilation of rookie and seasoned coordinators."

"Oh great..." Iris remarked, "Now _you_'re starting to sound like Cilan. You're such a kid!"

Ash glared at her.

"We're trainers, not coordinators, and even then, my legendary team would not be entered. I only bring them out for Championship battles. If anything I would submit either my Charizard, Crobat, or Luxray."

"Or you can submit me." Terrias said, arms crossed, blank look on his face.

"Would you even be wanting to go against other Pokemon?"

"Of course, I will kick their asses! I mean, how many other trainers have talking Pokemon with such powerful abilities as I?"

"You'd probably be disqualified, _because_ you are a mutant."

"I think it's worth a shot, I'll just not speak and pretend I'm your ordinary run-of-the-mill servine."

"Do you even know how to speak like a servine? I mean, you evolved _after _you were mutated."

"Aha! But you seem to have forgotten, my mother was a servine, as is Aria, I might not have been terribly sentient back during my past life..."

"I would have used a different verb choice," Alex interrupted, "Perhaps 'intelligent', or 'knowledgable' would have been a more proper choice than 'sentient'..."

"...But I at least learned the language," Terrias finished, ignoring his mentor.

"I say give him a shot," Ash said, "Worse comes to worse, you get disqualified from this one contest for having a mutated Pokemon."

"He can speak..."

"Have him use that in his act! It would blow the minds of the judges and the audience."

"He wears a trench coat and carries around a goddamn shotgun. Surely the people taking the forms have seen him, he's kinda hard to miss."

"What are they gonna say? They'll just say that Terrias is a 'gifted' or 'well-trained' Pokemon. Keep in mind, we don't have a very good foothold here in Unova," Spyro said, "They don't really know that we are the legendary Alpha Company and are mutants."

"It's called the news? Or the damn television show. Remember? We're the stars of reality television! Besides, when it comes to strategy and planning a show, I'm not very good at it."

"Bull," Spyro replied, "That's a load of bull crap. And besides, how often does Unova broadcast anything outside of this general area. They wouldn't be the ones that broadcast the news from the rest of the world, except maybe the other Pokemon regions. Remember, all these regions care only about each other, and could care less about the rest of the world."

"He's got a point," Ash said, "I say go for it, it'd be cool to see Terrias decimate the opposition."

Alex then turned to his protege, "Sure you want to go through with this?"

"Hell yeah!" Terrias replied, "It'd be a blast!"

"Yeah, I suggest you cover his bandages though..." Ash said, "All of the judges here are very passionate about Pokemon and Pokemon safety, if they see Terrias as banged up as he is, they might assume something, more than likely, they'll assume the worse..."

"You mean..." Alex began.

"That he is an abusive trainer?" Spyro asked.

"Exactly," Ash said.

"I'll just tell them the truth."

"That might not help things."

"It might."

"No, it wouldn't," Alex replied.

"Why?" Terrias queried.

"It's a little something called 'Stockholm Syndrome'," Piermont replied gravely.

"I haven't fallen in love with my captor..."

"That's not the point, Terrias," Alex said, "The point is that if you vouch for me, they might think that I brainwashed you into thinking that."

"How healed are your wounds anyway?" Crash asked.

Terrias' look of confusion adopted a grave appearance, "They still look like I was sliced open."

"Fuck..." Alex said, "What can we do..."

"I got an idea..." Ash replied.

"What?"

"How about you button up your trench coat?"

"Duh..." Alex replied with a laugh, and Terrias rubbed his face with his paw.

"You get cleaned up and looking pretty, Terrias, I'll sign you up."

"Welcome! Welcome one and all to the Nimbasa City contest! Now, we have little time to waste, so let us begin with our first round!"

As each coordinator went up one at a time to show off their Pokemon to the crowd, Alex stood beside Terrias in the waiting room, waiting for the announcement that they were up.

"Aw!" a young woman said, stepping up to the servine and pinching his cheeks, "How cute! You have him all dressed up!"

Terrias rubbed his cheek, "_Ser...vine..._" he growled.

Alex feigned laughter, "Hehe...sorry, he's usually not so moody, but he doesn't like it when people touch him, nothing personal I hope."

"Oh no! Not at all," and the woman laughed, "Well, good luck to you and your _cute wittle servine_. I have never seen such a cuter Pokemon...though he does look like he's seen some action during his days."

"Yeah...he was a rescue Pokemon."

"Aw, how sweet. Well, goodbye and good luck!"

"Thank you."

"_Vine, servine!_" Terrias replied with a nod.

Once she left, Terrias sent a thought at Alex, _I do not want to be touched again. That kind of hurt actually_.

"C'mon Terrias..."

When everyone turned to look at him, Alex shrank in his seat and turned to his thoughts, _C'mon Terrias, I doubt it hurt _that _much_.

_You want to bet it didn't hurt 'that bad'_.

_Not really, no_.

_Please have people refrain from touching me like that. I prefer not to be touched period but...bah! You get the picture_.

_Yeah, okay, I'll tell people not to touch you again_.

_Thank you_.

_You're welcome_.

As the list of coordinators dwindled down and closer to Alex and Terrias, Alex thought, _Now, are you absolutely, positively sure you want to do this? It's not too late to back out, but it will be soon_.

_I'm sure. This might be kinda fun_.

_Will you get stage fright?_

Terrias shrugged, _I don't know, but I guess we'll find out. Even if we do lose because I'm a little hesitant at performing before such a huge crowd, it's not the end of the world, I mean, all of this is in good fun, right? You aren't _expecting _me to win are you?_

_No! This is all in good fun...but a win might be kind of nice_.

Terrias' mental voice laughed, but he only let out an audible rumbling sound, almost like a deep, throaty growl, but was just a chuckle. _Okay, I'll try my best_.

_You look like you're having a hard time controlling your physical voice_.

_You can't even _begin _to imagine_.

"Next up!" the host said over the intercom, "Alex and his amazing Servine!"

And the crowd cheered.

_Looks like we're up, Sergeant_.

_Aye..._

_Good luck, _amigo_._

"_Servine!_" Terrias said out loud with a nod, and the pair walked out of the waiting room, across a dark hallway, eventually walking upstairs and appearing from stage right. Upon their entrance, the crowd cheered, and Terrias said, rather hesitantly, _Wow...there sure is a...a lot of people here..._

_Scared?_

_NO! Of course not!_

_C'mon, bud, you can do it! Let's blow 'em away!_

_Sir, yes sir!_

Once Alex was in position in the center of the stage. Everything in the house grew quiet as hundreds of pairs of eyes stared at him, and the full house gave him their full attention.

_Oh shit! There is a crapload of people!_

_C'mon, man! _Terrias urged, _Do something!_

But Alex was lost for words, paralyzed by fear. He had no idea what moves he should command Terrias to use. To be honest, he didn't really know what moves the servine had.

_C'mon!_ Terrias urged impatiently, _The clock is ticking, and the judges are looking bored!_

Sure enough, Nurse Joy yawned.

_Crap..._ Alex thought to himself, erecting the mental wall between him and Terrias as he went through his inner monologue in an attempt to relax. Heart racing, he took several deep breaths, and as the judges were about to call time, Alex then said, "Terrias! Use razor leaf!"

With a loud call, Terrias shot a huge cloud of spinning leaves into the air.

"Now! Use bubble!"

Terrias smoothly pulled off to the move, much to the gasps and cheers of the crowd. Now, bubbles and leaves were together in the air.

"Will o' the wisp!"

Upon his call, Terrias spat bright blue fire balls, and the three different moves sat suspended in the air.

"Now! Use vine whip to create a tornado!"

Terrias did as he was ordered, and now the elemental energies spiraled in a beautifully colored, rainbow whirlwind.

"Solarbeam!"

The servine then launched a blindingly bright solarbeam into the heart of the vortex, and in a loud explosion, rainbow glittered rained down from the heavens, glittering like diamonds beneath the stage light.

"Sunny day!"

Using the move, the glitter then shone even brighter, and the crowd cheered.

"Amazing!" the host said, "Such a brilliant display of stunning moves!"

As the crowd cheered them on, and Alex walked next to him, patting his back and with a wide, toothy grin on his face, Terrias suddenly felt dizzy, and the room began to spin. Spontaneous flashes of the battle of NYC as well as his deadly encounter with Jazz in the past appeared across his vision, growing in intensity, sharpness, and clarity. The colors in these fantasies grew vibrant and lively, almost blinding, and the real world lost its color. Eventually the colorful arena was in black and white, and fading away, giving way to the memories as the flashes stayed longer and longer. Eventually, he was almost entirely lost in the memories, and the real world flashed in spontaneous flashes, growing shorter and smaller in concentration. Then, a horrifying thought crossed his mind, _Flashbacks...I am having flashbacks!_

"Oh no..." he muttered beneath his breath, and now he was stumbling across the stage, staggering around.

"Terrias?" Alex's concerned voice penetrated his mind, growing ever more distant, "Terrias!"

The servine didn't hear him, and he grabbed his stomach, crying out as a paralyzing pain tore through his body. He collapsed forward, vomiting before he hit the ground, and blood quickly gathered around him in a pool.

"TERRIAS!" Alex screamed, running to his side, checking his pulse.

He was alive, but his pulse was faint, and staggered. Alpha Company appeared then, seeming to emerge from the woodwork, and they surrounded the pair. The crowd had grown silent, and the judges ran up to him.

"He's _bleeding_!?" Nurse Joy exclaimed, "But from where?"

Terrias suddenly returned to consciousness then, and he shoved Nurse Joy away as he stood. His eyes grew large, and he screamed, falling back as Jazz stood before him, grinning insanely, wearing the black body armor he had worn the day of Terrias' fall. In his hands, he held the two swords, caked in blood, and he laughed. His laughter echoing and layered, "How does it feel?" the apparition asked him.

"It _hurts!_"

"Good," and the apparition laughed again, "You think you might have escaped me? My friend, you are dying!"

"_No!_"

"YES!"

"My _stomach...oh God!_"

"Terrias! What's wrong!?" Alex cried frantically.

"_It...hurts..."_

"Get his coat off!" Nurse Joy replied sternly.

Alex did, and everyone gasped when they saw the blood seeping through his bandages. "_CRASH!_" Alex exclaimed.

The bandicoot was immediately to his side.

"His wounds have opened up, get them stitched again!"

"Yes sir!"

"_NO!_" Nurse Joy yelled, throwing Crash back. She then pulled the struggling Alex away from the fallen servine.

"What the _hell _are you doing!"

"This Pokemon needs to get to the emergency room!"

"You can't do that!"

"Yes I can! His health is at stake, and I will take whatever legal issues you press to get him to safety."

"You don't understand!"

"Oh, I understand very well! You, sir, are a sick, sick man. I should have you arrested for abuse!"

"_Abuse?_ I did nothing of the sort!"

"Then why is he in this shape? Why haven't you taken him into the hospital?"

"Because this..._this_," and he pointed at the doubled over servine, "Is entirely new! We didn't know!"

"Oh, sure!"

"I mean, the bandages, yes. But he's a soldier! He was injured in battle!"

"I don't believe you!"

"_WHAT!? _Why?"

"Let me see your certification."

"Certification? _What _certification!"

"The ones allowing you to have a Pokemon as a soldier."

"I was never informed!"

Suddenly, Officer Jenny appeared behind Alex, saying, "The law in these parts, sir, is that any Pokemon used for active service in the military must have certification explaining that the respective fines have been paid, and that a doctor has cleared them for that kind of work."

"I just adopted him from an abusive owner, we're not _from _the regions!"

"Then where are you from?"

"The United States of America."

"And what is an American doing here, in Unova?"

"Participating in a contest! Even soldiers like to get away from the battleground every once in awhile! Especially when every days is a fucking _fight to survive_!"

"Why didn't you inform any authorities about the abuse?"

"Because I had acquired him shortly before I found out."

"How could you have gotten him _before _you found out?"

"The scars for one!"

"These aren't battle scars?"

"Hell no! He hasn't seen much combat, and what he's seen, he hasn't really been on the front lines! He's my protege, and a rookie, he won't be cleared for front lines work until he completes his training!"

"You should have told somebody if you suspected something!"

"I didn't even _know _the bastard! He just came, drunk, to a concert one day, then tried to get into a fight, sending out this servine, and he, still a snivy then, sped to me. I had not met him prior!"

"How did you find out?"

"I told him!" Terrias said, gasping for breath as he struggled not to vomit. "He's my CO! My commanding officer!"

"You can _talk_!?"

"You're damn right I can talk!"

"Why didn't _you _tell anyone?"

"Because I couldn't! The night after I ran away, I was feeling foolish and I went exploring...accidentally mutated myself."

Nurse Joy then turned her fury back onto Alex, "And you left dangerous materials where he could _get _to them!?"

"I was not expecting to get him! And by the time I got home, I literally collapsed in bed and passed out instantly!"

"You are violating so many laws, it's not even funny," Officer Jenny said, "Without a doubt, you are under arrest for multiple violations including abuse, accessory to abuse, failure to report abuse, missing certification, Pokemon endangerment, and illegal bloodsports, sir. Please come with me."

"No!"

"Now, we can either do this the easy way, or the hard way."

"No!"

Officer Jenny then rushed forward, restraining the Commander. He twisted and struggled, managing to break free from her grasp as he ran like hell through the arena, trying to leave. Security blocked the doors, catching the struggling and resisting commander as Officer Jenny threw him up against the wall, handcuffing him.

"STOP!" Terrias roared.

The crowd silenced, and the security stopped. Alex was still held tightly, and he was gasping for breath. Terrias was face down, using his arms to keep his torso lifted, "He...didn't...do...anything!" the servine gasped.

"His abuse has brainwashed you, friend, he will not hurt you anymore..."

"_NO!_" Terrias roared again, "Alex did _NOTHING!_ I _WAS _from an abusive home, but he managed to stay under the radar...what Alex said about acquiring me is the truth!"

"Where is your owner now?"

"Dead!"

"Dead? How?"

"I...I killed him!"

"You?"

"Yes!"

"How?"

"I sniped him...in the head! He...he was about to kill my mate! He...he was holding her hostage!"

"Your..._mate!?_"

"Yes!"

As if on cue, they heard Aria's voice call out from the sea of people, "_TERRIAS!_" and the female servine sped up to her mate's side. "Terrias!" she said, nearing a panic attack, "What's wrong? What happened? Are you hurt?"

He winced as the stomachache passed, and he slowly stood on jellied legs. As he began to fall to the side, Aria was immediately at his side, and he fell against her, using her for support.

"You need to see a doctor, Terrias."

"No!" the servine hissed, "I'm fine...I'm just fine..."

"You are going..."

"Try, and I will slit your throat, Commander. I _promise!_"

Although the Commander wanted to reason with him, the fire and hatred in the servine's eyes told Alex that he wasn't kidding.

"Now," Terrias roared, "You, Blue, let him go."

Stunned, Officer Jenny quickly removed the handcuffs, but the bouncers still held the Commander tightly.

"Let him go," Terrias hissed again. In a swift movement, he revealed a hidden blade from inside his coat, holding it out, prepared to attack, "I said, _let him GO_!"

Hesitantly, the guards did, and Terrias stumbled to Alex's side. Instinctively, Alex caught the servine as he fell again, and Aria appeared to his other side. Terrias wrapped his arms around Alex and Aria, using them for support.

"I still can't let you leave without having you checked out first," Officer Jenny replied, "Nurse Joy can give you a quick examination..."

"No...I'm fine," he winced as another wave of cramps tore through him, these were brief however, and he hid his pain.

Officer Jenny seemed doubtful, but she soon realized that there was no fighting a Pokemon, especially one who was mutated and ten times as strong as she, while incapacitated. As Alpha Company began to return to the audience, Officer Jenny said, "Before you go, we should probably fill out the proper paperwork to ensure that you don't run into anymore legal issues..."

"No," Terrias said, "Leave me alone. This isn't my home, and you aren't my boss."

"But..."

"I take orders from the Commander only, and the only laws I follow belong to North United States."

"What happened, exactly?"

"What?"

"Why are you in such bad shape? If you've been out of your abusive home for awhile, you shouldn't still be so hurt..."

"The life of a soldier..." Terrias wince, "Is never easy."

"Tell me."

"I'll show you."

"What?"

Suddenly, Terrias began to glow pink, and in a flash of white light, the audience, judges, security, and Alpha Company themselves were sent into a sepia-tinted replica of New York Harbor. They appeared to be standing behind Jazz, watching as he held up a Colt .45 revolver to the back of a bound Terrias' head. The servine stood, his back to the rabbit, head lowered as he stared into the water. Everyone winced, save Alpha Company, and Officer Jenny as Jazz pulled the trigger, and in a loud crack, the servine's head shot back in a cloud of maroon blood, and he fell forward into the water. Alex, bloodied, bruised, and beaten, was then forced to stand, and he stumbled as Jazz stood before him. With a nod and a wave of his pistol, four _Maxian _Special Forces soldiers moved in, binding the Commander.

Alex punched one of them, knocking them out, but he was punched back, and once the bindings were on, the _Maxian _soldiers nodded, confirming their completion, and stepped back in the crowd. Jazz walked forward, and with a few exchanged words, pulled the trigger. Alex's head shot back, as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and blood dripped from a hole in his forehead. He fell backwards, and into the water.

Terrias then glowed pink again, and the horrified witnesses were sent to the rooftop of the skyscraper, where Terrias had been slashed and stabbed before being punched off of the building. After several more miscellaneous memories of his cruel owner, and his youth, the world returned to the assembly hall, and the servine, appearing exhausted, collapsed. Alex and Aria helped him up, and they left the stage. While Crash ministered to Terrias' freshly-opened injuries, sewing them shut again, Alpha Company watched the rest of the contest from just off stage right.

When the lineup for the second round appeared, Terrias was both relieved and saddened to see that he had not made it. Not only had he been injured, and had had a bad spout on stage, but now everyone was aware that he and Alex had cheated, and they had been disqualified.

"Oh well," Alex said, sensing Terrias' disappointment, "There's always next year."

Here the servine laughed, and Alex smiled at his success in cheering his friend up.

Night fell all too soon, and Ash and his friends took Alpha Company out to supper. Under the brilliant starlight, Cilan cooked a wonderful meal for them, and Alex said, "This is pretty damn good, Cilan!"

"Thanks," the gym leader replied nervously, nervously scratching the back of his head, "I'm glad you guys enjoyed it!"

"So," Terrias began, "Where are we vacationing next?"

Alex shrugged, "I don't know, haven't thought that far. Remember, I never know when we'll be deployed. It's not wise to make prior plans when you are a soldier, especially one in an active war. The _Maxia_ could surface at any day, and if the other companies decide that they can't handle it, Alpha Company will have to be deployed.

"That's ridiculous."

"Hey, just be glad that you aren't in Omega Company, or, hell, even Delta or Epsilon Company, they are usually the first ones sent out. If things get terribly bad, and none of the other companies can handle it, they'll usually send out Alpha, Beta, and Gamma companies at once."

"Why?"

"Well, Alpha Company is strong and powerful, Beta Company is our Dragonrider Division, and Gamma Company are usually the higher ranking or more experienced soldiers. If you fail to qualify for Alpha Company, you usually are placed in Gamma Company. Because those three companies are the best of the best, they don't really send them out unless they have to. No sense in wasting good soldiers if the job is easy enough that the cannon-fodder can take care of it."

"That's...that's classy," Cynder said with a smile, "Refer to your fellow comrades as cannon-fodder."

"Well...it's true!"

"Still, can't you think of something less demeaning than 'cannon-fodder'?"

"I'll get back to you on that, Cynder."

"So, I take it then that you got nothing?"

"Precisely."

"Wow..."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing..."

"So, you guys don't know what you are gonna do?" Ash said.

"Nope, not at all, anything bigger going on here in Unova?"

"Not really, and besides, I'd stay away from the region for awhile if I were you."

"Why?"

"Well, you saw how Officer Jenny was. Unfortunately, there are a few standing laws prohibiting certain things with Pokemon, and you are in violation of several of them."

"That's...that's just fantastic."

"At least Terrias can speak. If he couldn't you would be locked up tight in a jail cell somewhere."

"Yeah, and I can't really lead an army from behind steel bars."

"Bah!" Piermont said, "You're a mutant! You could break out if you really wanted to!"

"Yeah...but I'm not terribly fond of the idea of putting myself or my army on one of our allies' bad side, especially if we're in the middle of a goddamn war, and we're losing allies every damn day. Allies are just so hard to come by these days..."

"He's got a point," Cynder said.

"Just claim diplomatic immunity!"

"Perhaps if they weren't allies, I would. But the fact that they are...I'm not gonna risk losing them."

"So...where are you going to go from here?" Ash asked.

"Probably back to our little slice of paradise...or hell...same damn thing anymore."

"You're returning to New Alexandria?"

"Yes, we might come back someday if we get the chance."

"What if the _Maxia_ don't attack?"

"Then we'll find somewhere else to go, or something else to do to entertain ourselves. Or we can just find work in New Alexandria. There is always _something_ going on. I mean, it's not only the Terminator capital, it is also an important center for refugees whose homes were claimed by the war. So there is always construction going on, whether it's building homes or schools or whatever."

"So why do you come to conferences and Pokemon contests if there is so much work to do in your home town?"

"Because, frankly, I do enough damn work on the front lines. Us soldiers...we've earned our living. Let's leave the construction to the refugees so they can pay for their _free _housing, utilities, and food. Sometimes, I think the refugees are actually better off than the citizens themselves, fancier houses and all that shit, _but_, you didn't hear it from me."

"Can we live in New Alexandria?"

"Sure, if Kanto is ever attacked and Pallet Town wasted, call me, and I'll prepare a nice, comfy home for you and your family."

"So, are you heading back tonight?"

"Yep, as soon as we're all finished eating."

"I hope the _Maxia_ don't attack anytime soon..."

"Even if they don't, we probably won't return to Unova any time soon. Like you said, it's probably best to stay away, especially since we're on thin ice with the local law enforcement. Apparently, even VIPs don't get special treatment."

"Are you kidding? Even Alder, the Champion of the region, is forced to abide by the rules, else he has Officer Jenny and the rest of the law enforcement chasing him across the region, wanting to imprison him for whatever crimes he does. Usually, if he _does _get in trouble with the law, it's for loitering or 'sexual harassment'."

"Unova's police department are ruthless and merciless, got it."

"It's not that they're merciless...it's just..."

Terrias interrupted, "They don't take shit from nobody, regardless of rank."

"Well..." Alex said, checking his phone, "It's getting late, it's probably time we head back home."

"Aw..."

"Sorry Ash, guys, unfortunately, we need to be close by in case we're needed."

"Yeah...that makes sense."

"Well, c'mon, Pierre."

In a flash of brilliant light, Piermont was once more in his dragon form, and Alex, putting on his Daedric helmet, mounted his beast. "See you guys later."

"Bye, Alex!"

"Farewell, _bon voyage_, _adios_, I bid you ado, whatever other random shit there is for goodbye."

With a loud roar, Piermont spread his wings, and with an incredible back wind, shot into the air, heading towards the fat moon, rising slowly in the east.


	6. Chapter V: The Pokemon Master

_**Chapter V**_**:**

**-''The Pokemon Master''-**

**-Connorsville, Illinois-**

**-_13 June 2012_-**

**-_0918 Hours_-**

The sun rose swiftly over the horizon, and the Commander awoke, heading outside into the living room where Alpha Company gathered. Spike and Terrias were engaged in an epic firefight match on _Halo: Reach_, while the others either watched or chatted amongst themselves.

"About time you woke up," Piermont said, smiling mischievously at the Commander, "You are late."

"It's only quarter after nine in the morning."

"Yeah, we've been up since five. You are _late_ my friend!"

Alex replied by flipping Piermont off, and grabbing a bowl of cereal, the Commander collapsed on the couch between Spyro and Piermont, watching the match go on.

"So..." Spyro said, "We going anywhere special today?"

"Well...we've got nothing going on...anything in mind?"

Spyro smiled widely.

"What?"

"Disney World."

"Shit!" Piermont laughed, "Oh hell yeah, Purple Boy! About time you start thinking smart!"

"Thanks, Pierre...I really appreciate that," and the dragon blushed.

"Don't you even start to get soft with me, Boy, I can still kick your fuckin' ass in everything and everything."

"You mean _anything_ and everything?"

"Fuck you!"

"Disney World sounds fine to me," Alex said, "It'd be funny to watch their reactions when forty something armed soldiers decides to walk into the theme park for a little...R&R."

"Everybody knows I'm a huge fan of scaring the living shit out of some poor sap," Piermont replied with a laugh, "Ah hell, this is gonna be too much fun! And the fun ain't all in the theme park. If I just wanted that, I'd go to Alex's damn theme park out on Teardrop Isle."

"True..."

"Yeah," Spyro began, "Why _haven't _we gone to your theme park? It's free for us, unlike Disney World."

"I'm bored with that park, Disney World would be something new, something fun, a true blue adventure," Alex replied, shrugging.

"O...kay?" Spyro said, confused.

"Yeah, I've never been there."

"Huh? Really, Terrias?"

"Yeah...we haven't gone there since I joined..."

"Shit! We need to take you then sometime, it's a blast! But like Alex said, when you've been there so many times, it kinda gets old."

"Well, party on Garth!" Piermont laughed, "When we headin' out, Commander?"

"As soon as I get dressed and ready for the day."

"C'mon, you're wearing clothes!"

"Yeah, an undershirt and boxers, ain't much for clothes."

"You've fought battles in your damn underwear!"

"Yeah, and it ain't very fun."

"Why? Afraid the enemy would see your foot-long morning wood?" the dragon laughed before, in a high-pitched voice, he sang, "12 inches of _looove_."

"Shut up, Pierre."

"Nah, it _does _get a little breezy down there..." Spyro said, and this caused Alpha Company, even Alex and Piermont, to laugh.

Piermont and the others of the Commander's wind of dragonriders emerged several miles away from the theme park. Almost immediately after the blue wormholes the dragons had traveled through closed with an electrical zap, several more of the wormholes appeared on the gridlocked streets, causing panic from the civilians as the ground-based members of the Terminator Militia's mutant division shot out, speeding as they followed the dragons, flying in 'V' position with the Commander at the head, Spyro and Cynder to either side of him, Terrias and Aria behind them, Crash behind Terrias, and Rapid behind Aria. Directly behind Alex flew Sarah on Cherub.

"Awesome!" Piermont roared in excitement, "Been looking forward to this for some time now!"

"You're sure excitable," Alex stated, affectionately scratching above Piermont's right eye, where the dragon liked most.

Piermont, purring in content, replied, "I love scaring the shit out of people."

"Oh," Alex chuckled, "I'm sure we're gonna scare a number of people. We've been down this way before, but usually during the high point of a particular battle, by then, the city is evacuated. Right now, there are no conflicts going on, save for a few little...arguments...on the front lines of the _Fiernes Curtain_, and this deep in the south, we're hundreds of miles away from the _Curtain. _The city is currently at peace, which means that the civilians are out and about, it is also late in the summer, and a nice day out. Most people are out trying to make the most out of their dwindling days of vacation.

Piermont chuckled, "Oh, this is gonna be _fun_!"

"Settle down, Pierre, before you give yourself..."

"Yeah, yeah, heard it all before, 'settle down before I give myself a heart attack'. Thanks for the millionth reminder, Alex."

"Yep."

Piermont, shaking his head, sighed as he reduced altitude, flapping his wings backward as he slowed down, landing in the middle of the streets, further increasing gridlock. A car swerved by, locking its brakes as the horn continuously wailed. The irritated driver climbed out, screaming, "Hey! Fuckers! _GET OFF THE DAMN STREET_!"

With a loud growl, Cheet leaped into the air, flying over the man's shoulders and hitting the ground right in front of him, sliding to a stop. The man cried out in terror, falling backwards and landing on his ass. The cheetah and him held a staring standoff for a few minutes before the man frantically patted away from the cheetah, leaning against his car and pulling himself back into the vehicle, closing and locking the doors, and rolling up the windows.

Cheet smiled in sadistic pleasure, and, turning his head to the sky, growled as loud as he call, setting off several nearby car alarms in the process. "Oh, how I love torturing the locals," the cheetah said with a laugh, "It never gets old."

Even from his raised position, Alex could see a youthful light in the cheetah's eyes, one that he hadn't seen since the big cat was little more than a cub, so many years ago. From the sea of cars, horns blaring as the locale lost their fear, the remainder of the ground-based crew, with Colonels Simba and Nala leading the pack, shot into the air, landing with similar slides into the large, open circle in the center of the street that Piermont had so conveniently created. All of them, even Simba, were gasping for breath, and Alex decided to bide his time, further angering the civilians, whose irritated reactions he loved to see, and allow his comrades to rest for a few minutes before they continued onto the final run to their destination.

Someone from among the sea of cars screamed and swore at Alpha Company, but Alex, relaxing on the sleeping Piermont's back, replied in a sing-song voice that, although his normal speaking volume, could still mysteriously be heard over the blaring horns and yelling voices, all the way to the back of the massive crowd, said, "Oh, c'mon now! You have all day. Me and my friends will rest here for a few minutes...maybe an hour or so, and then we'll be on our way."

Several of the vehicles abruptly U-turned as they headed back, searching for an alternate route to their destinations, the rest of the vehicles, most of them probably consisting of tourists, stayed in place, weighing down on their horns and screaming at the sudden road blockage.

"Ah...their screams of anger and fury warm my heart ," the dragon said, smiling in joy, eyes still closed.

"They warm other places, too..." Cynder said with a sly smile, and Alex and Spyro both exchanged secret grins.

Piermont, however, raised one eyelid, sending the she-dragon a disturbed, confused, glare.

"Oh! Give it a rest, Pierre, I've heard much worse comments come out of your trap."

"Yes, but traffic violations don't make me horny."

"Eh...different strokes for different folks I guess."

"Yeah...sure? Oh well, I'm sure Spearow is happy, and I _know_ that Alex is happy. You gave him a mega-boner."

Alex abruptly elbowed Piermont's shoulder blade, and the dragon let out a brief exclamation of pain before turning an angry glance at his rider. Alex shrugged innocently and settled between Piermont's neck spines, replacing his helmet as he curled up and feigned taking a nap.

"Oh, I don't mind," Cynder replied, "But I'll have to take care of the both of them later..."

Alex turned his helmeted head just a little bit towards Cynder, most likely giving her a bemused glance. Spyro did the same, but the dragoness just raised her chin to the sky, giving them an arrogant, superior smile. Alex and Spyro exchanged glances, and both grinned.

"The hell? You mean a threesome?"

"_M__é__nage __à__ trois_,and yes."

"Giggity," Cheet began.

"Giggity giggity," Sonic replied with a nod.

"Giggity giggity, giggity goo..."

"...All right!"

"Wow, Lietuenant," Sonic began, glancing at the cheetah, "We had ourselves a Quagmire moment, no?"

"Aye, that we did, Cap'n my captain, that we did."

Sonic laughed, wiping his eyes, "Oh shit, we have too much fun here."

"Nonsense!" Cheet grinned, "There is no such thing as 'too much fun'."

"I beg to differ," Crash said.

"Bah! Fuck you, Bandicoot," Cheet replied, smiling widely, "You're just a fuckin' killjoy."

"I prefer 'realist'."

"And yet you do not question your existence."

"What?"

"You heard me."

In a cheap Australian accent, Alex said, "Right! Now, the talking Eastern Barred Bandicoot is a rarity in this part of the world. A rarity indeed! Ain't she a beaut!"

Alex boxed his fingers together, as if seeing through an imaginary camera and at the Bandicoot, and Crash, arms crossed gave him an annoyed look.

"Just look at 'em speak, how his clueless gaze seems to look deep into your very soul. Crikey, mate!"

Crash closed his eyes, and Alex cried out in alarm as he went flying off of Piermont's back. Once he hit the ground, with a loud exclamation of "_Wah! Oof!_", the Bandicoot opened his eyes, giving Alex a humored look.

The Commander picked himself up, brushing off his armor, and he glared at his medic, "The hell was _that_ for!"

"What?" Crash asked innocently, "I didn't do anything, I didn't touch you, was nowhere _near _you."

Balling his fists, Alex walked towards Crash, "You know damn well what you did."

Unfazed, Crash just waved it off and said, "I did nothing. Did anyone else here see me touch him?"

A stream of "no"s erupted from Alpha Company, and Crash turned his question to the annoyed traffic, "Anyone? Anyone at all see me touch him?"

Sonic closed his eyes and rubbed them with his hands, "Oi...Crash, the hell is wrong with you, mate," he said, shaking his lowered head, "One of these days Alex is gonna come kick your ass."

"Shut up, Sonic."

"You first, asshole."

Alex stepped forward again, but Terrias intervened, grabbing Alex by the shoulders and pulling him back.

Spyro stepped between them, and Cynder pressed her side against Alex, further restricting his movement, "At ease, Commander," Terrias said, "No need to start something."

"Me? Start something? Methinks that douche right there would start something first."

"We know very well he threw you off," Cynder said, "Just...play along, it's all in good humor."

"Hurt like a motherfucker..."

"You're a big and strong man, you can take it."

"I seek vengeance."

"Yeah, well, if you seek a little...release tonight...I suggest you turn your thoughts away from getting revenge."

This silenced Alex, as she knew it would, and she grinned as she whispered to Spyro, "I love having people by the balls."

"Fucking dominatrix," Spyro said, but he was grinning.

"Ah...but it is so fun."

"You definitely know how to maintain control in a relationship."

"Of course, men want pussy, so if you wield the pussy...well...you control the man's life."

"Ain't that the truth."

"Hell yeah it is."

"So..." and Spyro pulled her away from the others as he whispered, concern on his face, "You really hanging with Alex tonight?"

She smiled mischievously, "Oh yes. I never break a promise..."

"But what about..."

She placed a claw to his muzzle, shushing him, "I have plans for you, too."

"Wait...so we really are having a..."

She nodded, and Spyro could see her mischievous demeanor collapse as she blushed, sheepishly shying away from him.

"Well, this will be interesting."

She blushed like a schoolgirl, struggling to rebuild the facade, but it had collapsed completely, and all she could do was shrug and say, "I've never had two males at once...I'm curious."

"This will be quite awkward for the both of us...you know that, right?"

"Yeah, but I doubt it's nothing new to you. Need I remind you of your experience with Observer?"

"Uh..." Spyro laughed nervously, talking quickly, "I...uh...no. No. That will be fine, thanks. So...uh...what time?"

"Once everyone else is in bed."

"Right...yeah...Right. Right."

"Hey, gotta forgive a girl for being curious every once in awhile."

"Oi...we'll be crossing swords and shit...not really looking forward to this."

"Remember my comment about 'having someone by the balls'."

"Yeah..." Spyro's demeanor suddenly sank as he realized what she was getting at.

"Well, I have you by the balls as well. And, if you chicken out...I think you will find our nightly excursions cease to exist."

"Oh _fuck!_"

"'Fuck' is right. So, if you want to continue to have fun, you will do this one little thing for me."

"One little thing...has he given you your freaking watersports treatment yet?"

"Yep."

"I'm glad he did and I didn't."

"Yeah...but don't tell _him _that."

"What...you told him that _I _did that, too?"

"I told him you liked it."

"_What!?_ Why in the hell would you do _that_?"

"I was too embarrassed to approach him directly on my..."

"Fetish?"

"Yeah..."

"Oi, Cynder...sometimes I wonder if you go too far."

"I only go as far as you do, love."

"Yeah, yeah," and he playfully punched her shoulder, "You're lucky I love you."

"Yes sir, I am so lucky..." and she kissed him, giving him tongue. Then, Spyro abruptly turned away as he realized that he was starting to fall out, apparently her public display of affection had succeeded in arousing him. For a brief moment, he wandered what the crowd would think if he and Cynder took part in some...exhibitionism.

"HEY! GET A ROOM YOU TWO!" came a comment from the ocean of cars.

"KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS, QUEERS!" another voice said, in a painfully effeminate male voice.

"Yeah...talk about your hypocrisy...queers..." and Spyro shuddered. Once his arousal and erection diminished, he turned back to face Cynder.

"Aw! They just want love to."

And Spyro gave his mate a double take, "Da _fuck_? Something you ain't telling me, girl? I mean, I know you and Ember have experimented with each other...but...are you bi?"

"Maybe...I kinda liked it actually," and she blushed again, shying away before she regained her composure and said, "Which reminds me, I gave you both me and Ember at the same time, the _least _you can do is repay the favor by giving me you and Alex, both at the same time."

"Oh God...this will NOT be fun."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy it," Cynder said, "It will only be awkward for awhile, just, make sure you aim for the proper hole."

"Oh my God!" and Spyro gagged.

Cynder grinned and playfully punched her mate, kissing his cheek, "You'll have fun. In the heat of the moment, you won't care, I'm positive."

"How?"

"I was kind of hesitant the first time I...was with Ember. We both were, I mean, we had been wanting to try it for awhile...but when we finally got to the point where we revealed ourselves to each other...it was awkward to say the least...even more so when we actually _started _partaking in sexual acts. Then, the closer we got to orgasm, the more comfortable we got, and by the time we both peaked, it was...amazing...we could care less that we had done that with each other. In the time building up to the point where we actually came, we lived out every single one of our fetishes, and enjoyed it. No offense, but it was almost better than being with a male, I was more comfortable living out my fetishes with her."

Despite her urgings, Spyro still seemed upset, and she explained herself.

"You see, if I were to live them out with you...and you didn't like them, or thought them disgusting, or whatever...I didn't want to risk losing you...if she was deeply disturbed by what _I _like, and she thought I was too strange or disgusting to be with, and she left me, or wanted to never do that again, well, I was fine with that, because I don't love her, I love you, I don't want to spend the rest of my life with her, I want to spend it with you. If she is offended and never wants to be with me again because of my...interests...then that's fine, however, if _you _were offended, and never wanted to be with me because of my interests...it would be like the end of the world for me."

"Cynder..." and she looked up, she was near tears, and she could see that he was deeply concerned for her. He walked up to her, hugging her, and said, "Cynder...you can't disgust me," and he smiled, "I don't really care _what _you like to be honest. I'll do anything you want, regardless, because it's what _you _enjoy. You don't need to play it safe with me, I will still love you and want to be with you regardless. Now, if I find it...unpleasant...then I will probably tell you and ask that we refrain from doing that again, but I still won't turn you away because of some fetish. Y'know, what makes you tic, makes you tic, same with me, and I'm glad that you let me live out my fetishes with you. But I will never, ever, _ever _turn you away for something so trivial. Understand? I chose you as my mate because I loved you, not because the sex was good...and it is don't get me wrong...but I will love you, regardless. Okay? I love you."

She smiled in joy, and relief, "I love you, too..." and they hugged again.

"However," and Spyro grinned, "Don't expect me to participate in watersports with you, I _still _refuse to do that."

"C'mon!" Cynder playfully whined, "Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's disgusting!"

"But _I _love it!"

"Yeah, doesn't mean I have to. That's why you have Alex, to fulfill whatever dirty deeds you desire that I don't want to do."

"Ouch."

"_Crunch!_"

"Trust me though," Cynder said, "In the heat of the moment, you won't care! Besides, we'll be in the shower, so it'll rinse off anyways..."

"No...and I'll still have the taste in my mouth. Anyways, I'll have a hard time _getting _to the 'moment' when I'm either being pissed on or drinking yours."

"But you will."

"Possibly, but when I'm not there, it's quite a turn off, even if it IS a turn on when we actually _get _there."

"Okay, so then, what if I just built you up to the 'moment' then did it?"

"...Maybe," Spyro said after a few moments of silence, "But don't get your hopes up."

"Will you try at least?"

Spyro pretended to ponder the thought, then said, "Okay, I will."

"Really!?"

"Yep."

"Awesome! Thanks!"

"No problem...BUT NOT TONIGHT."

"I know," and Cynder grinned, "Tonight you have to stomach being with Alex."

"Yeah...another turn off. I frankly don't want another guy's dong in my face while I'm trying to pleasure my mate. ESPECIALLY if the dong belongs to one of my best friends, my commanding officer, and, for the love of God, someone I was forced to suck off at gunpoint."

Cynder chuckled, "Ah, you'll get used to it."

"I sincerely doubt that."

"You'll enjoy it."

"I doubt that too, but, whatever. We'll see what happens. For all I know, I might enjoy that after all!"

Then, after a few moments...

"On second thought, that sounded more gay than I intended..."

And Cynder laughed hard, "Oi, Spyro, I love you, my little purple faggot."

"Not cool, girl, not cool," but he kissed her anyway.

"If you two are done with the hanky-panky shit, let's get going," Alex called from the other side of the street, he had once more mounted Piermont, and the ground crew looked rested and ready to go.

"We're done," Spyro said, smiling at his mate.

"Good," then, "Onward!"

With a loud roar from Piermont, the duo leaped into the sky, circling as the rest of the dragons rose to the sky, joining the wing and reforming the 'V'. As they began to take off, the ground crew immediately broke into a sprint, giving their flying companions chase, and allowing the overjoyed civilians to clear out the traffic jam.

They arrived at the theme park a few minutes later. With a series of pats from the Commander, Piermont rose higher into the sky and into the cloud cover. Sending hand signals to the remainder of his wing, the others followed suit, and they maintained their formation. _The hell are we doing? _Spyro asked Alex telepathically, _Shouldn't we be going the other way_?

_No_, Alex thought.

_Why the hell not_?

_Toll road_.

_Point is?_

_Could be _Maxian _run._

_So what do we do?_

_Take the back door in, if the _Maxia _decide to crash our party, we can easily escape_.

_I really hope this war ends soon...living in fear makes life not worth living._

_I know, I hope so, too. Until then, Commander Spyro, all we can do is just keep living the way we are. It'll all be over soon, and we can freely travel without fear of conflict...and we can finally tear down that damned wall of fire._

Both looked to the north, where the glow of the wall hundreds of miles away pierced the cloud cover.

_Can't believe we can still see it..._ Spyro said, his mental voice heavy with disbelief.

_I know...but at the same time, I'm not surprised._

_The hell are we doing, Alex? Fighting this war, I mean..._

_Surviving. The same as we have been doing since the dawn of the war._

_But why? We have never done anything wrong to anybody, all we've done is defend America. Now look at us, look where we are!_ he sighed, _We should be heroes._

_But we aren't anymore, we're fugitives, and so, if we intend to ride out this storm, we will do what we have been doing since '08, just sit back, and wait for the end to come. We will see peace again._

_When?_

_Soon, my friend, very soon._

_But you don't even know if what you preach is true, that's the _real _truth isn't it?_

He didn't reply, but his mental aura had adopted a grim feel, lying via telepathy was incredibly difficult, at the same time as he told his lie, he involuntarily felt guilty about lying, and they could sense his guilt, a dead giveaway.

_You are right_, Alex said at last, _But regardless, we _don't _know when the war will end. For all we know, it could end tomorrow._

_Yes, but what if it doesn't end for, say, ten years? Or twenty years? What if we are constantly at war for the rest of our lives?_

_It's possible, _Alex admitted, _But highly unlikely._

_What do you suggest we do then? _Spyro asked.

Alex could sense the unhappiness and sadness in the dragon's mental voice. He turned back to face Spyro, who looked as if he was near tears. Feeling sorry for the dragon, Alex turned back to the world before him, and said, _We do what we're doing_.

Spyro sighed, but nodded, _Okay, you are always right I suppose..._

_Don't worry, Spy, things _will _get better, that I promise you. You can shoot me if I'm wrong._

His voice strengthening, Spyro said, _Okay, I believe you_, and he physically nodded in confirmation.

_I promise._

_Thank you._

_For what?_

_For everything. You are my best friend, Alex._

_As are you mine, Spyro._

Suddenly the voice of Piermont overwhelmed Spyro's, effectively kicking the purple dragon out, _What now, Alex? I'm pretty damn sure we're far over the toll road._

_Start landing._

_Yes, sir._

_Don't roar, remain quiet, and land somewhere isolated so we can transform._

_What should I tell the others?_

_Same thing. I was thinking about having a little fun, bringing terror to these people...now it probably ain't the smartest idea._

_Yeah...they're gonna go invisible and slip through the gates, we can land and regroup in a dark, empty area of the park. We won't get caught that way._

_Good. We have a game plan than._

_I'll relay our plan to everyone else._

_Aye._

Swiftly, Alex felt himself and Piermont grow invisible, looking back, he could just barely make out the outlines of the rest of his wing of riders. As they sank below the cloud cover, the ground crew were also little more than faint outlines, visible only to Alpha Company. Almost immediately, the line of people waiting for entry broke apart, leaving space for Alpha Company, without the crowd consciously knowing that they were leaving open space. On some subliminal level, they could sense the presence of the soldiers, even if they themselves weren't consciously aware that there was something there.

Upon closer examination, Alex could tell that the toll booth was not operated by _Maxian_ soldiers, but they were guards nevertheless, and depending on how they leaned, they might inform the _Maxia _of the militia's presence, which would not be a good thing. Being this far south, and this deep in the ragged southern US, Alex would not doubt that governmental officials were on the side of the _Maxia _Regime.

_FUCK, this is killing me... _Piermont thought, his mind open to everyone within Alpha Company, _I wanna scare the piss out of these bastards._

_We can't risk raising an alarm,_ Spyro said, _We're ill-suited to fend off the _Maxia_._

_Not to mention, we're quite far into their territory, _Terrias added, _They won't be as friendly towards us as the officials north of the _Curtain_._

_Welcome to the _Maxia-_Occupied South_, Cynder muttered, _It's not Fallout, but it's pretty damn close._

_One minor difference between Fallout 3 and this world. _Terrias continued.

_You mean, besides the time, characters, nuclear wastes, and every other little detail? _Alex mused.

_Yes..._

_Humor me._

_DC is already destroyed._

_Ha! DC is a flattened pile of rubble and debris, the ruins of the Necropolis. DC hasn't been DC since 2010._

_Not just a flattened pile of rubble, _Spyro began, _DC is a crater now, remember? We blasted it with the Ring?_

_Yeah, I remember. Regardless, Piermont, let's land over behind that closed-down ride, we can regroup with the rest of our unit inside._

_Yes sir. _With a powerful backwind from his pumping wings, Piermont landed on the compacted muddy walkways, aware that he couldn't leave any signs of his presence. While invisible, they were able to pass through the chain link fence and into the dark depths of the broken down ride, already their ground-based crew was inside, in the deepest part of the building.

"'Bout time you guys showed up," Sonic said, emerging into visibility, "Took you bastards long enough."

"Shut up," Spyro said, but he grinned.

Sonic clapped him on the back and they embraced, "Good to see all of you made it here alive. We were wondering where you were at."

"Wait...you knew this place was here?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, we've known for awhile."

"And you didn't tell us?"

"We knew you'd find it, so we didn't bother telling you."

"In English," Kovu interrupted, "We were just trying to fuck with you."

"Yeah, I figured that out," Alex replied, embittered.

"Ease up, man," Sonic said, "We're here for fun, not animosity, save _that _for the _Maxia_."

"As long as they don't decide to pay the park a little visit," Terrias said.

"I doubt it," Spyro replied, "But I've been proven wrong before."

"What would an evil army of government pawns have to do with a park of fun and joy? The _Maxia _hate joy, remember?" Aria said.

"Even evil people like to get reacquainted with their childhoods sometimes," Cynder shrugged.

"Besides," Crash began, "I believe that most of the _Maxia_ are not inherently evil..."

"How do you mean?" Alex asked, sounding as if he was growing irritated.

"Well...I'm sure many of them are just following orders. Remember, the _Maxia_ are composed almost entirely of soldiers in the US military, and, as far as _I'm_ concerned, many of our troops dislike the president and his regime, they just do it because they can't say anything bad about him...else risking imprisonment or some other shit for punishment."

"I never really thought of it that way..." Alex began.

"You have a very good point," Spyro said, "Almost makes me feel bad for a few of them."

"Anyways," Aria replied, "So, what now?"

Night fell upon the world and Alpha Company made sure to move out as soon as they could. By the time the sun had completely fallen over the city, they were immediately up and out of sight of the citizens or the guards at the toll booth. Once they were out of the city and into the suburban areas, they slipped out of invisibility, speeding silently across the empty suburban streets. Suddenly, Alex thought at them, _Let's stop by a gas station, I'm thirsty, anyone else?_

_Sure, why the hell not? _Spyro answered.

_Sounds good to me_, Cheet thought.

_Good then, get ready to transform for a little while, make sure you hide your tattoos, we don't need to alarm the civilians that Terminators are in the area._

Piermont landed again, allowing Alex to disembark. The others in the Commander's wing landed as well, and in several flashes of light, were now human. They used whatever means they could to cover their tattoos, as all of Alpha Company had the Terminator Eagle tattooed on their left shoulders.

Once they had covered as many of their scars as they could, they entered the convenience store, one at a time, so as to keep from arousing suspicion. Big crowds were known for arousing suspicion, especially at a gas station that was nearing closing time. Within the course of a few minutes, the first group of soldiers left the station, starting arguments as to who was next. Piermont soon backed out, not minding a chance to relax and smoke, and Terrias, Spyro, Cynder, Aria, Spike, Cheet, and Keisha soon joined him, leaving the others to decide what to do.

Alex elected to go in, along with Crash, Simba, Nala, Rapid, Rudolph, and Shadow. While he waited for the others, Alex's gaze averted to the television hanging above the counter, and he was amazed to see that it was showing FOX News, especially given the majority of the country's dislike for the Terminator-loyal and conservative news station. His amazement soon evolved into alarm once he saw that the creator of the Pokemon card game the topic of discussion.

"_Scusi_," Alex began.

"What?" the cashier replied, bored.

"Can you turn up the tellie?"

"Don't you have one at home?"

"Yeah, but I just wanna hear this one story, and it'll be off by the time I get home."

"Whatever then," and the cashier turned up the volume, allowing Alex to hear it.

"...The creator of the massively popular Pokemon franchise is said to be searching for challengers. What challenge you may ask? Well, it's been a few weeks since the Platinum Conference in Tokyo, Japan, and the mastermind behind the event is wanting to issue a challenge to any of the competitors who wish to test their strength against what could quite possibly be among the strongest trainers in the world."

"So, no complicated bracket leading up to a championship round?" the co-anchor said.

"Not at all, he is open to any and all challengers..." and then the screen cut to an excerpt from one of Tokyo's new shows where he was issuing his challenge, with subtitles added.

"Hm..." Alex thought, "Any challengers, huh?"

"You gonna go for it?" the cashier asked. "Frankly, I thought it was just a shitty child's game, didn't know that they were even remotely real."

"Yeah," and Alex chuckled, "They're more real than you think."

"Do you have a team?"

"Two."

"Two teams?"

"Yep, pretty badass if you ask me."

"Were you in the Platinum Conference? I know it was quite far away, but there was a shit-ton of trainers there, especially since the Grandmasters were there, and I think the Terminator Militia was funding some of it."

"They weren't."

"Really? I expected they would, especially since their commander is rumored to be obsessed with the game."

"I wouldn't consider the commander 'obsessed'."

"Jesus, you sound like you know the guy."

_More than you realize,_ Alex thought, but he said, "Nah, I'm just going on what I've heard."

"From who? Nobody here likes them, 'round these parts...save for a few splintered groups that are too afraid to mention it."

"How do you feel about them, or the war?"

"I think the war is a load of bullshit, and I frankly don't see why the Terminators are so hated...I mean, I'm sure the president has his reasons...but they've never seemed evil. All they've done really is help us, so them suddenly turning evil seems a little...off...to me, unless they had some kind of secret agenda, but I always thought they were pretty open."

"The war IS bullshit, and the Terminators _aren't _bad guys, but our president somehow dislikes them...I heard because they are strongly right-wing conservatives."

"Starting an entire war, sending innocent lives to premature deaths just to make a political statement? Surely this isn't just some kind of political battle, who is stupid enough to start a war because of opposing political parties?"

"You'd be surprised, and they call us Republicans closed-minded."

"Ah, so you are Republican then? Better be careful, these days, that declaration gives you a death ticket."

"Yeah, nobody is gonna fuck with me any time soon."

"I wouldn't put my hopes up there."

"Really?" and Alex rolled up his sleeve, revealing the eagle to him, "I don't think they will mess with me. Or if they do, well, unless they're armed with special bullets, they won't do much more than aesthetic damage."

The cashier looked shocked, "Y...you are a Terminator? Only Terminators bear the eagle..."

"Not just any Terminator," and Alex brushed away his long hair, revealing his scars, and his stunning blue eyes, "The Alpha Terminator."

"Holy...oh my God. Y...you are the Great Commander himself?"

"That I am."

"I knew the crowd was too big for any _normal _groups. You better be careful, Commander, this is dangerous territory for a Terminator, even if you do have all of the incredible powers you are rumored to have."

"I'm well aware, but it's too late for any serious worries."

"You are knee deep in _Maxian _territory, the hell are you _doing _here? I thought you were in New Alexandria, up way north in Montana?"

"We were, but we like to get around sometimes. You get cabin fever after spending damn near three years locked up in a city, even one as large as our capital."

"Is it really safe? I heard they have a crime rate of 0..."

"Or close to it, not exact, but we know how to keep our citizens in line."

"Well, while the north lives off peace and cooperation, with armed patrols maintaining order, the south here thrives on dictatorship and cruelty. Some areas are under the grip of anarchists, others are constantly abused with strict, imposing curfews and crap."

"We still have those in the north, it's the only surefire way to maintain order and deter criminals. We have curfews, and we have armed guard on every street corner. I know Marshall law is unconstitutional, but frankly, if we hope to maintain tight control over chaos, it is critical we have it."

"Heh, I'd much rather live up north than down here."

"Why?"

"I fear for my life, every damn day. My house has been broken into twice this year, and I've been mugged, or threatened to, at least once in the past six months. It's not safe here, not for me, not for my family."

"What is your name?"

"Eric Allison...why?"

"I'll see about getting you transferred up north."

"I don't have a job up there or anything...I can't move!"

"You'd be surprised what strings can be pulled if you know someone from way up in the ranks."

"You would do that for me?"

"Keep our allies safe, that's our goal."

"Okay...thank you..."

"I'll have my boys get back with you sometime within the next week, if you give me your number."

"Of course, of course, and my address too," he wrote it down on a notepad, tearing and handing the sheet to Alex, who tucked it into his front jacket pocket, "We'll be back for you and your family. Not us, but my army will. We'll get you out of here."

"Thank you..."

Alex nodded, and accompanied by his comrades, they left the store.

"Took you bastards long enough," Piermont said, extinguishing his cigarette, "Burned through two fags while you were in there, the hell were you doing? Beating each other off? I'd expect that shit from you and Spearow, or you and Terrias, but...c'mon."

"Just get your shit done so we can leave."

"Okay, okay, no need to get all butthurt and hostile."

"What _was _that all about?" Rudolph asked.

"We found a sympathizer."

"You're kidding..."

"Not at all."

"What will you do then?"

"Get him back to the north, it's not safe here for Terminator sympathizers, let this country fall into disarray and rot away, but I will not subject loyalists to this shit, it's bad for morale."

The last chunk of Alpha Company returned, and they were immediately off. In several flashes of light, they had all vanished into the dead of the night, heading back to their capital city.

_..."So, the great Sergeant Terrias, now staring into the barrel of a gun. You aren't strong, you are worthless. Look how easily I gained control over your life," the rabbit laughs._

"_In the end, I will be avenged," the servine says, accepting his fate, and sounding tired._

"_You say that with such surety. Did you not just see your precious companions fall? Who is here to avenge you now?"_

"_Alex..."_

"_In a few moments, Alex will find himself beneath the sea, same fate as you. He will have the pleasure of watching you fall first, his precious protege. Prepare to die!"_

"_Go...to...hell..."_

_Jazz grinned sadistically, "I've already been there. Say hi to General 'No-Tongue' for me."_

"_Who?"_

"_How sad, Alex, your best friend, never told you?"_

"_About who?"_

_Jazz chuckled, "Oh, you will find out soon enough."_

"_Wha-ah!" Terrias screams as Jazz grabs his wounded shoulder tightly, forcing him to kneel with his back to the rabbit._

_Terrias squeezes his eyes shut as he is bound tightly, and he is forced to stand. He opens his eyes once he is bound, wanting to stare into his grave, and pray that he goes quickly. Out of the corner of his eye, the servine sees Alex, bloodied, battered, slowly healing his crushed bones. The Commander is conscious, but barely, and he watches, his eyes full of sadness, realizing that there is nothing that can be done to save his protege's life. _I'm sorry_, Terrias thinks, and a single tear drips down his eye._

_He hears the cocking of Jazz's gun, and he can hear the rabbit whisper something inaudible...it sounds like _"this wasn't supposed to be this way," _but the servine knows its impossible, Jazz has no remorse, no soul, he is the eponymous cold-blooded killer._

_He hears the crack of a revolver, and a pain tears through his head, the force of impact sending his head swinging backwards, enough to give him whiplash. He falls forward, stunned, nearly unconscious, and the shock of the cold water suddenly causes him to black out...and then..._

_He's in a beautiful, green field. Brilliant blue, cloudless skies, glowing with the golden sun. _Where am I? _He thinks. _Elysium? No...Heaven...

_Suddenly, in the distance, he sees his mother standing there, a serperior beside her. "Mom?" he screams, "Mom! MOM! You're back! You're back!"_

_He runs toward her, and she stands in place, smiling. She hugs him, "Mom..." he says, "You...you're back..."_

_Then, the serperior speaks to him, in a deep, male voice, "My son...oh how have I longed for this day."_

"_...Dad?" he says, "You...is it really...you?"_

"_Aye," he says, "My son, I am proud of you..."_

"_Dad...Mom..."_

_Suddenly, he feels a powerful presence behind him, and he turns, astounded. A young, deeply-tanned man stands behind him. The man's features are middle-eastern, almost Israeli, and his eyes are so full of innocence despite his age, which seems to be early to mid thirties, he seems to knows not the evils of the world. His dark brown hair drapes down to his shoulders, long and flowing, and he smiles at the servine, "My brother," he says, his voice soft-spoken, but still very powerful. The look in his dark brown eyes...Terrias can't stop staring into them, they looked so much like a hurt child's. The man is in a flowing white robe, and he seemed to...almost be illuminated._

"_Wh...who are you?"_

_He chuckles, a sound so warm and peaceful, instantly bringing peace to the servine's soul, and the servine feels an overwhelming amount of love for the man, not the kind he feels with Aria, but like one he feels with his mother. "You shall find out...but not yet," the mysterious man replies._

"_What?"_

"_This is not your grave."_

"_What? Wait...no...NO! I don't want to go back! I don't want to go back! Please..."_

"_I shall see you again, son," Terrias' father says._

"_I love you," his mother replies, and he reaches out to her, only to awaken..._

_He begins to cough, coughing up water, and he can see Alex kneel over him. "Wake up Terrias!" he says..._

..."Terrias! Wake up, Terrias!"

Terrias shot up, breathing heavily. Aria immediately placed a restraining arm over him. "Are you okay?" she sounded frantic, "You had a nightmare...you were screaming...I was so worried about you."

"I...I'm fine..." he shook his head, "Oi..."

"What were you dreaming about?" Aria said, "I touched you and..."

"You saw into my dream?"

She nodded, "What was that?"

"I...it doesn't matter."

Aria gave him a skeptical look, but she nodded, tightly embracing him. "I will always be here for you."

"I know you will," Terrias said with a smile, "I know you will."

She hugged him, and he kissed her, "I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," she replied, hugging him even tighter.

He laid back down, Aria wrapping her warm body around his. He could feel her rapid heartbeat in his chest, and the feeling was so wonderful, so warm. He pressed tighter against her, and her tail coiled around his. After several minutes, her breathing slowed, surrendering to sleep. He smiled, _My lovely, baby girl..._ he thought _I love you, so much._

He rubbed his head against her neck, listening to her pulse, and he drifted off, wondering about the identity of the mysterious man. The rest of his sleep that night was dreamless.

Alex's eyes opened. He blinked the sleep away, realizing the need to relieve himself. He sat out of bed, abruptly turning to see Cynder beside him, and Spyro on the opposite side. He then grimaced as he remember what had so recently occurred. Sure enough, it was awkward, but once they had gotten into it, it didn't much matter anymore. Still, nobody knew of this, and Alex intended for it to remain that way. He cautiously crawled out of bed, slipping into the bathroom to relieve himself before sneaking across the suite and to the open door to his room. Piermont was in the heart of the room, still asleep, and it seemed that the dragon had only shifted positions in his slumber, meaning that the Commander's experience with the two smaller dragons went unnoticed. He breathed a sigh of relief, and climbed into bed, shuddering at the coldness of his sheets.

Piermont muttered something in his dream world, but said little else, and Alex only shrugged it off, sinking to sleep almost instantly where he once more, for the third time, dreamed of the mysterious girl.

"Everything will be fine, Commander," Scouts-Many-Marshes, one of the Argonian males that Alex had rescued in Skyrim, and one of his bodyguards, going by the codename of "Ghost" replied, fitting on his full suit of black-painted, steel armor.

"Regardless," Alex said, "It will be strange, I'm so used to being with the rest of my companions."

"Oh well," Ghost said.

"You don't remember being alone?" Shahvee, the Argonian female that Alex had rescued, and going by the codename of "Banshee", added.

The other male Argonian, codename "Phantom", and the two Khajiit, male with the codename "Hunter", female with the codename "Scavenger", said nothing, unmoving in their armor. The _Nighthawks_ were specialized troops, clad in black Skyforge steel armor, and were of few words. They were eternally grateful for Alex's purchasing and liberation of them, as they were slaves. Since then, he paid them well to be his personal bodyguards, and traveled nowhere without them. They rarely showed themselves when Alpha Company went public, usually hiding in the shadows, but were right at Alex's side when he traveled alone. When Alpha Company was deployed, however, they donned full Kevlar body suits in place of armor.

As Alex left the suite, descending in Club Camelot's glass elevator and to the subbasement, where he had a large refuge dedicated to every Pokemon he had caught, separated into the environments that best suited them. As soon as Alex emerged from the elevator, into his personal safari, Nikolai meowed and immediately ran up to Alex, purring as the Commander scratched the Luxray's ears. "Easy boy," he said, "Wanna go for a ride?"

The Luxray smiled and meowed happily, and Alex revealed the Pokemon's pokeball. He recalled the Luxray, walking around and collecting his two teams. Within fifteen minutes, he had his legendary team, and all of his 'casual' team collected, except for one.

"Viktor? The hell are you, buddy?"

From the rafters, their came the rapid flapping of wings, and Alex felt his Crobat's feet poking into his shoulder. "Hey buddy," Alex said, petting the bat, "Ready to go?"

Viktor nuzzled him, and Alex recalled the Pokemon, heading back to the elevator and calling his goodbyes to the other Pokemon as he emerged onto the basement level. The club was empty, and Alex checked his watch, 0800 hours, unusual, but apparently everyone was sleeping in.

Alex left the club, climbing into his Aston Martin as he pulled out, driving away from the club, out of the military district, and onto the open road. The city was vibrant, bustling with activity, but traffic was not bad, and after ten minutes, Alex pulled into the parking lot of the Black Stallion, a local pub fashioned like an old medieval tavern. Alex entered, greeted by the owner and cook, Francisco Hernandez, who also ran "Cisco's Bar and Pub" across town, deep in the military district.

"Mister Vaughn!" Cisco exclaimed with a hearty laugh, the stocky chef running and embracing the young commander, "Ah! Long time no see, eh? How's all of the boys?"

"Good, how are you?"

"I'm fine, where is everyone, usually ya have the rest of Alpha Co. with you."

Alex shrugged, "They don't get into Pokemon battles as much as I do?"

"Pokemon battle? With who?"

"The pioneer of the TCG and video games, as well as the anime, issued a challenge to the world, so I'm accepting."

"Speak Japanese?"

"Nope, but I'm assuming he speaks English, especially since it's such a widely-known language. All the big names know it."

"Well, you have fun, then, Commander."

"Yep."

"So, what will you have?"

"Burger and fries is fine for me."

"Kinda early for that ain't it?"

"Not at all."

"Okay then, I'll start up the fryer, it'll be about, eh, 20, 25 minutes. That okay?"

"Yessir."

"Yokay, Make yourself comfortable."

"Alright, thanks man."

"No prob," and he left to the kitchen, whistling.

Celtic music started playing, and Alex relaxed, admiring the scenery as he awaited his breakfast.

After breakfast, Alex left the pub, turning a corner and into the parking lot.

"Commander!" a voice called, and Alex paused in his tracks, covering his eyes as he saw a shape by his vehicle. He ran to his car, and was overjoyed to see Spyro, Cynder, Terrias, Aria, and Piermont standing by it.

"You guys decided to come after all?

"O'course," Piermont said with a wide grin, "We _are _the Grandmasters."

"I just like battling," Terrias shrugged, "Plus, I like these little road trips."

"Same here," Aria replied, grabbing Terrias paw and squeezing it. Alex saw this gesture and was confused, but ignored it.

"Onward then," and Alex mounted his dragon.

They emerged over Tokyo minutes later, and Piermont asked, "So, where in the hell is our friend at anyway?"

"I don't know," Alex replied, "Somewhere."

_Alex_, Terrias thought at him, _Did he say where the showdown would be?_

_I don't know_, Alex thought back, _I think we should start at the Fuyusuki Arena, where we had the Platinum Conference._

_Okay, then from there, I'll find someone and ask about the whereabouts. I'm sure that our fellow Pokemaniac would be quite popular around these parts._

Alex then called for Piermont to slow as he hovered in place. On a massive television mounted to the side of the arena, the newest episode of Pokemon was showing.

_Well...I would think so._

_Hm...wasn't expecting _THAT_. _Spyro thought out.

_I find it funny as hell_, Piermont replied with a laugh, _We shouldn't have any problem tracking down our friend._

_Then let the search begin! Everyone is to meet back here in half an hour._

There was a steady supply of "yes sir"s as the Terminator High Command spread out, searching for any information relating to the location of their challenger.

Alex waited by the arena, watching the show as his friends returned. "Any luck?" he asked.

"None whatsoever," Spyro said.

"Nope," Piermont added.

"Unfortunately no," Cynder replied.

"What about you, Alex?" Spyro asked.

"Unfortunately, I haven't."

"Shit," Piermont sighed, "Now what?"

"I found something," Terrias said, suddenly appearing.

"Really? What?"

"Our guy? Yeah, he's at the Pokemon museum."

"...Say what now?" Alex asked.

Terrias nodded, "Yeah, you heard me right, there's a Pokemon museum, and he leads tours."

"That's...that's funny."

"Where is it?"

"Come, I'll show you."

A few minutes later, they found themselves standing in front of the museum, which was several stories tall, took up an entire city block, and had a mural of a Pikachu painted to the side of the double door.

"Really?" Piermont said, "A Pikachu? What a crappy Pokemon."

Alex shrugged, "Obviously, the writers love it."

"Fuck that! I will never have a Pikachu on my team."

"In we go," Alex said, and they all headed into the building.

Immediately, they were greeted by the music of the _S.S Anne_, the actual GameBoy 8-Bit version of the song, playing over the radio. A Japanese woman at the reception counter smiled at them, "Hello!" she said, "Welcome to the Tokyo Pocket Monsters Museum!"

"Eh...thanks?" Piermont, in his human form, said, raising an eyebrow.

"Have a look around!"

"Thank you," Alex said with a nod. Spyro and Cynder sneaked passed her, catching to the Commander.

"Why aren't you in human form?" Alex asked.

Spyro shrugged, "Too tired. This play is empty, it's not like it matters."

"Hey! You!" the woman said as Terrias passed by. The servine paused in his tracks. He hadn't transformed, but he had covered his face in a hood, and he was fully cloaked in his trench coat.

"Yes?" Terrias asked.

"Let me see your eyes, please?"

"Pardon?"

She looked at him, especially at his eyes, "You...you are a servine!" she said, sounding in disbelief.

"Uh...what?"

"You...you are a servine!"

"No, I'm not..." he lied.

"I can tell."

"How? Your eyes...and your tail."

"My...tail?" Terrias then turned around, realizing that he had failed to hide the bulge of his tail. Swearing, Terrias took off his hood, and the woman gasped.

"You really _are _a servine!"

Alex walked through the museum, amazed at all of the displays and exhibits.

"Hot damn," Piermont began, "A museum dedicated to a cultural icon. Pretty cool, I must admit."

"Yeah..." Alex said, fingering the pokeballs at his waist. Suddenly, they saw a small man, his back to them, watching an episode that was playing on a small, wall-mounted television. "Hello?" Alex called.

"_Kunichiwa!_" Piermont yelled, and the man abruptly turned walking over to them.

"Hello," he said, bowing.

"Hi..."

"American, yes?"

"Huh?"

"You are American, yes?"

"Aye, we are."

"Ah, I could tell. Come you to challenge me?"

"Challenge...?"

"Yes, I'm waiting for someone."

"A Great Commander Alex Vaughn, perhaps?"

"Yes, sir."

Alex bowed, "At your service."

"You are the Great Commander?"

"Aye."

"I accept your challenge, come with me to the battlefield."

The man hurried away, leaving Alex and the others to attempt to follow him. They entered a replica gym, and the man stood at the opposite end of the room. Alex, walked in, mouth agape as he took in the amazing decoration. "Holy..." Piermont said, "This is fucking cool!"

"Hot damn," Spyro said, "This will be interesting."

Terrias entered then, "Sorry I'm late..." he said.

The man gasped, "A servine!?"

Terrias paused, "Yeah..."

"I am honored to meet you," and he bowed again.

"Eh...thanks?"

"Terrias, can you referee us?"

"Sure."

"Thanks."

Terrias began the match, and as the challengers sent out their first Pokemon, the servine suddenly grew dizzy, realizing he was spacing out. Out of nowhere, he heard a series of whispers, carried on the breeze. Suddenly, laughter came from behind him, and he turned abruptly, "Tsk, tsk, tsk," Jazz said, wagging a green, furry finger at him, "Here you are, in the middle of a war, and you are refereeing a Pokemon battle between your precious idle and a ghost."

"What...where did you come from!?" he began to panic.

Jazz stepped closer to him, causing Terrias to back away, into a wall. The smell coming off of the beast was like charred skin. "How pathetic," the rabbit said, "I've been here all along."

Jazz then revealed a strange, curved dagger, and Terrias fell backwards, "No! Get away from me!"

Jazz laughed as he grabbed onto Terrias' shoulder, thrusting the blade deep into his gut. The servine choked, grabbing his bleeding stomach as he howled in pain. "Now!" the rabbit said, "You _WILL _die!"

"No! No! NO!" Terrias grabbed his stomach screaming out as Alex rushed to his side. As soon as Alex appeared, the rabbit faded away into thin air. "Terrias! Terrias! Are you okay?"

Terrias gasped for breath as he frantically looked around, "Jazz...where is he?"

"He's not here, Terrias. Jesus, you must have been dreaming..."

"No! He...he was RIGHT THERE!" and Terrias pointed beside him.

Alex gave him a puzzled look, and Terrias winced, grabbing his stomach again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Alex asked.

"I...I'm fine...just...tired apparently."

Alex seemed concerned, but nodded, "Okay then, just, take a rest. Spyro, you take up as referee."

"Yes sir."

Terrias watched Alex and the man fight; Alex with his legendary team, the creator, Takeshi Shudo, with a team of various regions' Pokemon spearheaded by Pikachu: Quilava, Blastoise, Grovyle, Crobat, and Lucario at the rear. As the battle continued, with Mewtwo still on the field, fighting against Blastoise, Terrias was overwhelmed with stomach pains again, and as he walked towards the bathroom, entering and collapsing, he heard a laugh behind him, and Jazz stood beside, "Feels good, don't it?" the rabbit laughed.

"Fuck...you!" Terrias managed, emphasizing the 'F', crying out at the pain.

"Oh don't you worry, it will be all gone soon..."

"You...you're not real!"

"Now hold do you know that, Sergeant? Hm? If you see me, why, I must be real, no?"

"You...you are just a hallucination!"

The rabbit laughed, "Let's test that theory shall we?" he suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Terrias chest and digging into his flesh with his claws. Blood surrounded the servine as the rabbit's claws sank deeper and deeper into his flesh, reaching into his torso, tearing through his ribcage, and grabbing his heart. Terrias howled in pain and terror, he was being murdered by a hallucination! Or was it real? Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Jazz was gone, and Terrias clutched his chest. He patted around him, it was dry, there was not a drop of blood in sight. He tore open his trench coat, no blood, but his chest was stinging where he had grabbed himself.

_What the hell is happening to me!?_ He thought.

Once the pain receded, he left the bathroom, returning to where Alex delivered the _coup de grace_ to Lucario with his Arceus. "Did Alex's team get wiped out?"

"Not at all," Cynder said, "Just Mewtwo, and Alex swapped him out for Arceus instantly."

"Why?"

Cynder shrugged, "Probably because he likes showy finishing moves. He really is a master of battling as well as show. He'd be one helluva good Pokemon coordinator."

"Wonder why he isn't doing that."

Cynder turned to face him, "Probably because he really could care less. Coordinators to him are the cowards and girls of Pokemon training."

"Good point..."

"Hey...are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"You look like you are gonna be sick to your stomach, can I get you anything?"

"Huh?"

"You're really pale..."

"I'm fine," Terrias encouraged, "Really."

Cynder seemed skeptical.

"I'm just tired," he said, "Plus, I might have a cold or some shit like that, it's nothing serious, I'm sure."

In truth, he was dizzy, and was, in fact, struggling to hold his stomach's contents down.

"Okay then..." but Cynder was still skeptical, "If you need anything, let me know. We should head back after this, or at least _you _should, get some rest, it'll help you."

The servine nodded, "Okay, good idea."

Giving him one last worried look, Cynder turned back to watch the end of the battle.

"Arceus return!" Alex called as he recalled his Pokemon. The creator approached him, "I must thank you, for many things, including releasing me," he said, "You fought well, and it makes me feel young again."

"Thank you," Alex said, bowing, "It was an honor. Now, we really must go."

"So should I, farewell."

"Seeya."

Alpha Company left, and Terrias paused to take one final look back, he had a question to ask. However, when he did...the room was empty, and there was nobody around. The gym itself looked like it had been awhile since it had been used, and no evidence of the recent battle remained.

"What the..." he began, "Hello?"

The only reply was the wind through the rafters. He was confused, there was only one entrance/exit to the room...shaking his head and thinking he was just hallucinating again, he left, running to catch up to his comrades.


	7. Chapter VI: Grounded

_**Chapter VI**_**:**

**-''Grounded''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_15 June 2012_-**

**-_0007 Hours_-**

Spyro stood outside on the balcony, looking out over the city and the distant _Fiernes Curtain_. Like Alex, he felt some kind of odd fascination with the wall of fire. Many of Alpha Company loved to watch out over the world and to look towards the north, where the wall of fire divided the United States and Canada, a symbol of beauty, and a sign of that the Terminator Militia was still riding out the storm that had befallen them. The wall somehow, instilled in him, and everyone else, a sense of peace and relaxation. The wall itself seemed alive, looking like a massive, bright, fire-colored waterfall. Yellow was the dominant color, laced with bright red and orange bands. The base of the wall was a brilliant blue, meshing with purple to become a beautiful shade of lavender. The ground beneath the wall and a hundred feet to either side was black as coal, and hard as rock. From the wall, veins of orange and yellow ran out, spider-webbing across the blackened landscape before tapering out, becoming a desert-like appearance, brown, cracked, baked earth. The heavy, maroon and black clouds had returned, covering the city and its surrounding areas, an umbrella of sorts.

"Hey, Spyro?" Cynder's soft-spoken voice said from behind him, rousing him from his labyrinthine thoughts.

"Yes?" the purple dragon replied, stepping aside as Cynder appeared beside him, her warm body leaning against his. She placed her head on his shoulder, nuzzling his neck.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Spyro shrugged, "Nothing in particular, just...relaxing."

"Ah..." there were several moments of still silence before Cynder suddenly spoke up, "I'm worried about Terrias."

"Why?"

"He's just...he's not himself."

"What do you mean?"

"He seems more...I dunno, paranoid, and he always acts like he's in pain."

"What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know, he won't tell me. I'm not the only one whose noticed it either. Everyone else has noticed how strange he's been acting. I asked him yesterday when we were at the museum, and he told me he's fine...frankly, I don't believe him, he seemed sick, or at least he was about to be."

"Maybe he just wasn't having a good day?"

Cynder shook her head, "No, he's been this way for several days now, but I don't want to push him into going to the hospital."

"We should..."

"He's a big boy, he can take care of himself."

"So, how long has he been acting this way?"

Cynder shrugged, "I don't know. The earliest I can remember him acting like this was during the Platinum Conference. He was a little unsteady when he was fighting Piermont. I thought it was nerves, but, he was kinda...rocking on his heels or something. He looked like he was about to fall over at any moment. Now...I'm not so sure."

"He's still this way?"

"Yeah, he also spaces out a lot, too..."

"But so do we, so that's hardly something to go off of."

"Yeah, you know how we all take turns with trash and crap?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the last time I took out the trash, I went to empty their bathroom's trash can...there was bloody tissue paper. I didn't confront either one of them, because there are a million reasons as to what it could be. But it seems as if he's been coughing blood. Or something."

"He probably should see someone."

Cynder scoffed, "Yeah, good luck convincing him on _that _one, he's more stubborn than you, love."

Spyro gave her a bemused look, "I'm not stubborn!"

Cynder giggled, "Yeah, you are, but..." and she kissed his cheek, "That's one of the many reasons why I love you."

He smiled at her, "Well, it's getting late, we probably should head to bed."

"Good idea, Lord knows what's going on tomorrow."

Without another word, the pair reentered the room, climbing into the bed and falling asleep together.

"_Now, I am yours..." the blue-haired female tells him, she looks so familiar...as if he's seen her somewhere else, and he realizes he feels embarrassed to be around her. She doesn't belong by his side...and yet still, he feels something...love...the deepest kind, that which he only feels with Sarah or Cynder._

"_We are now mates," and she nods, Alex suddenly realizes that...he's still _inside _of her! He feels embarrassed, but she shushes him, kissing him and dabbing his lips with her tongue,, requesting entrance. He allows it, and they kiss, deeply, passionately, as she tells him, "I love you..."_

"_I love you, too..."_

_And he begins to say her name before..._

He awoke, blinking away the sleep in his eyes as he checked the clock by his bedside, 0530 Hours, old habits were hard to break apparently. As he left his room, into the rest of the penthouse suite that Alpha Company shared, he was amazed to find everyone awake, but half asleep. "The hell is going on here?" he asked.

"What? You weren't woke by Elliot's call? He called you, must have slept right through it," Spyro said, yawning, "He called _me _next. The downside to being second-in-command apparently."

"What do you mean? What does he want?"

"We've been assigned," Piermont said, embittered.

"What? Where?"

Spyro glared at the forest dragon, "We haven't been _deployed_ as much as we've been called upon for a conference."

"I wonder what about?"

"I'm afraid to find out," Piermont replied.

"Shut up, Pierre."

"You first, purple faggot."

"Enough! Both of you! So, let's head out then," Alex said with a sigh, "Usually, when Elliot calls us to conference, we can expect a mission."

"Goodbye vacation..." Sonic muttered.

"Oh well, it was bound to end some time," Crash said, "I'll call him, tell him we're on our way."

"Good, get ready everyone. Christ knows what he wants us to do today.

* * * * *

"Morning, gents!" Elliot said, storming into the conference room, seeming as wide awake as ever.

"C'mon, Elliot, what's the deal?" Piermont asked, "I thought it was the grunts' job in deployment."

"Well, Pierre, if you would listen to what I have to say, you would know that we aren't being deployed exactly, as much as we are being assigned nothing more than a simple patrol job."

"Shit, patrols never end well, need I ask where?"

"Connorsville."

"Son of a bitch!" Pierre growled, burying his face in his hands, "Fucking Connorsville, Illinois, last time we were there, we almost got our fucking asses handed to us by Jazz."

"But you didn't, and we are just scouting any possible _Maxia _emplacements, I doubt there is any there, or at least, that many...but take down any you _do _come across."

"When are you sending us out?" Spyro asked.

"At 0900 Hours. Best be at our base there by 0800 for briefing."

"How long is the shift?" Piermont asked.

"Gamma Company will head out at approximately 1600 Hours."

"Long-ass day," Piermont muttered.

"Not really..." Terrias said, "It shouldn't be _too _hard, just fly back and forth over the city for a few hours? Not bad at all."

"Says you," Pierre growled, turning over to face the servine, "You haven't been with us long enough to know that shit _always _happens when we're sent out for patrols, or alliance missions, why do you think _all _of Alpha Company is armed to the teeth and deployed for our alliance missions?"

Terrias nodded, "Good point."

"Exactly, we went to Equestria, and what happened?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get the point, Pierre."

"...Fucking Installation 07 is what happened."

"Shut up, Pierre," Alex said.

"Anyways," Elliot said, "If you morons are done bickering, get ready, you have a _full _day today."

"Why in the hell are _we _always the ones that are sent on these goddamn patrols?" Piermont hissed.

"Because," Elliot began, "I need to keep you bastards busy doing something."

"Yeah," Alex said with a grin, "Because we're on just a bunch of lazy sumbitches."

"Hmph! I beg to differ," and Piermont's eyes narrowed.

"C'mon, it shouldn't be that bad. This close to election, our lovely president will be sure to keep too much suspicion from coming to him, meaning that they won't seek out to take down our territories."

"Depends, of course, on whether or not they want to consider Connorsville _our _territory, or theirs."

"Eh...Terrias has a point, Alex," Spyro said.

"Regardless, it's not worth worrying about right now."

-**Connorsville, Illinois-**

**-**_**16 June 2012**_**-**

**-**_**0918 Hours**_**-**

The Commander's wing of dragonriders emerged from the teleportation vortexes above Connorsville, lowering their altitude as they entered downtown Connorsville. The citizens glared up at the dragons, obviously not wanting their presence. "Okay," Alex said, "Just split up, take different sectors of town, and keep an eye out for any troublemakers. I will get north Connorsville, over by Walmart."

"Cynder and I will...brave the ghettos," Spyro said.

"Rapid and I can also take a few of these other ghettos," Crash added.

"Aria and I," Terrias began, "Will remain downtown and cover these various areas."

"Actually," Aria said, "I'd much rather cover the southernmost tip of the city, Terrias, you can have downtown, though."

"Then it's decided,"Alex said, clapping and rubbing his hands together, "Let's move out, and meet back here by 1200 hours for lunch, sound good?"

"Sir, yes sir," the Riders said in perfect unison, and in a blast of hot wind, the dragonriders were off.

Alex hovered in place, "Terrias, if you see anything, call me."

"I will, Commander."

"Good luck."

"Yeah, if by 'luck' you mean NOT encountering any _Maxian _regiments, then I wish us all luck."

"Yeah," and Alex laughed, "Fucking _Maxia _always manage to be around at the most inopportune of times."

"I just wish they could magically vanish off of the face of the earth, we would be so much better without them."

"So do I, Sergeant, so do I."

With a final departing roar from Piermont, Alex and his dragon arose into the air, quickly flapping away as the servine watched them become nothing more than a speck the size of an ant. Eventually, they vanished above the tree-lined horizon, and Terrias nodded towards his mate, "Aria, good luck."

"Be careful," and they kissed briefly before Aria flew away, leaving Terrias alone.

"Now what shall we do?" Terrias asked his dragon.

"We follow orders," the male, Martaanean Forest Dragon said, "That's what we've been told to do, and that's what we'll do."

"Where should we start?"

"Perhaps the courthouse?"

Terrias nodded, "Yes, let's just watch the skies, I don't want to become involved with Jazz again, especially not here."

As they flew arrived at the town square, across from the courthouse, Terrias felt chills run down his spine at the sight of the nine story courthouse annex, the sight of his brutal encounter with the treacherous rabbit ten years into the past. "Memories of your encounter?" Terrias dragon asked over the roar of the wind.

_Can't hear you, _Terrias said telepathically, _Speak through telepathy_.

_Right...you have memories of your encounter?_

A few moments of silence before, _Yes._

_Are you okay?_

The servine nodded, _I'm fine._

_Come then, let's leave this damned place._

The sun was high in the east as Terrias lowered above the public library, the war museum, and one of the banks of the city. He flew around, observing the ground carefully, searching for anything out of the ordinary. _Terrias_, his dragon said, _I have a very bad feeling about this place._

_Yeah, so do I..._

The servine grimaced as he rubbed his stomach.

_Are you okay?_

Terrias nodded, wincing, _I'm fine._

_You are in pain._

_No I'm not._

_Do not lie to me, Sergeant, you cannot hide the truth in this state. Plus, I can feel your pain._

Terrias sighed, _My stomach has been killing me off and on lately. I doubt it's anything more than the flu._

_No, there is something else you aren't telling me._

_Not at all, _and Terrias managed to successfully shelter the truth behind a veil of memories of pain his stomach had given him, reawakened and empowered by Terrias' exploitation of the abilities of a Rider to share emotions and pain with his dragon. He heard his mount utter a low whine, and the beast withdrew from his mind.

Unfortunately, the excursion was a double-edged sword. Just as he shared his pain with his dragon, the phantom pains his dragon was experiencing were forced on him, and were nearly crippling, igniting a deep heat within his own stomach as he immediately felt sick. _LAND!_ Terrias mentally screamed, and his dragon immediately did as he scampered off of his beast, kneeling to the ground and vomiting into a trash can on the side of the street. Once his pain had subsided, and his stomach had settled, he returned to his dragon, and they continued their mission, _You are very sick_, his dragon said.

_You don't say._

_I will call the Commander and tell him that we need to return back to base. If something happens, we can't operate if you are ill._

_NO! No! Don't, don't do that._

_Why?_

_I don't want Alex to fear for me._

_He won't. You overestimate his concern, no offense._

_None taken...but I know he will._

_Hm..._

_Please, I can go, I'm just...not gonna think about pain, it shouldn't happen again._

_Fine, you have another chance, if you fall ill again, we are leaving. If not for your safety, for mine. If it is dangerous, I do not want to risk your death-and consequently mine-because you are too stubborn to seek help._

_Understood. _They flew over the area for a few more moments before Terrias, checking his watch, said, _Hm...it's getting late, let's do one more flyby, and then we'll head back to where we are supposed to rendezvous with Alex and the others._

_I agree._

As they flew over the public library, Terrias' internal alarm suddenly went off.

_Do you feel that?_ His dragon asked, seeming more nervous than normal.

_Yes..._

Suddenly, as clear as day, the sound of anti-aircraft fire filled the air, and in a sea of heat and glowing tracers, they were fired upon. Several bullets tore through the dragon's wings, and he went down. Terrias grabbed onto his mount, struggling to stay on, but when more and more rounds whizzed past them, his dragon pulled an evasive barrel roll, causing Terrias to become dislodged, and he fell off.

"TERRIAS!" his dragon roared as he struggled to catch his rider, but the bullets fired past them, following him, and he couldn't fly down to his rider without having the 50 caliber rounds tearing through his flesh. _I WILL RETURN!_ His dragon mentally roared as he flew away, the rounds chasing him.

Terrias was aware of the whistle of cold wind as it surrounded him, so deafeningly. It felt as if he was falling into the heart of a fan, wind blew all around him, and the cold was brutal. His stomach lurched again, but he managed to steel it down long enough for him to think of ways to soften his imminent landing. Although he was a prodigious pilot, there was no way he could control something that did not have wings.

_What should I do? _He thought, _I'm gonna land, one way or the other, better choose my preferred injury._

He rolled until he was standing straight up, resorting to a spread-eagle position as he tried to increase resistance and slow his speed down. At his current rate, he was falling at terminal velocity, and, Terminator or not, a drop from this altitude was fatal. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind...and he was over the war museum. He angled his descent, drawing closer to the museum. There was no room for error, if his math was wrong, he would miss the museum and become a splatter on either side of the building, he had to time his fall just right...and he hoped that the floor was well-padded.

He closed his eyes as he punched through the ceiling, hissing as splinters tore through his skin. _C'mon..._ he thought to himself, _C'mon Terrias you can do it! C'mon Terrias!_

The landing, although onto a carpeted surface, was still painful, and he smashed into the ground, instantly healing himself as he slid across the floor, carpet burns covering his body. He finally slowed to a stop, nearly unconscious, and as he felt his wounds heal, his consciousness winked out.

His eyes slowly opened, and he saw an elderly man standing over him, a bewildered look on his face. Beside the older man, Terrias could see a younger man, about 18 or 19 years of age, head cocked to the side.

He sat up, groaning as he looked around. Rubble littered the area, a massive hole was in the ceiling, marking the place where he had fallen through, and he wondered if Alex knew he was okay. Much to his disbelief, he watched as the rubble began to levitate, rising back to the ceiling and reattaching itself, the older man glowed a burnt orange, and Terrias was amazed to watch the sight, almost as if he was watching the ceiling collapse in reverse. Within moments, it looked good as new, and the man, glow fading away, turned to face Terrias with that same peculiar expression. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I...I..." he couldn't speak, only air came out. He stiffened then as he heard an all-too-familiar voice ring out through the air...

"Ah, you just can't seem to avoid trouble can you?"

His heart sank, and Terrias abruptly turned, yelling out as he saw Jazz standing in place, wearing the body armor he had worn during the siege of New York. The rabbit had a twisted smile on his face, and he said, "Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

"Get away from me!" Terrias roared at the apparition, "_GET AWAY!_"

"Not this time, Sergeant Terrias!"

"_NO! _Leave me _alone_!"

"Hey! Hey!" the younger man said, suddenly free from his paralysis, he began to frantically shake the servine, "Snap out of it, buddy! Snap out of it! There's nobody there!"

"_NO! He's _here! He's _HERE!_"

"Who is?"

"He is! He is! Oh god...Jazz..._STAY AWAY FROM ME!_"

Jazz cackled as he stepped towards Terrias, "You are now mine!"

"No! NO! Stay away! _STAY AWAY!_"

The younger man then slapped him, hard. In an instant, Jazz winked out of existence, and Terrias' hysterical wailing was immediately cut off, replaced by the loud crack as the palm of the man's hand collided with his face. Terrias fell to the side, dazed, astounded, and the older man scolded the younger one before kneeling to the servine's side. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I..." Terrias began, "Where am I?"

"The Vermilion County War Museum, in Connorsville, Illinois," the younger man said, "Who are you?"

"I..." Terrias cleared his throat, strengthening his voice, "Terrias, Sergeant First Class..."

"You...you are a soldier?" the older man said, seemingly amazed.

"Aye..."

"Are you active in this war?"

"Aye."

And the man said nothing more, "Don, take care of him."

"Yes, sir."

Without another sound, the man stood, leaving the room and going back downstairs. The younger man, called Don, helped the servine up.

"Is there anything I can get for you? A drink?"

"No," Terrias said, slowly shaking his head, "I'm fine."

"When you are ready, come downstairs."

"I will...thank you, sir."

Don nodded and left downstairs, following the older man. Terrias, out of breath and growing more and more distant, looked around. His stomach still hurt, and he grimaced. He was in a war museum, obviously. This floor was full of displays various artifacts from all of the wars the United States of America was involved in...the final one hit Terrias harder than anything else.

In an isolated corner, Terrias could see an unfinished exhibit for the Second Civil War...but it differed from the others, as it was almost...like a shrine. Terrias doubled over again, feeling weak, and he gagged, struggling not to lose his stomach again. Once the pain diminished, he weakly made his way to the stairs, trying to take a step down, but his muscles gave out, and he fell forward, falling down the stairs.

The two men were immediately at his side, helping him up. He could feel himself growing progressively weaker, and his stomach began to hurt worse. He groaned in agony, and the younger man-Don, said, "Hey, I think he's running a fever..."

"Keep an eye on it," then, the older man leaned down, "Where are you from?" he asked.

Terrias, now unconscious, groaned in his sleep, and the voice of the rabbit said, speaking deep into his dreams, "Go on, tell him who you are. Maybe he will kill you quickly?"

"No..." Terrias muttered, slurring, "No!"

"Should we call a doctor...or a vet?" Don asked.

"No, they won't be able to help it."

"I think 'it' is a him...I don't know a whole helluva lot about reptiles, but that to me looks like a male sheathe."

"Look," and the older man pointed at a freshly-made bullet wound. "I thought I heard machine gun fire."

"Hey...look at this," and Don pointed at Terrias scars from where he had been slashed by Jazz's blade. The area still had not healed, and was a pale white. The wounds beneath the lips were a deep purple, almost black.

"Necrosis...these weren't caused recently."

"Can he be helped?"

"I don't know, but I don't trust the doctors anymore, not since this war began."

"How old are the wounds?"

"Perhaps a couple of weeks, I'm not sure."

"What should we do then?"

"Leave him here for now, we'll keep an eye on him. Rarely do we have visitors, he should be safe here, obviously, someone wanted him dead."

"What...is he exactly? Some kind of animal? I've never seen anything like it before."

"Neither have I, and that's why I'm worried."

Terrias stirred only long enough to allow the older man to help him into his car, then, a blanket was placed over him, and the man drove off. The gentle movements of the vehicle lulled Terrias to sleep, and within an instant, he passed out once more.

"Commander!" Spyro cried, running up to Alex. Since Terrias' dragon had sped to him, without a rider, and being tailed by _Maxian_ armor, Alpha Company had quickly disposed of the pursuing _Maxia_, searching for the missing servine. They had no luck, and he was still missing, even after Alex hesitantly called the day a night once the sun had sank beneath the horizon.

"Unfortunately," Alex began, "No luck, I can't find Terrias anywhere."

"Neither could we," and Spyro seemed distraught, "I hope he's okay..."

"If his dragon is still alive, so is he."

"But where is he?"

Alex shrugged, "I don't know, Spyro, but it's getting dark, and we need to return home."

"Let's stay the night! I'm sure there are plenty of spaces to shelter for the evening!"

"Yes, but all are too dangerous. Connorsville is a completely different town after the sun sets, you know that by now, Spyro."

"So what? We're gonna leave him here!? Never leave a man behind!" and Spyro roared at the Commander, "Remember? _NEVER LEAVE A MAN BEHIND!_"

"I know that!" Alex hissed, "But there is nothing that I can do! If he hasn't been caught now, he sure as hell won't be caught tonight. It's time to go, before things get worse, we'll leave first thing tomorrow morning, and we'll spend tomorrow searching for him. He couldn't have gone far on foot."

"I hope he will be okay then..."

"He will, Spyro. He's one tough motherfucker. He's been through far worse, besides, the gangs fear anything that they don't know about, and I doubt very many of them are familiar with Pokemon."

"Okay," the purple dragon submitted, "Fine, I just hope he's okay."

"He will be."

With a final roar of farewell, Alpha Company, minus Terrias, vanished as they teleported away from the rapidly darkening city, and back to their capital.

The servine stirred, awakening as he sat up. He felt terrible, stiff, feverish, and his gut burned furiously, enough to nearly cripple him. He stood, moaning as he lost his balance, and he fell forward, bringing on a brief spike of pain all over his body. His head felt as if it was full of water, and his vision adopted a red tint to it. He stumbled to the bathroom, where he relieved himself, and returned to bed. Only then did he realize the unfamiliar setting. He shoved the thoughts aside, laying down on the couch again as sleep immediately overcame him.

..._He opens his eyes, blinking away as he stares in wonder at the scene before him. The world is peaceful, warm, sunny, and he is in a large valley. A river runs through the rolling green plains, and he stands near an emerald green forest, encircling the valley. Ahead, he can see a brilliant waterfall falling from a mountain, and he is amazed as the sun makes the water appear to be a river of flowing diamonds. Mountains line the distant horizon, and there is not a cloud in the brilliant blue sky. The valley almost seems to glow in the radiance of the warm sun, and a warm breeze blows throughout the land, just enough to feel pleasant on his flesh, not enough to chill him._

_He is soon aware that he is nude, his coat is missing, and he looks at himself, feeling humiliated and exposed, despite the fact that his kind naturally does not wear clothes. Soon, however, his fear and humiliation melts into bliss...he is alone, in this beautiful, virgin land, untouched by civilization, and ultimately unmarked. He thinks _Valley of Avalar_, and knows that it is the name of the land, yet he also knows that he is not from here...this is Spyro's realm, a place he fantasized about Cynder before his __coming to the States. Terrias realizes that, knows that Spyro was here once, and knows that Spyro dreamed of the day where he and Cynder could finally be united. Something about the idea of the purple dragon mating with his beloved intrigues Terrias, and the servine finds it difficult to hide his arousal. However, he is not worried, he is alone, and he is surrounded by beauty, so much that even if someone were here, they would be too lost, drowning in the land's natural beauty, too notice the servine, or his readiness for sexual contact._

_A voice, as clear as crystal, and as beautiful as the valley rings in Terrias' ears, and he turns to see a figure emerge from the shadows of the forest. Upon stepping into the sunlight, the form is Aria, also in her natural state. She was blushing in her nudity, although understanding that there was nothing to be humiliated about. As much as she tried to hide it, the extent of her own sexual arousal was very clear, and Terrias suddenly felt an urge...one very primal, an archaic, instinctual feeling...the feeling to mate. He forgets everything else, feeling instincts take over, and immediately pounces on the female servine, finding himself quickly and forcefully penetrating her. Yet still she smiles, and once he is within her, his humanity returns, and he decides to bide his time. There is no reason to hurry, he would hold off as long as possible._

_As he nears his climax, he suddenly feels as if his mind is fleeting, and he feels detached from his body. For a moment, he sees himself in the valley, in third person, but immediately afterward, he awakens..._

...On the couch. Blinking away the sleep, his pain and the feeling of illness returned like a storm, thrusting him into a world he did not want to remain in much longer. The older man was on the couch turned 90° to the one that Terrias slept on, the two couches forming an L shape. He watched the news, and Terrias realized that his awakening had yet to be noticed. He also noticed, much to his embarrassment, that his sexy dream had had quite a...physical...impression on him, and he quickly turned away.

"Dreaming of your lost love?" the elderly man asked, "There is nothing to be ashamed of. It is nothing that I have not seen before."

"Yes..." Terrias admitted after some thought, "But not lost, she is still with me, if only I can go back home."

"We will leave for the museum in a few hours, maybe we can find your friends then..."

"Huh? How did you..."

"I woke up, not to your dream with your love, but to the one before that, you were muttering something about your friends that you had came to town with. I thought you were trying to tell me what had happened, but instead, you were dreaming, just recounting what had happened, your friends, I'm sure, are looking for you, and I hope that they do find you."

"Thank you..." Terrias said.

"Don't mention it."

"Where in the hell can he be?" Spyro asked the Commander. Piermont and Spyro had perched on the rooftop of the courthouse annex, and the young, purple dragon had a look of severe worry on his face.

"I don't know," Alex replied solemnly, "But we'll find him, this, I promise you."

"I hope so..."

"Don't worry, Spyro," Alex said, and when the dragon turned to face his commander, Alex looked sure and strong. He had removed the helmet from his Daedric armor, his dragon-riding gear, and the wind blew his long, shoulder-length hair. He looked out ahead, stunning blue eyes squinted, staring towards the horizon.

For a reason he did not know, the purple dragon felt a deep love for Alex, enough that Spyro looked away in embarrassment.

"Come," Alex said, "We will not stop until we've found him."

Spyro nodded firmly, "Let's go," and they rose into the air, speeding off.

Terrias climbed out of the car, staggering like a drunk to the entrance of the museum. His vision was extremely sensitive, and the overcast day blinded him. In addition to the blinding light, with every object he saw leaving a 'camera flash' effect, superimposed over his vision, he also could begin to see faint auras emitting from everywhere, especially the greens, reds, oranges, and yellows. His eyes spun like Vegas reels, and he collapsed forward, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for the urge to vomit pass. It did, and he stood again, trembling. He entered the building, walking hesitantly downstairs as he slowly made his way through the basement and to the lounge, where he laid down on the couch, passing out.

He awoke, briefly, and he found he was stuck in the state between full consciousness, and unconsciousness. Although he couldn't move and his eyes were closed, he was _aware_. He saw himself in the third person, stunned that he looked like a victim of a brutal fight, collapsed in an awkward position, asleep, on a well-worn couch. He couldn't believe it...

_What has happened to me? _he thought, then, _No, what IS happening to me!_

He then sat up, rubbing his eyes, he felt like crap, and as he stood, he walked over to the window, lifting the shades and looking outside. The world before him was wasted, a shell of its former self. It seemed that the Burned Lands had overtaken Connorsville. The ground was baked, dry, and cracked. The sky was as dark as night, and covered in dark, black-and-red, sooty skies. The buildings had been replaced by old, stone structures, appearing like clay skyscrapers. Far in the distance, a black, steel, skyscraper was cast in a silhouette, a long antenna rising up out of the center of the roof, the top of the antenna a flashing red bulb. He was aware that he was leaning in an archway, he was in an outdoor hallway, the side facing the brick road was lined with arches.

He walked out, a steady, cold rain fell from the heavens, and the city was deathly quiet. Distant thunder rumbled, and he looked around, amazed.

"Terrias!" came a cheerful voice.

"Alex?" and the servine turned to watch as Piermont landed on the ground, lowering his head as he allowed the Commander to dismount. Alex ran to the servine, embracing him tightly, "Alex! You came back!"

"Where were you?" the Commander asked, "We...I...was worried."

"I...I don't know. The last thing I remember was being at the Vermilion County War Museum and..."

Everything flashed brightly and Terrias heard a 'click' as the dull colors of the world became bright, sharp, almost blinding, like CGI, and Terrias suddenly became lucid. He thought briefly of his home, back when his mother was still alive, and he watched in amazement as the world melted away, Alex melting to form his mother, Piermont melting to form Aria. "What...?" Terrias said, _I must be dreaming! _he thought, and the sharp colors of the world pulsed briefly, confirming that he was indeed dreaming.

"Terrias!"

The servine turned to see Alex standing just outside the house, waving his arm in a 'come here' gesture. Terrias, knowing that this world wasn't real, ran outside the front door to where the very real Alex stood. As he hugged the commander, crying into Alex's breastplate and lamenting on how much he had missed his leader and savior, the world pulsed again, and Terrias awoke, still on the couch, hugging a pillow.

"_Alex..._" he said, struggling not to cry as he shifted his position.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." came an all-too-familiar voice from behind Terrias.

The servine stiffened as he turned around, and the shock, terror, and panic was written clearly on his face as he saw the object of his fear, Jazz stood, leaning against the arch leading into the room. Jazz picked his teeth with his stiletto, and he said with a terrifying grin, "So, Sergeant Terrias, we meet again."

Terrias was too lost for words, and he forcefully pressed down on the palm of his hand, trying to will Jazz away. Although he felt the pain, however, Jazz didn't disappear, didn't even begin to fizzle out, he stayed right where he was and continued walking forward, a sinister, murderous smile on his face.

"No..." Terrias began, unable to speak, "NO!" he began to pant and gasp heavily, and as he tried to yell for help, his voice was little more than a breathy whisper.

"None of your friends are here to save you now, Sergeant Terrias, you are _all mine_!"

"_NO!" _and he finally found his voice, "_HELP!_ Somebody! Help me!"

Jazz left, and with a swipe of his paws, a lamp went flying, telekinetically, off of a desk and towards Terrias, where it missed and crashed behind him. Terrias stood up, frightened, and he then jumped up, racing away from the lounge, upstairs, and away from Jazz. He quickly found the Second Civil War exhibit, and he scampered onto a tank as he pried open the painted-shut doors, locking himself in the darkness, and sitting against the corner, rocking gently and gasping for breath. Heart racing, he listened, and aside from the pounding of his heart in his ears, he heard nothing. Once he had recovered his breath, he sighed with relief and fell back against the wall, head leaning against the cold steel as he drifted off, soon falling into a light, feverish sleep.

As the sun began to sank, Alex's worries concerning Terrias' whereabouts and safety increased. Even the servine's dragon had since gone AWOL, and nobody had seen either one of them since the previous night. "I just hope that he didn't run off to suicide," Spyro said, referring to the servine's dragon.

"No, dragons don't suicide, they just...die...I think..."

"Sure?"

"I...I don't know, I've never seen a dragon die from his rider's death before."

"What about you, Pierre?"

"Me what?"

"What do dragons do if their rider dies?"

"I don't fuckin' know, I just know that dragons die if their riders do, I don't know how. Frankly, I'd rather not find out."

"Anyway," Spyro said, shaking his head and changing the subject, "Where do you think our rookie Terminator ran off to?"

"I don't know, Spyro," Alex replied, "But we will hopefully find out soon."

Suddenly, Alex paused. Piermont didn't seem to notice, and continued walking forward, but Spyro stopped, turning to face the commander, and he asked, "What? What is it?"

Alex shushed him as he listened.

"What?"

He was shushed again.

"What?" Piermont began, and he was shushed viciously before Alex exclaimed, "Shut up!"

"What do you hear?" Spyro asked, alarmed.

"I think..." then, after a few moments, his eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "Terrias!" and he sped off up the street.

"Wait!" Spyro called, "Where the hell are you going!? Wait for us!"

Spyro and Piermont followed the Commander as he sped up the street, he quickly turned a corner, and Spyro nearly ran into Alex, who was kneeling to the ground, hiding behind a concrete wall dividing the road and the sidewalk. "What?" Spyro whispered, "What do you see?"

Alex pointed at the museum, and then thought, _Terrias is in there_.

"What?" and the purple dragon seemed confused, _How do you know?_

_I can feel him...he's in pain..._

"What?" and Spyro gasped in alarm as he was instantly reminded of what Cynder had told him a couple of days earlier...

_..."I'm worried about Terrias."_

"_Why?"_

"_He's just...he's not himself."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_He seems more...I dunno, paranoid, and he always acts like he's in pain."..._

"Oh no..." Spyro whispered.

"What?" Alex asked.

"Cynder told me that he hasn't been himself lately...that he seems to be in pain...What do you think is wrong with him?"

"I don't know..." and then, a thought...memory actually...flashed before his eyes...

..._The servine fell backwards, and Jazz leaped back, standing within feet of Alex, crouched down, blade withdrawn and ready to swing, and he waited. As Terrias stood, his back to Jazz, the rabbit jumped in, and slashed down, diagonally from right to left. The blow scored its target, and Terrias let out a painful wail as blood shot from his wound. In the upswing, Jazz brought the blade down again, slashing Terrias' back from left to right, diagonal, forming a bloody 'X' on the servine's back. The look on Terrias' face would haunt Alex for the rest of his life...a look of pure pain and terror. Then, Jazz grabbed the servine by the neck, lifting him up as he lunged, the blade running right through Terrias' back and out of his chest. Blood and tissue spewed out as the blade pierced the skin, and Jazz punched him off of the blade. The servine, bleeding heavily, hit the ground with a roll, and as he tried to pick himself up, Jazz once more leaped back, jumping in once Terrias had stood and turned to face the rabbit. In a manner similar to the last, he slashed Terrias' chest, diagonal, from left to right in a downwards motion. The servine's body flailed with each swing, and he slashed again, forming another bloody 'X' on Terrias' torso. The creature, still wounded, tried to fight, but Jazz then slashed horizontal, eviscerating the servine, and with a final punch, Terrias went flying to the side, flipping as he flew off of the building and began his descent_...

"Oh _shit!_" Alex exclaimed.

"What?" the other two asked.

"I think I know what's wrong..."

"What?"

Alex then impressed upon them the memory of what he saw, the day that Terrias had his gory, and deadly, encounter with Jazz's blade. Almost immediately, the other two's faces illuminated with anxiety and excitement. It all made sense now.

"Shit," Spyro sighed, "If _that _is what is causing Terrias trouble...we need to get him to a doctor once we find him. Obviously, something very wrong is going on, and he might be in serious trouble if we don't help him ASAP."

"What could it be?" Piermont asked, "What is going on with Terrias?"

"Could be anything," Alex said, "But sitting here, talking about it will not help him. We need to move out, now."

"Yes, sir."

"C'mon," the Commander said, entering stealth mode, "Follow me, and avoid the street lamps."

Don looked outside at the black, nighttime sky. The curator of the museum had long since went home, leaving the young man there to watch over Terrias that night. The servine had been missing since the moment they arrived, and they were unable to find him when closing time came. Unlike what the curator thought, Don knew _exactly_ what Terrias was, he just couldn't believe it.

"A servine..." he said, shaking his head, "Jesus, I never would have thought that Pokemon were real, surely it's just some cheap-ass costume," and he sighed before saying, "Speak of the devil, where is that little bastard anyway?"

Terrias' eyes slowly opened, at first, he was frightened by the all-enveloping darkness, but as he awoke and became more aware, he remembered where he was, hiding in a tank that was on display in the museum. He wondered if Jazz was still after him, and Terrias was afraid to leave, fearing that the moment he opened the hatch, he would find the murderous, vengeful rabbit's homicidal, maniacal, insane grin staring back at him, ready to kill him, possibly by slitting his throat.

With a silent prayer, Terrias felt his way up the ladder, cracking open the squeaky hatch and searching all around...no sign of the rabbit, and the floor was pitch black. He fully opened the hatch, emerging from his steel womb as he scaled down the barrel and hopped to the floor with a thud, sending a jolt of discomfort and dull pain from his stomach, throughout his body. He recovered, standing and creeping across the dark floor, he was alone...with a sigh of relief, he checked his watch, it was already 2100 hours! He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to believe that he had slept the whole day away, and he was still tired. He sluggishly wandered downstairs, nearly collapsing had Don not been there to aide him.

"Jesus!" the young man replied, "The hell have _you _been?"

"Long story..." Terrias managed, voice a slur.

"Hm...listen, kid, just relax on the couch, I'll be in the chair if you need me, we can go to my place tomorrow, okay?"

Terrias nodded, "Okay."

"We'll resume looking for your friends in the morning, for now, let's just get some rest."

Alex, hiding in the shadows of a pine growing alongside an alley, emerged from the darkness, dashing across the alley and to the side door of the museum. With Spyro and Piermont watching for vehicles or passerby, the Commander quickly removed his knife and a bent paperclip from his pocket, jamming the two tools into the keyhole as he jiggled around, trying to pick the lock.

"Hurry up!" Piermont whispered harshly.

"Trying!" Alex hissed back, "But this is harder than it looks."

A few seconds later, Alex sighed the lock clicked and he slowly opened the squeaking door. The trio moved in quietly and quickly, and Alex softly shut the door behind them. Alex turned to his companions, placing his index finger to his lips as he signed for them to spread out, remain quiet, and be weary of anyone else who was here with them. Spyro went left, heading upstairs, Piermont went right, heading to the lobby, and Alex headed forward, heading to the cafeteria and the connecting lounge. They used whatever cover they could find, and although they moved quietly, they moved quickly as well, never staying out of cover for any longer than a few seconds, they also avoided the overhead lights, turned low for the evening, but on to discourage potential thieves.

As Alex moved through the black cafeteria, he was overwhelmed with memories of this place...he remembered it all too well. He frowned as he remembered the curator, a kind old man, amazed at his expansive knowledge of military strategy, especially anything concerning World War II. He shook his head, shaking away the memories as he searched the area for any sign of Terrias.

The feeling was stronger now, the servine was definitely here, the only question, was where?

As he approached the lounge, now letting his guard down once he realized the place was empty, he paused quickly in his tracks, his heart racing as he saw a young man, who he did not realize, asleep in a chair. Alex slowly crouched down, crawling closer to the divider as he peered over the edge and through the wall, turned into a shelve system, full of boxes cut into the wall. Using the various knickknacks for cover, he spied on the young man, who didn't seem to be awake. Terrias' presence felt even stronger now, and as Alex glanced over the wall, he could see the servine laying in an awkward position, asleep, on the couch. His heart leaped for joy, and he heard a crash from the lobby. His heart sank, and he hurriedly ran for cover as the man shot up. _Mayday! Mayday! _Alex mentally thought out, _We've been spotted! Run for cover! Hide! Now! NOW!_ Alex slid behind a massive bush in the darkest corner of the cafeteria, holding his breath as he watched the man, armed with a flashlight, search the area. Several times the light passed over the potted plant, and the Commander held his breath, closing his eyes, as he prayed heavily he was not spotted.

Eventually, he began to grow tired. Several times, he had sought to emerge, but the man didn't venture very far away from the cafeteria, and he was patrolling the area like a security guard. Eventually, Alex fell asleep.

Spyro and Piermont both remained hidden, Spyro was upstairs, hiding in the same tank that Terrias had hid in. He felt safe in the knowledge that he would not be caught here. Unfortunately, he felt safe enough that his guard was let down, and he too fell asleep.

Piermont, the only one awake, was nervous as he stared at the broken donation jar, the one that during the moment that he decided to fantasize being James Bond in a stealth mission, he had accidentally knocked off the desk with his elbow. He held his breath, mentally yelling out swears at himself, he could see the man through the door on the other side of the reception desk. The man was searching all over the place, and had even ventured out into the lobby, yet he didn't seem to have seen the shattered jar. Piermont frantically searched for a way to escape, or to find a more suitable hiding place, but the man, armed with a flashlight that he scanned back and forth over the door, seemed to be looking right at Piermont, who was hiding behind a bookcase he had quickly, quietly, pulled out. As soon as he saw his chance, he jumped out of hiding, but the man's flashlight instantly trained on his racing form.

"Hey! You!" the man yelled, and Piermont dashed forward and upstairs, he could hear the man chasing him. Now upstairs, he frantically searched around, trying to think of a prime place to hide. Like Alex, he had spent a great amount of time here, actually, him, Alex, and Cheet had all spent a great amount of time, but it had been years since his last visit, and he could not remember the layout. Giving up, he dashed left, turning left again behind a corner where he saw the exhibit on the Second Civil War. He took a few seconds to stare in wonder and amazement at the exhibit, but the frantic footsteps of the man on the stairwell shocked him from his astonishment, and he ran to the tan-colored Abrams tank, quickly climbing and yanking open the hatch as he jumped inside, shutting the hatch tightly. He swore and let out a pained exclamation as he hit the floor, hard. He felt around, touching a sleeping Spyro, which scared Piermont for a moment. But, blinking once, his night vision was activated, and he saw Spyro, asleep.

Piermont grinned mischievously, but it quickly turned into a grim frown as he heard the man walking around, searching and calling out threats at the intruder. Within minutes, he, too, had fallen asleep.

The next morning, Alex awoke first, and as he slid out of hiding, he instantly remembered his objective, and he ran to where he had spotted Terrias. The man was awake, watching the servine sleep, and once Alex entered the lounge, the man immediately stood up, holding out a pistol.

"Who are you?" the man asked, "Tell me who you are and why you're here, or I _will _shoot!"

Alex raised his hands, "I...my name is Vaughn, Alex, Great Commander of the Terminator Militia. I'm only here to retrieve my friend, Sergeant Terrias...my protege.

"Sergeant Terrias?" the man seemed stunned, "Are you one of his friends?"

"Yes," Alex said, slowly lowering his hands.

"Alex!" Piermont and Spyro said in unison, running downstairs. As soon as they emerged from the stairwell, Don had the handgun trained on them, and they recoiled.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Piermont began, quickly raising his hands, "Put that damn thing down before you shoot somebody!"

"Whoa! Easy boy," Spyro said, "We mean no harm."

"What is _your_ name?" Don said, referring to Piermont, "I know _you _are Spyro the Dragon...I think."

"You are correct," Spyro said.

"I'm Piermont," the forest dragon-still in his human form-said, "Got a problem?"

"_Alex..._" came a weak-sounding voice.

"Terrias? Terrias!" and Alex shoved Don aside as he rushed to the servine's aide. He sat up, and Alex was alarmed by how pale and thin he appeared. In less than two days, he had changed drastically in appearance, and health. He collapsed and Alex was immediately at his side, supporting him. "Terrias..." the commander said, his voice full of sadness and longing.

"Alex," Spyro interrupted, "We should go."

"What do we do about, Terrias?" Alex said, "I can't go on Piermont..."

"Nonsense!" Piermont said, puffing his chest, "I can take another one."

"I'm not worried about, YOU, Piermont," Alex said, and Piermont bravado collapsed.

"Wow," the dragon said, "You are a cold bastard aren't you?"

"He's dying, not you."

"D...Dying?" Terrias muttered weakly.

"No, you're fine," Alex lied, "Thank you for taking care of him," Alex said.

"You're welcome," Don replied.

As they left the museum, Alex noticed that Terrias was staggering, "Can I help you?" Spyro asked.

"No, I'm fine," Terrias said, "Just...a little weak from the fall."

As they walked down the street, Terrias began to collapse, and Alex hurried back...but was too late. The servine hit the ground, and as the commander rushed to help him up...he noticed that Terrias wasn't breathing. "Terrias? Terrias! Spyro! Piermont! Help me, _NOW!_"

They rushed to the commander's side as they helped the unconscious servine up.

"C'mon!" Alex roared, "We need to get him to the hospital! Now! Move it!"


	8. Chapter VII: Situation Critical

_**Chapter VII**_**:**

**-''Situation Critical''-**

**-Connorsville, Illinois-**

**-_18 June 2012_-**

**-_1310 Hours_-**

Everything occurred to Terrias in slow motion. All he was aware of, was the fact that he couldn't breathe, it seemed as if a massive weight was sitting on his chest, _Can't...breathe... _he thought. Distantly, he could hear sirens, and he watched, paralyzed, as ambulances slid to a stop, and as the paramedics surrounded him...nothing...blackness...and he once more found himself in the beautiful field...the one he had seen shortly after Jazz shot him...

_..."Dad?" He says, overjoyed, "I...is that you?"_

_The serperior looks at him, then smiles, "Come, my son," he says, and Terrias is filled with a warm sensation...and then..._

"...Back! He's coming back!"

Terrias opened his eyes, he felt so tired, every muscle in his body was paralyzed, and he witnessed Alex arguing with one of the doctors...

"What do you mean you _can't _help him?" Alex hisses, angry.

"We're not vets..."

"He is as human as you and me!"

"Unfortunately, our policy does not permit us to work on...whatever it is..."

"_He _should be helped! _He _has already flatlined once. Why can't you help him?"

"I already told you..."

"There is something you aren't telling me."

"Well...we aren't permitted to work on your kind..."

"What? The hell does _that _mean?"

"You are Terminators, we aren't allowed to help you, it's the law."

"You're still in the north, this is OUR territory!"

"But our funding comes from the south, which isn't, I deeply apologize."

"This...this is ridiculous! This is damn near racism!"

"I would help you if I could, but I am not allowed, I am deeply sorry."

"Alex..." Terrias said, his voice a harsh whisper... "I'm fine...really..."

"No, you're not," the commander replied, his voice stern, "I refuse to allow these bastards to keep you from getting the care you need."

"I...I'm f...f...fine..." and he passed out again.

"Terrias! Terrias? Goddammit!" Alex roared, "Get somebody in here to help him _NOW_!"

"I ca..."

"_BULLSHIT_!"

"Alex!" Piermont hissed, grabbing the commander's arm tightly, "Enough..."

"Don't you see what the hell is going on? This is fucking ridiculous!"

"I know..." and Piermont's voice now sounded more tired than anything, "But there is nothing that can be done, we just need to move on and find someone who _will _accept Terrias."

"I...I can't believe this," Alex sighed, "This is all my fault..."

"No, it isn't."

"If it weren't for this war, Terrias wouldn't be in this kind of trouble right now."

"Alex...this war is _not _your fault. We didn't declare war on the _Maxia_, they and their goddamn piece o' shit president declared war on _us_."

"Still...there must be a reason why we are being thrown into this war."

"There isn't a reason, and don't you _DARE _blame yourself. We did nothing wrong that warranted having to deal with this chaos, all the responsibility of the war goes to the president...the one who declared war on _us _because _we_ are fucking religious," and Piermont shook his head, breathing deeply to calm his nerves, the situation on hand had completely changed his personality, or perhaps just stripped the facade away, revealing his true self, "It's not fair."

"Terrias...what do you think will happen to him, Pierre?" Spyro asked.

"I don't know, Spyro, I really don't."

"I hope he will be okay..."

"So do I..." then, "So do we all."

Spyro and Piermont turned to Alex who, with a roar, had pulled a KA-BAR against the woman's neck. "Listen to me goddammit! You will help him, do you understand me? I don't give a pity fuck about what your orders are, you are gonna help him, and you _will _make sure he gets the medical attention he deserves!"

"Alex..." Piermont said, sounding small and timid, "It's not worth it, man. We just need to find someone else."

"NO!" Alex hissed, "I will _not _let Terrias die because this worthless broad doesn't think he deserves medical attention!"

"It's not her fault, Alex," Spyro said, sounding tired, "It isn't, and the more you argue with her, the closer Terrias gets to death. We are wasting precious time sitting here arguing with them."

"Hey," and a doctor ran in. He was young, with short black hair, brown eyes, tan, and short, "What do you need?"

"Our friend is dying, we need to get him medical attention."

The man paused for a moment, as if considering what to do, then, with a firm nod, he said, "Come with me."

"_WHAT_!?" the woman said, "Eric, you _know _we aren't allowed to care for Terminators!"

"I don't care," he said sternly, "I will take whatever punishment that is to be earned, but they deserve help, and I don't think it's right turning someone away who needs the help."

"God bless you, sir," Alex said.

The man looked surprised, "Th...thank you..."

"You okay?" Spyro asked.

"Yeah...it's just that nobody has ever said that to me...it's warming to see that there are still people who care in the world."

"I'm warmed that there are still good Samaritans left in the world."

"Follow me," he said, and he hurried across the hospital and to a room at the back. The female doctor follows him, arguing about how that what they were doing was illegal and that _both _of them could lose their jobs. As soon as Terrias was in the operation room, the male doctor...Eric...turned to face his female companion, baring his teeth in a furious glare, "Will you shut up, Debra? I _know _we could lose our jobs! But if I lose my job, I at least want to lose it knowing I helped someone live instead of feeling guilty for letting someone die that could have been saved! _You _might be a heartless bitch, but _I _have a soul, I will not let him die because of some stupid law."

She was stunned, mouth agape, and Alex took the awkward silence to say, "Thank you, sir. I will pay cash so that no record of this exists."

"Thank you."

"No, sir. Thank _you_."

"This is a stupid mistake..."

Piermont then was immediately right beside her, holding a silenced P2K against her temple, "I'm tired of hearing your whiny you dumb broad! Say _one _more thing, and I will put a bullet in your brain!"

"You wouldn't dare..."

"Try my patience, and we'll see what I would and would not do!"

She pouted, but said nothing.

"Smart choice," Piermont said, not lowering the gun, "Doc, do what you have to do, just please keep him alive."

"I'll try my best," Eric said, quickly putting on a cap and mask, "But you will have to leave, there's an observatory upstairs if you want to stay there."

Alpha Company left the room, heading to the observatory as Eric and an obviously unhappy Debra began to operate.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Piermont asked his rider, sounding terrified and like a small child.

"I don't know, Piermont," Alex said quietly, as if he was fighting back tears, "But I hope so..."

Darkness...that's all Terrias saw. He could hear voices, but he saw nothing. Suddenly, he saw a flash of light, and silhouettes against the light, and he heard a distant voice, echoing in the void, "He's flatlining! Bring him back!"

..._And then he is at the field again. The setting sun shining upon the rolling fields...it's so peaceful. He feels warmth fill his soul, and, grinning happily, he dashes through the rolling grasses, pausing in the middle of the field to eagerly glance around, searching for his parents. However, he sees a servine standing across the field from him. She is smiling as well, but he doesn't recognize her._

"_You..." he begins, walking up to the stranger, "Who are you?"_

_She is smiling sheepishly, "It's been years since I last saw you, Terrias."_

"_Who are you?"_

_She laughs, "I guess you don't remember me...I'm Aria's mother."_

"_What?"_

"_The last time I saw you, which was shortly before I died after falling ill, you were just a small infant. I guess I shouldn't be surprised you don't remember me."_

"_You..." and he gulps, "Are Aria's mother?"_

"_Aye..."_

"_Where's my parents?"_

"_They will be here," she says, "They just aren't here yet."_

"_Am I dead?"_

"_No..." then, after a few moments, "Not yet..."_

"_What?" the world suddenly begins to zoom out, shrinking as the void appeared again, "Wait! Where are you going!"_

_The voices return...and one stands out, saying..._

"...back! He's coming back! Keep it up, Eric!"

"No..." Terrias said weakly, delirious, "I...want to go back to my parents..."

"Jesus..." one of them, a male, said, "I think I found out what's wrong with him..."

Alpha Company was asleep, except for Alex, when the surgery finished six hours later. When Eric came in, quietly closing the door, he sneaked to Alex, and Alex stood, asking, "What's wrong? Is he okay? Will he make it?"

Eric shook his head, quietly saying, "We did as much as we can...he's sleeping now, but there is a lot wrong with him."

"What happened to him?"

"Septic poisoning."

"Wait...what the hell is that?"

"Those wounds, cuts, on his body...where did they come from and when did he get them?"

"You mean the..."

"Yes..."

"He was attacked by a sword...but nothing that we can't normally handle...why do you ask?"

"Have you noticed they aren't healing?"

"I've noticed that they're turning black, and the smell of death lingered around him, but he's not usually without his coat, the last time I saw him naked, he was covered in blood, and I thought the smell of death was the results of the battle...is it necrosis?"

"Yes."

"So what is septic poisoning?"

"Well, when he was slashed open with the sword, it seemed to have slit open his bowel as well. Waste has been seeping into his bloodstream since he received the wound, and it was probably carried into his brain and throughout his body, frankly, I'm surprised he didn't do this sooner."

"I would have thought that his genetic mutations would have prevented any serious damage."

"It seems that the poisonous waste has somehow evaded his mutated cells. Debra is observing his blood, we should have something..."

Suddenly, the woman peeked in, giving the two a "come here" gesture. Alex and Eric exchanged glances before sneaking around the sleeping Alpha Company and stepping outside.

"What's the news?" Eric said, just as the door closed shut behind them.

"I checked out his blood, and it seems that his mutated cells have absorbed the poison, even affecting the reproductive coding of the cell."

"So the poisoned cells created even _more _poisoned cells during mitosis?" Alex asked, "Is that even possible?"

"Not normally," she said, "But the mutations you have given him really...for lack of better terms...fucked up his DNA and RNA."

Alex, choking up, then asked, "Will he survived?"

"That is the burning question isn't it..." Debra said. With a sigh, she then replied, "Personally...I doubt it."

Alex then reacted as if smacked. He backed away, slamming against the wall as he slid down to a sitting position, a stunned look on his face.

"No...Terrias..." he covered his face, rubbing his eyes and temples with his index finger and thumb, "I...I can't believe it."

"I'm sorry."

"How long do you give him to live?"

"At best? One or two days, enough time for everyone to say goodbye if you start now, he should be waking from the sedatives at any moment now."

"There's no chance of survival?"

"Very little...perhaps if he would have gotten in sooner...but the damage done is too excessive to repair now."

"So it's too late..."

"Maybe...there's still a chance he could make a full recovery and survive, we have him on IVs and antibiotics."

"But the chance is small."

"Slim to none I'm afraid...I really am sorry."

"What have I done...?" Alex began, shaking his head.

"There's nothing that could be done."

"If I would have just gotten him in sooner!" Alex growled, slamming his fist into the palm of his hand.

"Don't blame yourself, sir. You still have some time."

"Only a few days..." Alex grimaced, "That's plenty of time."

After the doctors left, Alex walked across the hall and to the window peeking into the operation room. Terrias was on the table, a breathing mask over his face, hooked to a heart monitor, IV bags, and numerous other machines that the Commander couldn't recognize.

Alex placed his hand against the glass, his forehead leaning against it, "Terrias..." he whispered, "I'm sorry..."

He remained that way for a few minutes before he slowly made his way back to the observation room, entering and waking Alpha Company as he prepared to share his grim news.

When the doctors returned, they found Alpha Company in shock over the news, Aria was solemn, and Cynder was struggling not to cry. Everyone else in the room seemed deeply affected, but were struggling not to show any emotion, even though Alex didn't mind if they cried, they obviously did not want to reveal their emotions to the Commander, whether because of training, or they didn't want to embarrass their leader. In an attempt to show them that he wouldn't care, he tried to allow his emotions to drain through tears, but as hard as he tried, he could not summon tears, and he was alarmed to find that he felt numb. He wasn't sad, or angry, or upset in anyway, he just felt numb. He remembered his time at Fort Plastro, and how he was made an example of and scolded whenever he cried, because of this, he had learned not to show his emotions, and he felt...he felt like a machine. He felt nothing. Without a word, he walked to the glass, crossing his hands behind his back as he peered out the window and at his companion, remembering all of the experiences they had had together in his short time in the militia.

Suddenly, a deep well of pure anger and fury surged within him, and he bared his teeth in disgust as he swore revenge on Jazz for doing this. He would show no mercy to that damned traitor, and he would dispose of him in the most painful way possible, lasting out his death to torture him until his arrogance and cockiness broke, and he was reduced to tears, pleading for mercy and his life. But mercy would not come to him, Alex intended to stretch out his death to ensure that the rabbit died painfully, seeing just how hated he was for doing this to Terrias, the servine that had so quickly become Alex's friend, and the one who would soon become only the third member of Alpha Company to die, and so recently after the Mutant Division had become whole again with the surprising, heart-warming return of Rapid.

He bit back his anger, bottling his rage as he ordered himself to stand down, now wasn't the time. Terrias was still alive, and there was still a chance he could recover from this. Christ knows that they had all been in pressing situations before, and they had made it out alive. "_There's still a chance he could survive...slim to none I'm afraid._"

Alex suddenly felt angry at the doctors for their report, especially the woman, the one who had denied them help and wasted precious time on ceaseless bickering. He cursed her, hoping that she suffered the same pain that he was at that moment...and then he apologized, praying that she didn't. His anger was uncalled for, but the situation was stressful. Then he felt humiliated. Alpha Company was all experiencing the same blow, they were all stressed at the news, and here he was, the leader, the one who should be showing strength and comfort, displaying his stress to his comrades...it wasn't good for morale. If the leader lost hope, so would the grunts. There was still lives to save, a war to end, and a tyrant to kill, Terrias would become a martyr in their mission, and Alex wished that he could find comfort in the knowledge that Terrias would almost surely make it to Heaven...

But Rapid...what he said...what the innocent skunk had experienced...

Would the mutation serum subject Terrias to the 'Judgment Stay' in Hell? The servine had already had a crappy life, he didn't deserve to spend the afterlife as the devil's toy. Was there no end to the pain and suffering? The Terminator Militia was an army of God! An army of Light! Why would they have to endure the fires of Hell? Or was it so they could better understand and appreciate God, and the promise of eternal life by His side? Alex could recall that several heroes of the Bible had been to Hell, and that wasn't entirely due to humanity's sinful ways. They had always returned, however, with a newfound trust and love in God, respect in their sacred positions. Alex, too, felt this. The Terminators...the next chapter in the Bible, the next band of biblical heroes and prophets. True soldiers of God, proven time and time again by the miraculous experiences they had had. They were modern-day Israelites, this, Alex truly believed, the sudden explosion of warmth in his heart confirmed his suspicions.

So Terrias was a martyr, and he would go to Heaven, the brief stay in Hell was the price for a sacred place in Heaven beside King David, Jonah, Moses, and Noah. The Terminator Militia were the ones whose names would next be written as heroes of the Bible. Instead of the nameless, faceless mass that would become citizens in God's eternal kingdom. Just as the masses of Christians and Jewish would become God's citizens, the troops of the Terminator Militia would become the knights, barons, and dukes. The governors who kept order and maintained peace in the land, servants of God who helped Him in any way He needed. These conclusions brought comfort to Alex, soothing his tormented heart. If Terrias died, he would go someplace far better than here...one untouched by the war, or the ones who wanted all of Alpha Company dead.

Despite the pain and sorrow he felt, and the tears that began to appear at the corners of the Commander's eyes, he smiled, accepting the promise of eternal life, and enjoying the warmth in his heart and soul that told him that Terrias would not spend _all _of eternity in Hell.

Aria, too, was lost in thought, but a completely different concern tormented her soul...she rubbed her belly, whining unhappily. Terrias...what they had done...what he had given her...their life together...all was now tottering on the edge of oblivion. Although she believed that the Terminators were a true army of God, and had no knowledge of the required 'Judgment Stay', she was worried. Terrias...he was dying...and there was nothing that she could do to save him. She tried to imagine life without him, but found she couldn't.

Excusing herself, she ran to the bathroom, locking herself in as she crawled into the stall, sitting on the toilet and crying quietly, tenderly rubbing her stomach. Already she could feel the hardness of what lay within through her furry flesh, and she was worried about what would happen if Terrias wasn't there. If what the doctors said was true, he wouldn't live another day, let alone long enough for her to lay the egg that was their child, and to raise the infant. The worse part was...

...He didn't even know.

She didn't know how to tell him...and lately, they had been so busy doing other things that she hadn't had the opportunity...or had lost the courage as she was about to. What would he say? What would he think? She knew that a child threw several wrenches into the already damaged machine that was the Terminator Militia. Spyro and Cynder were struggling and killing themselves over raising three children and being active soldiers and leaders in the militia, and plus, an egg was another object that had to be carried around, and more that had to be moved if something happened, warranting an evacuation of New Alexandria, which was entirely possible with the _Maxia _growing desperate to finish the Terminators and end the war before the election in November. Besides, much care had to go into keeping the egg safe from harm, and bearing a child in the middle of a brutal war was never a good idea.

Spyro and Cynder...she didn't know how they managed to juggle family with their responsibilities and _still _find time to relax, play, and mate, but dragons, under _normal _circumstances, grew fairly quickly, and second-generation mutants tended to mature much faster than first-generation or non-mutants. Both Terrias and Aria were first-generation mutants, meaning that their child should have been second-generation, however much altering and time had gone into the serum between Spyro and Cynder's inclusion into the ranks of Alpha Company and the Terminator Militia, and their respective mutations, and Terrias and Aria's, including the immunity to silver. Who was not to say that the version of serum that Terrias and Aria had been given would eliminate the second-generation benefits? Spyro and Cynder's children were old enough now that they could take care of themselves...except for their third child, who had been given a second mutation serum designed specifically to counteract the second-generation benefits after they had requested to be granted the blessing of raising a child under a normal schedule than their newborn being as mature as an adult within six months after their birth.

Besides, they were dragons...would the effect be different for two servine parents? There was so much doubt and lack of information concerning second-generation mutants, that Aria was deeply worried, and the fact that her mate was about to die...that only furthered her stress. At least Spyro and Cynder were _both _alive. There were two parents to care for the child, two parents to split the responsibility with. If Terrias died...all of the responsibilities would be thrust upon Aria, and she worried that the mounting stress would kill her, literally. She was so worried, but she didn't know which stress was of a higher priority. She didn't want to seek help, as she didn't want anyone to know that she was pregnant. They would find out soon, of course, but she wanted to delay her admission for as long as possible, which she hoped would not be until she started showing her pregnancy.

"Excuse me," Eric said, returning.

"Yes?" Alex asked.

"He's awake if you want to start sending your troops in."

"What is he talking about?" Spyro asked.

Alex, sounding somber, replied, "Time to start saying our goodbyes."

Spyro frowned, and he looked as if he was about to cry, "You...you don't think he will survive...do you, Alex?"

"I'm afraid he won't. If he does, great. But if he dies..." Alex shook his head, "I don't want him to die without at least saying goodbye..."

Spyro nodded, sniffling, "Understandable..." and his voice cracked, "Who's first?"

Simba then stepped forward, "I'll go...I think the High Command should go last..." Simba shrugged, "I just think it would be more meaningful that way."

"No," Alex said, "Aria should go first."

"No," Aria said, shaking her head, "I'll go last...I have some...things...to say to him once you guys retire for the night."

"We're not leaving as long as he's here, Aria. We won't leave him behind."

"There is a house you can stay in across the street from here. It's free for the families of patients who are staying over."

Alex nodded, "Thank you, we'll do that. Are you sure you don't want to be first, Aria?"

"I'm positive," Aria said, "Just start going..."

And so it began.

By the time everyone had finished saying what they had to, it was well into the night, and Alpha Company left to the house that Eric had mentioned. Alex and Aria stayed back, and Alex said, "Listen, Doctor, if anything happens...call me," and the Commander gave him a slip of paper, "That's my cell, and the cells of Spyro, Cynder, and Piermont. Call me first if anything happens, if I don't answer, call any of the others, okay?"

Eric nodded, "Will do...you have a good night's rest, Mister...?"

"Just call me Alex," and the Commander nodded, "You, too, Doc. Once more, thank you for at least trying to help him."

"You are welcome...Alex..."

"Good night."

"Good night, sir."

And Alex left, leaving Eric and Aria alone in the room.

"Aren't you heading with them?" Eric asked the servine.

Aria nodded, "Yes, but I have a few things I have to say to my mate first."

"Whoa...he's your mate?"

"Yes."

"I...I'm sorry..."

Aria shook her head, "No, don't be. He'll go to a better place if he dies...one not torn apart by war or chaos."

"Amen, I'll leave you and him alone. Take as long as you need."

"Thank you."

"You are most welcome," and Eric left.

Aria headed out of the observation room, slowly trudging down the hallway and to the double doors leading to the operating room. She stood by the door, closing her eyes and trying to gather the strength. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the room. Terrias was on the bed, awake and alert. He was attached to several machines, including a breathing tube that prohibited speaking. Aria walked slowly up to him, a look of sadness and pain on her face, she hated to see him in this condition. He was suffering...and she felt terrible for him.

"Hey..." she said sadly.

He blinked twice, acknowledging that he had heard her.

There were several moments of silence, they just stared at each other, and she said, "I...I'm so sorry..."

Then, his mental voice, sounding weak, entered her mind, _Don't be...you did nothing wrong..._

"Yes I did, I should have helped you when I first noticed that you weren't feeling well..."

_You didn't know...this wasn't your fault._

"Yes it is...I didn't help you..."

_I didn't tell you..._

"But I knew...and I did nothing!"

_Still, I don't blame you, or Alex, or anybody. I didn't want to tell you...I was afraid...of what you would think...I was afraid...you would think that I'm weak..._

"No! Never! You are _not _weak! You are strong, so very strong, and that's why I _know _you can and will make it out of here!"

_You are lying..._

"No!" and she shook her head, saying the word to herself more to him, "No, no, no, no! You _will _make it out of this, I promise!"

_Never make a promise that can't be kept, Aria._

"I won't let you die, Terrias..."

_It can't be stopped._

"Yes it can!"

_I'm already too far gone, Aria...I made a dumb mistake not trying to get help sooner, and now, I will pay the price for my stupidity._

"You aren't stupid, Terrias. Don't say that! Don't you _ever _say that!" and Aria was yelling at him, more out of sadness than anger, "I will _NOT _lose you!"

_It can't be stopped...It's my time..._

Aria then started crying now, she had lost all control, "Yes it can...yes it can!"

_No, it can't._

"You can make it if you have the will to!"

_My life, and my destiny, is in God's hands. I trust that He knows, and does, what is best. If I die, I will die with the knowledge that that is what His plan was. Aria...if I don't make it through the night..._

"I won't leave you, Terrias..." and she shook her head again, "I won't leave you. I will stay with you until the end, just like I promised you the night we first mated..."

Terrias smiled, _It was a wonderful night..._

Aria smiled, tears streaming down her face, "Yes, yes it was..." and she unconsciously rubbed her stomach again.

_What's wrong? Does your stomach hurt?_ Terrias asked.

"No, not at all..." and she laughed nervously.

She could feel Terrias trying to probe her mind, for the truth more than likely, but the force he exerted was weak, and she easily shoved it away, locking him out of her mind. She felt terrible for doing so, especially since she was inexperienced with blocking her mind to curious individuals, and she unwittingly blocked out Terrias' voice. Worrying, she immediately opened the lines, and Terrias apologized for trying without asking her.

"No," Aria said, "I'm sorry..."

She then was at a crossroads...did she tell him about her pregnancy? Or did she lie to him and wait for another time. She didn't know what to do, and for several minutes she remained silent. Terrias began to drift off, telling her goodnight before sealing his mind off from her. His barriers were weak, but she didn't dare try to penetrate them, for fear of hurting him worse than he already was. She sighed as she said, "Goodnight..." and she turned to leave.

As she left the room, she froze in her tracks as Terrias said, _Aria..._

She turned, "Yes?"

_I love you, Aria..._

"I love you, too..."

_I've always loved you, you know that...right?_

"Of course!"

_Ever since I first met you...I dreamed about you all the time...I never did thank you for being my big sister when my mom died..._

Aria smiled, "Yes you did, many times."

_When?_

And she sent him a memory, a crystal clear recount of how she felt on the night of their first mating, after the initial pain of first penetration gave way to the immense pleasure.

He closed his eyes, smiling, and made a deep, throaty noise, what she took as a laugh. _Ah...as magical as I remember it..._

"You've done so many things for me, Terrias...so many wonderful things. You've given me so much...happiness, love, purpose...family..."

_I did it...because I love you..._

"And I love you, too."

_Aria...you are the best thing to ever happen to me..._

And she suddenly began to cry, "You...you are the best thing to ever happen to me...I don't want to lose you..."

_I will always be with you, Aria. Even if I die, I will always be there, even if not physically. I will be in your dreams, in your memories, I will be your guardian angel. I will ensure that no harm comes to you and your family._

"Family? You are my family, I wouldn't trade you for anyone else."

_Aria, I don't wish for you to stay faithful to me after I die._

"I will not get someone else!"

_If I die...promise me that you will continue on..._promise_ me, Aria! Find someone else, someone who will take care of you as much as I wish I could have. Find someone who will sacrifice their life for you, don't let yourself die alone or mistreated. I want you to be happy, I want you to bear the children that I could not give you...understand?_

She wondered briefly if she should have told him about her pregnancy...but when she went to tell him, he had closed off his mind, and fallen asleep. Unhappily, she turned and left, heading across the empty hospital as she began her trip to the place where she would sleep that night.

By the time Aria entered the house where Alpha Company was staying, everyone else had long since gone to bed, and she was the only one awake. She was tired, but she couldn't sleep, she thought over everything that Terrias had said...could she even possibly find someone without remembering Terrias? Terrias was the only one she had ever had, and the only one that she had intended to have. Even though he had told her to move on and start a new family following his death, she couldn't bring herself to hunt for another mate. She had promised him the night they had first mated that she would sleep only with him, and that she would remain faithful, and though it might have seemed like post-sex sweet-nothings back then, she intended to keep her word.

Terrias didn't deserve to die with the knowledge that he would lose his mate, and she wouldn't dishonor him in such a way, even if he _was _dead. She would die with or without him and him only. There was no one else in the world she would ever be with. He was the only one she loved, and the only one that she could have even dreamed of being with. It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair to him for her to abandon him upon his death...to forget he even existed! Even though she knew that she would remember him, and everyone who ever knew him would remember him, she thought that to be with another male would cause her to symbolically forget him, he would not be forgotten, she would not be with another male.

But still, none of this was fair! Why did Terrias have to die? What had he ever done to anyone? He had done nothing but good things to people...he had survived a brutal upraising, and moved on to use that experience for the better...unlike her...who had tried committing suicide periodically during and after her stay with their former owner. Every night, her sleep was haunted by old memories of hellish experiences with their owner. She had been lucky enough to escape the odd, twisted, sexual experiences that their owner was notorious of having with his 'pets', but the effect of her childhood still haunted her and threatened to destroy her. And throughout all of the pain and suffering, Terrias had served as the beacon of light, her childhood friend, the only one who really cared about her, who worried for her, who was concerned for her and cared when she was hurt or sick. He had always been there for her, to comfort her when she was sad, to snuggle against her when she was cold, to share his food when she was hungry...he was always the generous, giving one. He was always the one who made her laugh amidst the all-enveloping darkness, he was always the one who cheered her up, who went out of his way to make her birthdays and other special holidays special for her. He was always _there_!

When his mother died...and she took him under her wing, she set out to repay him for everything he had done for her, by showing him the same compassion he had shown her. Even though his attraction to her didn't come until well into the point of his life where she was his surrogate mother, she had loved him for as long as she remembered. It had started with a few warm and fuzzy feelings whenever he cheered her up, or paid attention to her, or went out of his way to reward her, even if it meant taking away from himself. Then she started enjoying whenever he was around her, and she always wanted to be around him. Then she started dreaming about him, innocent at first, but growing progressively more sensual and sexual. She could even remember the details of her first wet dream concerning him. She obsessed over him, always thinking about him, and he made her even happier by always paying attention to her. He always showed her attention, always was there. Many times she had awoke in the middle of the night with an inexplicable longing to just _feel _him, to _feel _his paw, or his arm, or just to feel his presence. She would wake up in the middle of the night, walk over to where he would sleep, usually against his mom's stomach, using her body heat for warmth, and she would curl up beside him, feeling his presence, relishing it, falling asleep hearing his heartbeat, hearing his soft breathing.

Several times, his mother had awakened, but she had only looked at Aria with a small smile before falling asleep again. Terrias' mother _knew _that Aria loved him, she knew it. When Aria's own mother passed away, Terrias' mother had adopted her as well, and Aria wondered if it was her intention the whole time for the two to form a couple. Their families were so alike, both of their mothers had been kidnapped from the wild after their trainer, who had spoiled them rotten, had passed away. Both of their fathers had been killed while in the wild, and both of them had been born, unknowingly to their new owner, into the hellhole that had been their home. Terrias' mother had treated Aria as her own daughter, acknowledging her birthday, treating her whenever she could, and for the longest time Terrias and Aria _had _been brother and sister. That was why Aria had found it odd when she first started developing a sexual attraction to her suspected brother. When, during a story one night, Terrias' mother had admitted that Aria had been adopted by her following her real mother's death, everything had fallen into place so easily, and Aria was overjoyed that her attraction was not incestuous in the slightest.

After Terrias' mother had passed away...it was truly a sad time for both of them...but Aria, having known for quite some time that Terrias' mother wasn't hers, had accepted her own mother's death, and wasn't as deeply affected as Terrias was. It was because of this, as well as feeling the need to repay Terrias for all of his generosity, that she had taken the heartbroken snivy under her wing, showing him care and always paying attention to him. At first, her sexual fantasies had faded away once she took on the cherished role of 'mother' to the now-motherless snivy, and had been replaced with the protective, caring nature of a mother. Soon, however, once she had fallen into the routine of the 'mother', the sexual fantasies returned, as fierce and intense as ever, and the need for contact was stronger than ever. It was then that she started sleeping against Terrias, and tried to touch him whenever she could, however she could.

When she had awakened one day to find Terrias suckling her as an infant to his mother, she was surprised of course...but something about that immensely intimate contact felt..._right_, felt _exciting_,felt arousing, and she began to fantasize that he would do that again...but more as an introduction into more...intimate...acts than a mistake he had made after a vivid dream that his mother was still alive. Around the same time, he had apparently been having increasingly sexual dreams concerning her as he approached the age of sexual maturity which she had achieved long before then. From that moment, both of their aging experiences were in synch. She wanted to see his reproductive organs as much as he did hers, and both wanted to mate, but both had been too shy to approach anything close to a future relationship as mates.

Right as they began to grow comfortable with their similar feelings, and they were almost ready to admit their feelings, their owner had decided to separate Terrias from the females, as he was getting older, and he was thrown into the cage with the other males. Aria was heartbroken, and when he was ruthlessly tormented and beat by the males, Aria could hear everything, even if she couldn't see it, this only furthering her heartbreak, especially with the knowledge that she couldn't help him, and that those males would kill him. The need for that intimate contact was strong as ever, and they were separated by two inches of black-spray-painted plywood, and walls of steel bar. She then discovered masturbation in an attempt to dampen the need for contact, but it ultimately failed, proving that her attraction to him wasn't entirely sexual, finally confirming her suspicions that she was indeed truly in love with him, and not just wanting to mate because he was the only male in the female cage. As he neared sexual maturity, she began to pick up different scents from him, and he could pick up the same from her. She knew when he was in need of release, and he knew when she was in heat. The odors were also extremely intimate, and she wanted the source. It was then that they began their secretive process of remaining together, despite the separation. There was one specific area of both cages, right beside each other, of which they would relieve themselves, and where they lived. That area, consequently, became saturated with their odors, and because they were beside each other, the saturated odors wafted into the other cage, saturating the other side as well. She found that this was just what she needed, and she found that need for intimacy dissipate, because she was surrounded by his distinctly musky odor, as was he hers. What surprised her about the males, and the females, was that the wafting odors of the saturated areas did not attract them.

The odors triggered some kind of hidden instinct, one that sparked near-instant sexual arousal, and though the other males and females could surely pick up those scents, they weren't attracted to those regions likes ants to sugar. Eventually, Terrias was bullied to the point where the owner found it best to reintroduce Terrias to the females. The other females were overjoyed to have Terrias back, especially Aria, and they once more slept together, too afraid to pursue any kind of sexual relationship. However, they were snakes of routine, and they still slept in one specific corner, together now, but still in that one specific corner. The area then became very saturated by their respective scents, and it worked to actually drive off the females from the area, and the males on the opposite side of the cage. They grew comfortable with admitting their states on sexual arousal, but they never pursued any acts with each other, and they still never revealed themselves, but one knew when the other was aroused, there was no sense in hiding it, what was unspoken was given away by the scents wafting from them. Over the months they stayed together, they were inseparable as always.

Then, one day, their owner had gone out with six random Pokemon, which he normally did, and Terrias had been one of them that he had decided to take. When the owner had returned late that night, bandaged, stitched, and looking furious, he had beat one of the male snakes to death before returning the remaining Pokemon to their cages. Upon his return, Aria was excited, she had gone all day without seeing or smelling Terrias, and she was excited to see him again, ready to cuddle with him, and was even considering admitting her feelings towards him, and issuing her request to concrete their budding relationship and mate.

When he wasn't returned...Aria became worried...frantic even. The days after Terrias went missing were hard for her, and she began to grow suicidal...and then, one day, she was awakened by an all-too-familiar aroma. It was faint, as if coming from far away...but it was fresh, and this had fully roused Aria and excited her, as she was looking forward to meeting the love of her life again. However, Terrias' natural musk was overruled by several other unfamiliar aromas...and one of them was similar to their abusive owner's, which further terrified her. Then...she saw him...

The first thing she noticed was that he was wearing a trench coat, similar to their owner's. He also had a strange look in his eyes, an unfamiliar, extremely intelligent glimmer. He was smart, both of them were quite intelligent, but this glimmer...it was almost like that of a mad genius. He paused at the base of the stairs that were at the end of room, glancing around, looking specifically for her, and she had called for him. This had caused him to glance at her, and his eyes lit up once he saw her. He then spoke...not in their language...but the language of their owner, and a human that she had at first mistook for their owner had stepped up to him, kneeling and giving him a shot. Aria had grown frantic, especially when Terrias had cried out in pain and a flash of light burst from his body, now glowing violet. When he recovered, he had run over to her, frantically chatting in their native tongue and telling her that he was fine, that these men with him were good people, and that he was there to rescue her. The human had opened her cage, and though she was hesitant around him, Terrias assured her that he was safe, and they had escaped, being chased by the German Shepherds that acted as their owner's security. Once they were safe, the human had given him another shot, and he once more spoke in the language of the human. The human then moved to give her the shot, which scared her, and she had admittedly overreacted, even attacking and hurting the human, but he didn't seem to mind, only healed his wounds, and while Terrias had held her down, restraining her, causing her to fear that Terrias was going to rape her, the human gave her the shot, and in an instant her mind had cleared, as if it had been covered in thick, black clouds, and the clouds had just disappeared, revealing the sunlight. She understood what Terrias was telling her, and the human asked her if she was hurt anywhere. He had then healed her wounds...and the smiling boy had introduced her to the other three in the vehicle with him, Piermont, Spyro, and Cynder, the three dragons who had emitted the mysterious odor that, along with the human's had clouded Terrias'. It was here that she had met Alex, her and Terrias' savior, and joined the Terminators...and now, a little over half a year after she had joined, she was happy, mated with her childhood sweetheart, and pregnant with their first child. She could never repay Alex for playing matchmaker and convincing the both of them to admit their feelings. When they did, they realized that they had both feared the same thing, for no reason at all, and although they were not fully in love, she didn't want to partake in any sexual acts...as she was still, much to both her and Terrias' disbelief, hesitant about mating with Terrias. To fantasize about it was one thing, to actually _do _it was entirely another. She had only decided to mate after discovering Terrias, masturbating to what he had admitted as being a fantasy starring her.

Aria blinked her thoughts away, sighing as fears of Terrias' death filled her thoughts, shrouding her in depression again. She didn't want to lose him...she loved him too much, and they had been through so much together. It was ironic, and not the good kind, they had survived an abusive home, survived a vicious war where every day was a battle to live, and now her life was about to be taken away as the only one she cared about more than the universe, the only one who she would sacrifice her own life to save, the last one she wanted to pass away, was about to die by poisoning himself to death.

What was she going to do? Terrias was her life! She could not imagine life without him, it was impossible. To her, life without Terrias _was _impossible, he had always been there, and now, the idea that he would never be there, ever again...it haunted her, terrified her, she didn't want that future...but now it seemed there was no choice, it was imminent. This weighed heavy on her heart, only worsened by the fact that it had been hell to get him to be her mate, and now that they were mates, and now that they did have a child...he was going to disappear forever.

No...not forever...just as long as she was alive. They would be reunited in death, they would both go to Heaven, or Elysium, or Hell, or Purgatory, or wherever their afterlife lay, and they would be together again, this time, they would NEVER be separated. In the words of a famous song, the world could stop, and she would melt with him. It didn't matter what trials and tribulations she endure either now or in the afterlife, just so long as she was by his side. As long as they were together, she was happy. Before she fell asleep that night, she collapsed to the side of her bed...the living room couch, and she placed her hands together, lowering her forehead to he hands. In the darkness of the silent house, she prayed, and she prayed, and she prayed more. She prayed for God to spare Terrias' life, she prayed that he would recover, and she prayed that he would be okay. She fell asleep that night, frightened for what the future brought, but also feeling comfort as her heart was filled with a calming warmth...what Alex described as God's soothing grace placed on her disturbed soul.

The next morning, Aria overslept. When she awoke, it was 1427 Hours, or 2:27 in the afternoon, and Alpha Company was nowhere to be found. She could make a positive guess as to where they had run off to, and as she crawled into the kitchen, she saw a letter on the table, upon reading it, her suspicions were confirmed, and she quickly ran across the street and to the hospital, purchasing slice of strawberry cheesecake and a cup of Starbucks coffee before speeding to the elevator and heading to the sixth floor, where Terrias was being held. When she arrived in the room he had been assigned, she found it empty, and as she explored the seemingly endless, labyrinthine corridors of the hospital, she discovered a small waiting room where Alpha Company sat, playing poker around a table. She entered and Alex said, "Well, good afternoon," before reaching below the table and tossing her a bottle of Mountain Dew, "Make yourself comfortable he said, and resumed his game."

"I raise you $50," Piermont said, sliding chips across the table and to the pot, "And nice to see you are alive, Aria."

"Afternoon," Spyro said next, then, "I call for the flop."

Alpha Company all said their hellos, and after silence had filled the room, except for the noises of the game of Texas Hold 'Em, she asked the burning question, "How's Terrias?"

"He's fine...for now," Alex said, "They took him back into surgery."

"Yeah," Sonic said, "About an hour or two ago, they said it would be about six to eight hours, we'll know how he is then."

"No matter what happens," Spyro said, "Aria, listen to me. Whatever happens...we _will _see him again."

"I know," and Aria nodded, choking back tears.

Cynder glared at her mate and said, "Don't worry, Aria. Terrias will be fine, I'm sure. The thing about Terminators, and Alex can tell you this, you can't get rid of 'em _THAT _easily. He's been through much worse shit, I'm sure he'll be fine, the docs are trying their best to help him, and I have faith in them."

"You might have faith in the doctors," Aria said, frowning and narrowing her eyes, "But what about God? If He is going to take him away, then he will be taken away, and there is nothing that doctors or science can do to stop it."

Cynder shrugged, "Well...yeah...but we're not trying to pick fights, Aria..."

"Yeah," Spyro said, "We're just trying to cheer you up."

"I don't _need _to be cheered up!" Aria snapped, "I want Terrias to be okay!" and she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

"Well..." Piermont began after she had left, "_Somebody_'s on their time of the month..." and Alex, glaring angrily at him, painfully elbowed his ribs, "_OW!_" he exclaimed, rubbing his side, "The _hell _was _THAT _for!"

"We don't need your smart-ass remarks, Pierre."

"What? I'm just saying!"

"Her mate is about to die, man!" Sonic hissed, "The least you can do is be respectful."

"Fuck you, Hedgehog!"

"Piermont, Sonic, stop fighting! Sonic, don't intimidate Piermont, else he'll start crying. Piermont, leave Aria alone."

"I was just making a comment..." Piermont began.

"Bull," Alex interrupted, "You were trying to be funny and make a stupid comment. Now is not the time for your little muses."

"Ouch...you hurt my feelings!" Piermont said.

"Good, morons need to be put in there place," Spyro said with a grin.

"Spyro, don't," Alex said.

"Fuck you, Purple Boy!" Piermont hissed, "Fuckin' queer."

"Piermont, stop!" Alex roared.

"Okay! Okay! Jesus, no need to shit a brick."

"Anyway," Alex said after a few moments of silence. He stood up and walked to the door, "I'm going to go talk to Aria..."

"What should we do about the game?" Sonic asked.

"Spyro, fold me."

"Yes, sir."

"My hand is shit anyway," and he left.

Piermont then smiled mischievously at Spyro, "Hey bud, what's his hand?"

Spyro looked at Alex's cards, and he grew bug-eyed as his jaw dropped.

"What? What is it? C'mon man! Spit it out!"

"Two fucking kings!"

"You're shitting me, aren't you."

"Nope!" and Spyro laughed maniacally, "He was kicking our asses!"

Piermont then jumped up, nearly knocking the table over, and the rest of Alpha Company protested. The dragon, in his human form, as usual, dashed over to Spyro looking over his shoulder and at the Commander's hand. "Bull-fucking-_shit_!" Piermont said, astounded, "This hand ain't shit!"

"Pierre," Sonic began, talking in a voice like a mother would use to her young child, "Put the cards down."

"Hell naw! I'm takin' these babies!"

"Put the shiny cards onto the soft table, Piermont, be a good boy now."

"Fuck you!"

"Pierre," and Crash stared at him, eyebrow slightly raised, tapping on the table with his cards.

Piermont frowned, "Fine!" and he threw the cards down.

"Good boy," Sonic said, "Now, continuing where we left off..."

"Raise!" Spyro announced happily.

"How much?"

"All in!"

Alpha Company groaned as they all pulled out.

"NEXT HAND!" Crash commanded.


	9. Chapter VIII: Everybody Dies

_**Chapter VIII**_**:**

**-''Everybody Dies''-**

**-Connorsville, Illinois-**

**-_19 June 2012_-**

**-_2103 Hours_-**

"Aria?" Alex asked as he walked over to where Aria stood. She was on the breezeway between the North and South buildings of the hospital, divided by the street below. She was looking out the window, towards the west and over the sprawling city. It was overcast, but the clouds would occasionally move just enough that a sliver of the Ring was visible. The servine did not speak, she just stood in silence, and Alex slowly approached her, using his cane, carved to look like a tarnished, brass Chinese dragon wrapped around a tree branch, with the head of the dragon serving as the handle of the cane, to walk, the coming storm was hell on his arthritis, storms usually were.

Alex then stopped beside her, standing next to her as he looked out the window.

Several moments of silence passed between them before Alex said, "Aria?"

"What do you want?" she said, sounding tired.

"Are you okay?"

"Well I don't know! What do _you_ think!" she snapped, then, "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay. I understand."

"And to answer your question...no, I'm _not _alright, I'm worried about Terrias..."

"I'm sorry, Aria."

"About what?"

"About all of this."

"It's not your fault...there's nothing that you can do."

"I still feel as if there is...or was..."

Several more moments of silence passed between them before Aria suddenly said, "Terrias...he's been there for me...he's always been there for me. HE was always the one who took care of me when I was sick or sad, he always cheered me up, and he always made me happy. You think he's a nice person now?" and Aria chuckled sadly, "He would give me gifts...his own possessions...on my birthday. He always gave me things, even if it took things away from himself. We were friends...childhood friends...we grew up together. We were inseparable...him and I. All he wanted was for me to be happy, and he went out of his way to make sure it was so. When...I was cold..." and she choked up, "I would go up to him and ask him if he wanted to sleep with me. He always said yes, even if he was in the middle of something, and we would curl up together and fall asleep, using each other for warmth...God, Alex...he was so selfless...such a nice, kind person. No wonder I loved him so much..."

"He was always there for you..."

"Yes he was, and I was always there for him if he needed me...he made me...he made me feel like a queen. I owe him so much, Alex...so much. I don't want to lose him, I can't imagine life without him."

"That's understandable," Alex said.

"Oh God, Alex!" and she began to cry, "I...I don't want to lose him! I love him!" and she embraced Alex tightly. Alex held her, hugging her.

"It's okay, Aria..." he said, "It's okay..."

"Please, Alex, please tell me that Terrias will live...that he'll be okay! I...I should have told him...I..."

"Told him what?"

"I...I...I...I'm..."

"You're what, Aria? What's wrong?"

But she had completely dissolved into chokes and tears, and Alex decided it was best that he left her to work things out on her own while he went back to where the rest of Alpha Company was.

"Everything okay?" Piermont asked as Alex entered.

"No..." Alex said with a sigh, "She is really scared for Terrias."

"I'm not surprised, the two are damn near as inseparable as Spearow and Cynder."

"She's heartbroken?" Spyro asked.

And Alex nodded, "Oh yeah. Terrias...apparently their relationship goes much farther than simple mates."

"Of course," Spyro said, "But you being a human being, I'm not surprised that you don't understand the grave importance of mates. You fuckin' humans mate purely out of pleasure."

"Yeah, yeah. But that's just what makes us awesome."

"That's what makes you idiots who fight wars to pass the time."

"Yeah, and dragons don't like a little cold-blooded murder sometimes? Anyways, Terrias...he is a major reason why Aria is alive today, according to her."

"What did she say?" Cynder asked.

"That Terrias had been there for her, had always paid attention to her, sacrificed his own possessions to make her happy, to gift her, made her feel like a queen."

"Ah, smart man."

"Apparently, he was the only one who really cared about her also."

"Of course..."

"No, I mean _really_. If she was sick, he was the only one who tried to make her feel better, who was always by her side until she had fully recovered. If she was sad, he cheered her up, if she was lonely, he would stop whatever he was doing to hang out with her, if she was cold, he would sleep with her to keep her warm."

"Damn," Cynder mumbled, "Sounds like one helluva guy."

"He apparently was...which makes me feel even _more _like crap for not trying to get Terrias to pursue help sooner."

"_YOU _feel like crap?" Cynder said, "_I'M _the one that told everyone that he wasn't his normal self, and told everyone not to worry, and how he's a big boy who can take care of himself...if I would have known it was this bad...I would have strong-armed him into seeking help sooner."

"No sense in lamenting on old mistakes, now, what we really must talk about, is how we're gonna break it to Aria that the probability of Terrias surviving the day is next to nil...especially since his lungs collapsed last night."

"Yeah, she doesn't know why he's in surgery, does she?"

Alex slowly shook his head, "Nope."

"Any more details on it?"

"He flatlined again, last I checked they were trying to revive him."

"I hope they did."

"Yeah," and Alex snorted nervously, "I hope so, too. He's a good person, and a good friend, it's a shame to see this become of him."

"Why is it always the good people of the world who die?" Spyro asked unhappily.

"Because the world loves throwing little twists into the game, and evil is rising."

"Don't understand why, load of bullshit, man," Piermont muttered.

"It's biblical, _man_," Alex said.

"Regardless," Piermont replied, "This whole scenario is fucking bullshit, Terrias never did anybody wrong, and yet he's paying for our mistakes."

"Nobody said the life of a soldier was easy," Spyro said.

"Yeah, but Terrias..." Alex shook his head, "Talk about fuckin' irony. How much shit has he been through since his birth? And his end is met by shit getting into his blood...literally."

"Just like Petrenko," Piermont said.

"Don't _even _get me started on him," Alex said, "Another unfair death."

"The _world _is unfair," Cynder said, "It's best we just ignore it and keep living life. All we can do is play by the rules of life, we have no say in the matter."

"Life metaphorically has us by the balls," Spyro said, "We're at its command."

"Ain't _that _the truth," Alex sighed, walking to and looking out the window.

"Here's a question for you," Crash said, "What will _you_ do if Terrias dies?"

Alex barely turned his head to address Crash, "Pardon?"

"If Terrias dies...what will we do?"

"Cremate his remains, then continue on as if nothing happened...it's all we can do."

"What about Aria?"

"What about her?"

"How will we make sure that she stays in line?"

"Put her on suicide watch, same thing we did with Spyro after Cynder passed away."

"Yeah, but I wasn't gone for any longer than a few hours," Cynder said.

"You were still dead," Alex said, "And Spyro was still about to off himself out of grief."

"Was not!" Spyro complained.

"Bull," Alex said, "You fucking lost it. But that's beside the point. If Terrias dies, Aria goes to a hospital and is put under surveillance so she doesn't off herself out of grief."

"What do you think will happen?" Piermont asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Will Terrias die? Or will he survive?"

"To be honest, Pierre, I don't think he'll make it. He's in really bad shape, and he's already lost like fifty pounds since yesterday morning."

"Shame..." Spyro said.

"It really, truly is," Crash added with a solemn nod, "But life likes to throw curve balls at you."

Alex then became more energized as he said, "Well, we'll just have to see what happens, for now, let's continue this game...and _try _to take our minds off of Terrias and his situation. His life and future is in the docs' and God's hands now, we've done all we could, and worrying or talking about it doesn't change his situation, it just messes with _our _morale."

That night, Eric walked in, covered in blood, and sounding tired. "What's the diagnosis, doc?" Piermont asked, not looking up from his hand. Aria sat across the room, in a corner, looking off, daydreaming.

"He's sleeping...peacefully. His heart stopped twice during operation, but we have him connected to an iron lung, and we rigged him up to a dialysis machine. Normally I wouldn't suggest this, but to be honest, it might be best for both you all, and him as well, to put him out of his misery and pull the plug."

Alex shook his head, "No, impossible, I can't do that...we need to give him every chance he can get..."

"Alex, he's in _really _bad shape, he's not even breathing on his own anymore...are you really wanting to prolong his suffering to give him a chance that he won't use? The odds of his survival now next to none."

"There's still a chance..."

"Alex..." Piermont began, "Maybe we should..."

"No."

"I don't...I don't want him to suffer..."

"Pierre, I will _NOT _pull the plug."

Spyro then spoke, "Alex..."

"What?" Alex hissed.

"Let it go...Let _him _go."

"I will do no such thing!"

Spyro then frowned, "You are worse than Jazz!"

Alex was struck dumb by this comment, "What? How in the hell-?"

"At least Jazz knew the meaning of _coup de grace_! We need to put Terrias out of his misery, he's suffering...he's only alive by machines now...it's time we let him go. If he is destined to survive, even if we pull the plug, he will remain alive. It's not like _you _can change his destiny by keeping him hooked up to machines to give him a chance when he's so far out of it, that he cannot recover."

"I will not be responsible for the murder of one of my friends."

"You won't be _murdering _him," Cynder argued, "You will be issuing the _coup de grace_. The _blow of mercy_! You will be ending his suffering, it's just like shooting a wounded animal that has no chance of recovery, or is in extreme pain!"

Alex roared, "I will _NOT _end him! If he dies, he dies while hooked up to those machines! While he is still breathing, while his heart is still beating, he has a chance and I will make sure it is open to him!"

"Even while he is in pain?" Crash asked. "Do you really want him to suffer?"

"No..."

"Then pull the plug, or at least issue a DNR."

"No...I can't...I can't do that."

"What do you think _he _would want?" Crash continued, "Do you think that _he _wants to live through all of this? Do you _really _think that he wants to feel all of this pain? We need to...we need to let him go."

Alex turned to leave, but he paused in the doorway and said, "I will not be altered on my position here. Doc, do whatever you need to ensure his survival and full recovery, but do _NOT _pull the plug, or carry out a DNR request," and he left.

Piermont shook his head, "I swear, he is one stubborn S.O.B sometimes."

"I understand why he doesn't want Terrias to go..." Spyro said, "But...jeez, I don't want him to suffer either..."

"Unfortunately," Crash said, "He is our CO, and his word is law..."

"Unfortunately," Cynder agreed.

Terrias awoke from a light, feverish sleep, He found himself in one of those 'in-between' stages, where he was between full consciousness and dreaming. He felt detached from the rest of his body, and the room, although dark, seemed to be lit up. The sedatives were starting to wear off, and he was suffering from an unquenchable thirst. As he tried to reach for the glass of water by his bedside, he found that his limbs wouldn't listen to him. He was paralyzed. He tried moving his legs as well, but they were paralyzed as well, and this wasn't because of all of the harnesses and wires he was hooked up to. All he felt was pain, nothing else, and he was miserable. He cried out for help, he cried out in pain, but his voice was gone. He couldn't speak, then he remembered the hoses that were forced down his throat.

An instant pain tore through his stomach, the most powerful yet, and he suddenly felt numb. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of brilliant light, and he managed to barely turn his head. Although he felt weak, the orb of white light he saw filled him with warmth, and a hidden strength, spiritual strength, emotional strength. An image of the beautiful, grassy plain flashed before his eyes, superimposed over the clean, sterile hospital room that he was in. He smiled as the plain came to life before his eyes. _So...peaceful..._ he thought.

The sun was warm, brilliant, bright, shining down on his cold, pained body. He suddenly felt a strange lightness, as if he was being lifted by some invisible force. Little by little, the plain began to dominate his vision, the room becoming the occasional flash as he felt warmth and peace fill his body. The light grew closer and closer to him...or perhaps larger. Soon, it was standing over him, and he saw, in the light, an image of his mother. His eyes widened, and he smiled, "Mom..." he said, his voice a breathy gasp.

"Time to come home," she said, and she smiled.

"Time...home..." he said, and he closed his eyes.

Such relief! As if it had been years since he had slept. His closed his eyes, that feeling of heading to sleep was peaceful. Instantly, he found himself in the plain, no longer strapped to the machines, no longer bleeding, gone were his clothes, but his scars were also gone, and no trace of his experiences existed. He felt lighter and lighter, and as he opened his eyes in the hospital bed again, he managed to gain control of his limbs long enough to rip the sensors off of his body. The light was across the room, now in the form of a person, and it was calling to him in a smooth, silky voice, like that of a thousand waves, and the rays of the sun. The male voice carried so much warmth, and was so innocent. It was soft, but also very powerful, and very wise. Warmth filled his body as he climbed out of bed, walking over towards the light.

It stood in place, and once he was about halfway between the bed and the light. His eyes widened with joy as the form walked towards him, the features now that of the man who he had failed to identify when he was in the field after Jazz had shot him. "Wh...who are you?" he said, his voice a whisper.

"You know who I am, Terrias," the voice said.

"No...who are you?"

The man smiled and laughed, "I am the Lamb, the Savior, the Messiah. I am Jesus, the Christ, the Son of Man. I go by many names, but I am the One who has come to take you home to My Father."

"Time...to go?"

"Yes."

"Heaven?"

The man, Jesus, shook his head, "Not yet."

"What? I don't want to go then..."

"Everything will be all right, but there is one place you must stay until everything is ready for you in your eternal home."

"What...why?"

"All of God's chosen go there for a brief period, to affirm their relationship with the Lord, and to connect with Him on a level far beyond what normal Man can achieve. Terrias, you are a Martyr in a war between Good and Evil. Now, is Revelations, now is the dawn of Apocalypse. You have fought valiantly and nobly since you arrived, and you have come far from your less-than-humble beginning. You have completed your mission on Earth, and now, it is time for you to leave here."

"Please...I don't want to go yet...what about Aria? What about Alex! I can't leave them!"

"You won't...permanently, you will see them again."

As the man vanished, Terrias found himself standing in the center of the hospital room, reaching out at nothing. He suddenly felt dizzy and he fell forward, hitting the ground as he felt himself became detached from the world...and then...

_The field...he's in the field..._

_His father and mother, as well as Aria's parents are waiting for him, and the man, Jesus, is standing in the center of the crowd, nodding as Terrias, now fully in the field wanders through the grass, feeling the silky blades against his palms, feeling the sun beating down on him. He looks into the sky, and sees the earth, as if from Outer Space, thrust in the darkness of night. He smiles and looks around. Galaxies, hundreds of them, brilliant-colored stars...beautiful sights...and as he walks to the head of the crowd, he bows to Jesus, kissing His feet, and says, "My Lord, I am ready..."_

Terrias, smiled at the empty hospital room, appearing happier than he had ever been, and with a final breath, he released the last of his binds tethering him to the material world, as light of life in his eyes faded away, and he issued his dying breath, "Goodbye...Aria, I love you..." he said, and the last shred of life in his eyes twinkled out.

Alex's phone rang, awakening him from a peaceful slumber, grunting, he picked it up and listened. Immediately, his face adopted a grim expression, and he jumped out of bed, frantically turning on the light as he threw on his clothes and yelled as loud as he could, "Wake up, guys! NOW!"

Alpha Company instantly shot up, and Piermont, grumbling and rubbing his eyes against the light, said, "What? What the fuck do you want?"

"It's Terrias!" Alex hurriedly yelled, speeding into his room to put on his shoes.

Piermont was instantly awake, "What about Terrias? The hell is going on?"

"Enough questions and get dressed!"

Within a minute, Alpha Company was out the door and speeding across the street as they dashed into the hospital. Doctors surrounded Terrias room, rushing around, talking quickly and frantically, as Alex shoved his way through the crowd, running in, he saw Terrias on the ground. He was immediately at his friend's side trying to rouse him. Doctors pushed in around him, trying desperately to revive him, and everything occurred in slow motion as Alex was pulled away from the corpse, pulled back by seven doctors and thrown out into the hall. He watched, stunned, unable to believe what was going on.

After several heart-pounding minutes, traffic died down as Eric stood, turning to the doctors and yelling, "Call Time of Death: 3:18 AM."

"NO!" Aria roared, hysterical, and she shoved her way through the crowd of doctors and to Terrias' side. She shook him, yelling "no" over and over again, "Terrias! TERRIAS! Don't go, dammit! Don't go! I love you! _I LOVE YOU_, goddammit! Don't go!"

The doctors and Alpha Company tried to pull her away from her mate, but it was hopeless, in her delirium, she was much stronger than them. "DON'T GO!" she roared.

"Aria! Aria! _ARIA_!" Alex roared, and he slapped her, hard, "Get a hold of yourself!"

"I can't! I can't!"

"You have to!"

"No! No! No! He can't be gone! _HE CAN'T BE GONE!_"

"He's gone!" Spyro roared.

"No! No, no, no, no! NO! WHAT WILL I DO WITHOUT HIM!?"

"Do what!?" Alex hissed.

"HE WILL NEVER MEET IT! HE WILL NEVER MEET IT!"

"Meet what? The hell are you talking about, Aria!?" Cynder growled.

"The baby! The baby!"

"What?"

"Oh shit..." Piermont began.

"_I'M PREGNANT!_" Aria howled, collapsing and completely losing control.

Alex recoiled, stunned, as if shot, "You...you're _pregnant_!?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Aria moaned in between sobs.

Alpha Company exchanged grim glances. Spyro turned to Alex and mentally sent to him, _He didn't know._

"Oh shit..." Alex said, sighing as he slid down the wall, rubbing his face with his hand and closing his palm over his mouth as he closed his eyes.

"Terrias!" Aria howled, sobbing hysterically, "Terrias! Oh God, Terrias! Don't leave me! Don't leave me! DON'T LEAVE ME! Oh God, oh God, oh God..._TERRIAS! DON'T LEAVE ME!_

Stunned...that's all anyone on Alpha Company was.

They returned to New Alexandria the following day, arranging for Terrias to be cremated, as per the custom of the Terminators, as they were born of fire, so would they die by fire. Terrias' dragon went missing, and they couldn't find him to cremate him either. The Mutant Division returned to the city under the cover of darkness, making sure they brought Terrias to his final resting place before the 6 PM to 7 AM curfew let up. Much like the SPARTANs of the Halo series, as well as their real-life counterparts, Alpha Company never died, they just went M.I.A.

Many people saw the Terminators, especially Alpha Company, as invisible, impossible to kill. There could never be a worse blow to morale in the history of mankind than one of the legendary Mutant Division passing away...especially to something so simple as septic shock, something that they should have been able to correct.

On the 21st of June in the year 2012, at 5:22 AM, Master Sergeant Terrias was cremated four miles north of New Alexandria, Montana, lost in the uninhabitable landscape that was the Burned Lands between New Alexandria and the United States/Canadian border. The only ones to attend the procession was Alpha Company, and nobody spoke, nobody fought, everyone was wearing their best dress.

The High Command, Alex, Piermont, Spyro, and Cynder, were the last to arrive, and as the sun slowly began to ascend on the horizon, the Commander, flanked by Piermont and Spyro to his left and right respectively, approached the pyre. Each member of Alpha Company mouthed a prayer, and the dragons in the group walked up to their fallen comrade, placing their noses to the servine's chest, administering their blessing. Spyro was the last to pay his respects, and as he stepped away, Alex stepped forward, kneeling over and placing a nail-cross, leather necklace to his forehead, mouthing something. Once he had finished, he placed the necklace on Terrias' chest, and as he stepped away, he gave a signal. Piermont, Spyro, Cynder, and Cherub all breathed bright fire onto the hay-base of the funeral pyre in unison, and all of the dragons roared in mourning. Simba and Nala joined into the sending-off, as did Kovu and Kiara, followed by Cheet and Keisha...the sound erupting from the crowd was sorrowful, but amazing, never before had such a beautiful, yet mournful sound been heard, and the animals managed to maintain their dignity. Alex and the others watched this occur, and they all had the same thought on the sound.

One by one, the roars tapered off until nothing remained, and all who had added their voice to the call lowered their heads, closing their eyes, mouthing their own silent prayers in whichever language they wished to use. The dragons mouthed in Draconic, the language of their ancestors, a commonality between all of them, both Realm dragons and Martaanean dragons. The lions and the cheetahs spoke in silent Swahili. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow said nothing, but maintained their bow, as did Rudolph and his mate. Crash and Rapid mouthed a prayer, and Alex prayed for his friend's safekeeping into the afterlife. Aria said nothing, didn't even bow her head or close her eyes, she looked off into the fires enveloped her mate, a blank expression on her face. Alex saw this and worried for her, but said nothing, only bowing his head and keeping his eye on her, and all of Alpha Company stayed these ways as their comrade became that from which all of the world's creatures were born from...

Ashes to ashes...dust to dust.

Long after the ceremony had ended, a deathly silence still clung to the air, the pervasiveness of it was incredibly eerie. Never before had Alpha Company been struck so silent as they had been at that time, even taking into account the fallout from Rapid's death back in 2002. Then again, the militia had grown much since that day, and that added to the amazement Alex felt that so few of Alpha Company had died...it also assured him that Terrias was bound to return...the question was, when, if he could, would he? It took Rapid almost ten years, Rudolph took less than a month, and Cynder less than a day...

"I can't believe it..." Cynder said, shaking her head, "Terrias...dead? It doesn't seem possible!"

"I know. Unfortunately, it's something that we'll all have to get over," Spyro said. He was in the shower, and Cynder was in the bathroom with him, sitting on the floor just outside of the shower as she talked to her mate.

"I just...damn."

Spyro sighed.

"And Aria..." Cynder shook her head, "I can't even _begin _to imagine how she's feeling right now."

"She isn't taking it well...that much is clear," Spyro said, "I mean...remember when you were killed? I don't remember if it was Alex or Piermont who said this...but I damn near did shit a brick after that...incident."

"What a funny question," Cynder said, "But true nevertheless."

"Funny how?" Spyro asked, slightly opening the frosted glass door and poking his head out, water dripping down his face as he spit out some that had gone into his mouth.

"Well," and Cynder blushed, "Asking if one remembers the time they were killed."

"Oh..." Spyro began, "Well...yeah..." and he disappeared back inside, closing the door again.

"Obviously, corpses _usually _don't speak."

"Cyn, if you were a corpse, you'd be nothing but a skeleton by now, I'm pretty damn sure."

"Well...who knows? I've never had to exhume a corpse that's been dead for two, three years."

"Three years," he said.

"How do you remember that?" she asked.

"Easy, the demonstration in DC occurred before the city was destroyed, which was at the dawn of the war, two years ago. Also, back then, our lovely President Dickhead of the United States of Communism was framing both the Conservatives _and _us, the Terminator Militia, for random-ass attacks that were going on around the city. I remember, because an attack had just happened that previous night...in DC, right in front of the White House. Suspicious?" then, sarcastically, he said, "Hell naw! Makes perfect sense!"

Cynder nodded, "Yeah...you got a point there...still though, slightly different situation..."

"Not...really?" Spyro said, "Fuck! At least you died defending those innocents from the National Guard's attack. Poor Terrias...died by shit getting in his blood, literally."

"Well...not really..."

"Close enough for the purpose of my argument slash rant slash whatever the fuck you wanna call it."

Cynder raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Anyway, stepping off of my soapbox now."

"I just hope he's better off..."

"Cyn..." and Spyro poked his head out again, "We know where he is..."

"I know..." and Cynder seemed sad, "But we just need to make sure that Aria doesn't find out."

"She'll be heartbroken," Spyro sighed before disappearing back into the shower again.

"How can we stop her from finding out? She's bound to start asking questions, and although most of Alpha Company knows the truth and will not tell her for the sake of compassion, there is always at least one person who can't tell white lies."

"That one person," Spyro began, "I'll bet my money on Crash."

"Unfortunately," Cynder sighed, "I agree."

"What if she starts showing her grief in public?"

Cynder stiffened, "You _know _we can't let that happen! Remember what Alex said, 'follow the Halo mantra'."

"Yeah..." and both said in unison, "Mutants never die, they just go M.I.A."

"You'd think that someone would realize just how much bullshit that statement is," Cynder said, "I mean, after all, it's not _entirely _original, and anyone who knows the Halo series knows that it's a way to prevent devastating morale drops...Get an outsider that can't keep his mouth shut, and _voila_! Next thing you know, everybody thinks that they're fucked because Alpha Company _can _indeed die, and we lose what little iota of control and order we somehow miraculously maintain."

"Well, we'll just have to pray that things can be okay..." and Spyro fingered the cross necklace he wore.

"Speak of the devil..." Cynder began, then said, "Pardon the pun..."

"What?" Spyro asked.

"How is your...transition?"

"What do you mean?"

"Y'know...I know you were a pretty strong atheist..."

"You know how it is, I trust Alex, and he has several valid points, that's how he managed to convert me...plus...look at all of this. Cynder, we've been struck with Nova 6 and survived. Hell, _we were nuked_, and we just looked at each other like, 'cool, I'm on fire, literally'. Devil's in the details, girl, proof is everywhere."

Cynder laughed.

"Oh...pardon the pun."

"We're both feeling quite punny today, I assume..." Cynder said.

"Well, I guess they _DO _say that laughter is the best medicine, and frankly, anything to get my mind off of...recent events...is a blessing."

"You and me both, love."

"So, anyway," and Spyro shut off the water, sliding open the door, "How do I look?"

"Positively sexy," Cynder replied, grinning.

"I'd hope so," and he observed his shining scales, "It's been a solid three days since I last showered."

"Ew...nasty, naughty boy," and Cynder laughed again.

"Hey! At least _you _like that," Spyro grinned.

They kissed each other and Spyro shook himself dry, splashing Cynder who raised a wing to the onslaught of droplets and giggled. "Anyway, let's go see how the rest of Alpha Company is coping with this tragedy."

"Not well, I'm pretty damn sure."

Alex lay on the bed in his room, staring up at the ceiling fan that rotated slowly. He watched the revolutions, head on his hands that were crossed behind his head, deeply lost in thought. His stereo was not on, so much unlike him, and he had no television or computer on. Instead, he just sat there, watching the blades spin on and on, thinking of the past, thinking of all of the time he had spent with his now-deceased protege. He had closed and locked his door, sealing him off from his troops. His dark-brown-almost-black shoulder-length hair was strewn across his pillow, his officer's cap was on the floor. The golden mask he sometimes wore over the badly scarred side of his face was thrown on the computer desk across the room. He breathed deeply, his cold blue eyes full of sadness.

He had stripped his clothes down to a clean undershirt and jeans, and he looked much older than what he was. In the ribbon light streaming from the crack in the sage-green drapes on the window above his bed, every scar on his muscular body stood out, as did the beginning of his mustache and beard. The Bonding scar on his right hand itched mercilessly, but he ignored it, adopting the idea of mind over matter to conquer the sensation. Eventually his thoughts dwindled away from Terrias, instead going to the mystery female that he had been dreaming about for a little over a month now. He found that he was sexually aroused when he thought of her, and it confused him. He could never remember the dreams, only her voice...and her eyes...

Who was she?

The clear, vivid intensity of the dream told him that it was a vision...he knew that. He could distinctly recall the only other times where that eerily lifelike state had dominated his sleep...his visions of the Battle of Champaign, Illinois, back in April of 2011, his visions of the attack on the Necropolis, and the 'death-visions' that he and Spyro tended to have, where they dreamed of ways that the Terminator Militia finally reached the end of its story. All of those 'death-visions' became actual battles, only they had somehow managed to prevent the deaths of Alpha Company, or the mass-annihilation of the militia. So, this was a vision, meaning that the female would eventually enter his life, he just didn't know when.

At first he wondered if it was Sarah, his fiance, but then he remembered the two clear memories of the dream, the woman's voice, and her eyes, and neither matched Sarah...so who was this woman?

The need to decipher the vision threatened to drive him into madness, it was bugging him, and until he figured it out, there was no relief. "C'mon..." he whispered to the fan, "I know you are real...and I know I have met you...so who are you?"

Another aspect that threatened to drive him into insanity, the sheer familiarity. He had met her before, he _knew _he had met her, or at least seen her before...so why couldn't he place a name to her face. He closed his eyes, attempting to connect the dots. He knew a few pieces of the puzzle...but he didn't know enough.

"Goddammit!" he hissed, "_WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?_"

He breathed deeply and quickly, attempting to control his anger. He wasn't mad at the puzzle, he was mad at Terrias' unfair death. That was it. He didn't think that Terrias should have died, or at least died the way he did, and so he was angry that it happened, it had nothing to do about the girl, or the dream. His obsession with the dream was always present...and though he didn't directly tell anybody in his army the details about the dream, he had an idea that they knew, or at least suspected something.

Or maybe not? Perhaps this dream was intended by God solely for him to see, in that case, then maybe it somehow evaded the mutual mind bank shared by all of Alpha Company, manifesting itself solely before the young Commander's eyes? Or maybe it _did _appear to the others, but, like him, they didn't remember the details, and thus, adding that they had no specific connection to it, they found it unnecessary to dwell upon. The girl...she singled _Alex_ out, and only him. Unless the dream varied between members, each member dreaming that the girl mentioned _their _name instead, which, with no record of that occurring in the past, Alex sincerely doubted. Then again, the Terminators' abilities were continuously developing, evolving, they were increasing in number.

But what about the execution?

Terrias had received the latest version of the mutation serum, and when Alex dreamed of the execution, he always dreamed of it through the _Commander_'s viewpoint, not his own. Alex knew he didn't, because there were several instances where the young servine had initiated the dream, in which case, Alex saw it through _his _eyes, instead of his own. Obviously, they were limited to viewpoint if it was memory...but did that trait _only _appeal when it was a memory involved?

No.

Alex remembered when he first started having visions of the massacre at the Town Square in Champaign, he saw the event through his own eyes, an older version of himself true, but his own eyes. Piermont, Cheet, Crash, Rapid...everyone else in Alpha Company had reported of dreaming the same experience, but _only_ through the Commander's viewpoint, not from their own. Then again, this trait appeared only in an older version of the serum, in someone who had hardly been mutated for five years. Now, it had been fifteen years since his mutation, and the new versions of the serum, as well as the evolution of the mutation in those that had been mutated, could very easily allow the others their own individual vantage points, even if they weren't directly involved in the prophesied event.

Alex still doubted this, however. This dream...he was alone with the girl, and he felt, deep in his heart, that this vision was meant specifically for him, and for his eyes only. Alex, relying on the foundation that had built his army to it's current level, believed that the heavy presence on his heart was God speaking directly to him, and he chose to accept this.

Yet still the burning question remained...who was this woman?

And God was not answering this question, the only one that truly mattered to the Commander. All he knew, was that she wasn't harmful to him, he felt comfortable around her, relaxed, more so than anyone else he had ever been around or known, save for Sarah, and it was obvious this wasn't her.

Could it possibly be that this was supposed to be an affair that the Commander would have? Or was it another mate? He didn't know, only that something about her, about the thought of her, regardless of the little detail and information he had, it calmed him, soothed him.

An idea suddenly flashed in the Commander's mind, and he reached into the pocket of his jacket, which he had just thrown onto the floor by his bed. He removed his silver pocket knife, slitting open his arm from the base of the palm of his hand and up to about the midpoint of his forearm. He cut just deep enough that it hurt, but not enough that it would bleed terribly, or leave too much of a lip. The silver blade would also prevent him from healing as quickly. The immunity no longer caused his blood to boil upon contact, but it did retard the speed of healing.

He soaked up the blood that did emerge from the wound, and waited, biting his cheek as the pain dissolved into a dull heat. He pretended that the pain was his arm up against a heater on a cold day, and his imagined fantasy slowly became more real as he began to drift off into sleep. His last conscious thought was a plead to God, _Allow me to dream of her again...if anything, just this one last time..._

_...He opens his eyes, glancing around. The room is dark, and once his vision clears, he sees that he is in his own bedroom at Club Camelot. There is a fire in his fireplace, smoldering embers now, and the room is comfortably warm. The smell of burned wood lingers in the air, filling his nostrils, and he smiles...so real...this can't be fake! He is suddenly aware of a pressure on his chest, and as he looks down, he spots a girl..._the _girl, sleeping, her head resting on his chest. He is fully nude, and this alarms him, but he passes it off, as he feels comfortable in his nudity around this girl, and besides there is nobody around to see him._

_He strokes her fur, and yes, it _is _fur, and he feels alarmed again. He had never thought of himself as a furry. Yet here he was, part of the scum of society. But he was a scaly, having slept with Cynder...did that really make him any better? He shakes his head, jostling the female who sighs and mutters something in her dreamworld before she rubs her head into his chest and stills once more._

Where am I? _he thinks, and he is now aware of a dull heat in his arm. Pinned down by the female, he lifts his arm, observing it in the warm light of the fire in the hearth. There is no sound except for the occasional pop from the flames, and the roar whenever they find a pocket of oxygen and fuel to flare. Manipulating the flames by combining his telekinesis and his pyrokinesis, they flare up in a hellish blaze, and he sees that his arm shows no wounds, save for old scars. It is odd to him, there is no sign of injury...and yet he feels as if he's been cut..._

_Then it hits him. Immediately, he starts feeling around his arm, especially between the base of his palm and the midpoint in his forearm, and he pushes on it, hard, trying to cause some spark of pain, and yet the feeling remains a dull heat. He feels as if he's doing the right thing, and he does this again, concentrating heavily on his arm, nearly crushing his arm in his iron grip. He twists either way, and smiles, emitting a brief exclamation of joy as realizes that he feels _nothing.

_Concentrating heavily on his arm, he smashes it into the nightstand, feeling nothing, and he is beginning to get irritated. Swearing beneath his breath, he tries twisting and crushing his arm again...he begins to feel something giving away. Overjoyed, he tried harder, trying desperately to get to whatever is stopping him from feeling pain. He hears a barely audible click in his mind, and he feels like a wall giving way. He roars in pain, hissing as sudden pain overwhelms him. His arm burns mercilessly, and he watches as, like some kind of gruesome magic trick, he watches a bloody cut begin to appear out of nowhere on his arm. The world suddenly flashes before his eyes, becoming much more vibrant, and he feels victorious as he becomes lucid._

_Memories of his waking plans and thoughts surge into his brain like a tidal wave, drowning the false reality that he is perceiving and making the once deceptively realistic world much more material and fake. He tears away at the facade that is still blocking the rest of his waking thoughts, and he pauses once he sees his dreamworld flicker, anymore attempts to add to the realism would only result in waking him from this dream. He already expects to wake up to a bloody mess once he returns to reality from this dream. Using his lucidity to his advantage, he manipulates the dream world to bring him into broad daylight, and into the Valley of Avalar, what he sees as a natural paradise. He shields his eyes to the sudden light, and he finds himself laying down on the spiky grass of the valley. The sounds of the fire and a silent house morph into the sounds of a waterfall, birds chirping, and a faint, warm breeze blowing through the trees._

_In the light, he sees that it is, indeed, the blue-haired female, and he strokes her furry mane. However, her name still escapes him, and she awakens, yawning as she looks at him lovingly with those eyes of hers. "Good morning," she says, smiling._

"_Who are you?" he asks her._

_She grins wider, playfully punching him, "You know who I am, silly! I am your mate!"_

_His heart flutters at this, and he asks her, "What is your name?"_

_She frowns, as if saddened, then grins wider and says, "Well, okay, if you want to play _that _game, my name is..."_

...And he awoke before he managed to capture her name. With an angry swear, he shot up, sitting up in bed and rubbing his face. He quickly placed rags that were by his bed up against his bleeding arm, stifling the blood flow, and he searched around his bed, sighing in relief once he spotted no spilled blood. Once his nerves calmed, he laid back down, trying to enter that meditative state, trying to sleep again...but no sleep came, and he eventually surrendered, climbing out of bed and leaving his room into the rest of the building.

Piermont was deeply affected by Terrias' sudden departure. There were few people in the world that he trusted and loved as much as his mate and his rider...and the servine had somehow made it to that position...maybe because he felt sorry for the creature. The servine had survived a tough upbringing, much like Piermont himself, but the dragon's own upbringing was slightly dissimilar in the fact that he was never abused or mistreated. Alex would never do such a thing to him, and never did, but he had still had a crappy life. Much like Alex, he had been a soldier since he was incredibly young, and although the Commander still beat him in terms of years in the active service, it wasn't by a lot.

Piermont had joined back in 1999 or 2000 after being impressed by the Commander, but Alex had been in the military since he was three years of age, after being kidnapped during the Green/Tan War and raised in Fort Plastro. Terrias...he was a natural born soldier, of this, Piermont was certain. He no more about warfare and survival than anyone else in the Terminators, primarily because his entire life was a struggle and a fight to survive. Natural born soldiers were hard to find, and even Alex couldn't claim to be one, although he was very close to the title.

The dragon had decided to do something a bit different. Normally, his method of relaxation was either television, music, or video games, or, if he was lucky, he could coax Cherub into mating. Now, however, he did what Spyro, Alex, and Terrias had all done...standing on the balcony, looking out upon the Burned Lands and the rapidly darkening city. His room faced west, so it was slightly more difficult for him to observe the fiery landscape that was north of the city, but he still managed to find a good corner, and he just stood there, observing in silence. There was definitely something...captivating...about the wall of dragonfire that burned on and on, but other than this admission, he couldn't figure out how those three could stand and stare, statuesque, for hours on end.

As he stared, he noticed one intriguing aspect, the wall almost seemed to be alive, the way it moved, the way the flames swayed...as if the very spirits of the dragons who had built the towering wall of flame lived on within the blinding heat, or the spirits of all of those beasts and riders who had perished since the dawn of the war. In two years, the United States of America had gone from the land of freedom, liberty, and democracy, a land where many citizens of rival nations dreamed to live...to a burning hellhole, a shell of its former self. Much of the earth was baked, without vegetation, skeletons of tanks, personnel carriers, aircraft, and artillery littered the land. Trees were baked bare, charred, yet somehow still standing...the whole country looked like a post-nuclear or post-apocalyptic wasteland.

New York City was still burning from the attacks during its siege, New Alexandria was deeply scarred and battle-worn after years of constant attacks, and Washington DC was no longer on the map, the first target of the Terminator Militia during the Southern March as they moved swiftly and powerfully to cripple the _Maxia _Regime before they could gain a proper foothold on the warring nation. Unfortunately, it was nearing the third year of the war, a little over a quarter of a decade since war was first declared, and now, both sides were stalemated as the Terminators prayed that the election could decide whether the war continued or ended. It was obvious that the citizens...those still in the country or alive anyway, were growing tired of the war, and respect for the Terminator Militia was increasing all over the map as those that wished them dead began to hope that they could end the conflict. Obviously, the _Maxia_ and the President didn't want to end the conflict, they were profiting from the senseless war, and the Terminators...they wanted to end the war now. Alpha Company was not secretive about their burning desire to see the war finally come to a close, and even the national media, usually left to ignoring the requests of the Terminators, or at least spinning them into the favor of the president's agenda, were broadcasting unedited quotes from the militia, requests that the war could end so life could return to normal.

Unfortunately, the war was not ending, and what was worse, darkness was rising and creeping out over the land. Piermont could feel it...and judging from the uncontrollable tension felt by both his rider and the others of Alpha Company, he knew that they could feel it as well. Something was brewing, and the end result was not going to be good. The apocalyptic war was saturated in the black aura, as thick as oil, and it was threatening to suffocate the country, and maybe even the world. There were already hushed whispers that several state governments, especially ones in the deep south, were considering seceding from the United States, either adopting a neutral or pro-Terminator viewpoint on the war. The President, and the _Maxia_, were losing ground as morale for their cause dropped, and the truth of the Terminators began to overcome the lies that had been preached to the world since late 2008 or early 2009. Necro had been the last 'mass-appealing' terror that had to be faced, but now, he was long-since dead, having been killed during the Battle of the Necropolis, and Jazz's reign of terror was coming to a premature end as the rabbit began to lose control over the forces that he had frightened into submission. There were reports that former _Maxia _had been ousted after the Battle of the Necropolis and the Necro Era of the army of evil, or had declared abandoning all ties and connection with the Regime. It was these that the Terminators, especially the High Command and Alpha Company, needed to seek, to will into submitting and absorption into the Terminator Militia.

It was a daring feat, but promised many benefits if it could be successfully carried out. Piermont sorted through all of these random thoughts, trying to make sense of the world. Terrias was gone...and the odds of his returning were slim, very slim. Alex and the rest of Alpha Company would have to grow used to his absence, but it had happened before, and it would continue to happen. Regardless of any magical mutation serum, or any uncanny abilities they could develop...they were still only creatures, and any living thing, given the right circumstances, can be killed.

The largest amount of concern from Piermont went to Aria...she was not holding well to Terrias' death, and he understood why. He knew that he would be crippled, devastated, if something happened to Cherub or their son, and for Aria...it must have been a hundred times worse. Terrias was the sole reason why she was still alive. He had given her everything that she needed to stay alive during their captivity. Without him, she would have died in there, of that, Piermont was most certain. This only added to the sorrow that Piermont felt, Terrias had done nobody any harm. He hadn't hurt anyone more than he had to, and he was always so loving to his mate. Now, he was gone, along with that, Aria's battered soul saw no further reason to keep going now. Until her child was born, she would not be happy, and even then, she still might not fully recover. Or, if postpartum depression got to her...it was all over.

Aria was still here, but she was under the watchful eye of everyone from Alpha Company, and everything that could be used as a weapon was hidden so that she could not find it. Her doors were locked multiple times on the outside, anything sharp or fragile had been removed, the glass door leading onto her balcony had been covered with a thick layer of tough sponge, and the floor had been padded down. Although she was in her room, she was locked up tight, and it was like she was in solitary confinement. Alex had installed hidden cameras in her room, and they had been wired to the computers of everyone of Alpha Company.

From behind him, he heard a sigh, and he turned to see Cherub, who was leaning against the door to their balcony, armored brow raised, "What the hell are you doing, sexy?" she asked.

Piermont grinned, "Relaxing..."

She walked up to him, standing beside him, "What are you even looking at?"

"The _Curtain_, trying to see what's so damn appealing about it. Do you know, Cherub?"

She shrugged, "Damned if I know, I don't really care though..."

"What's wrong?"

"Isn't it obvious?" and Cherub frowned, "I'm worried about Aria, plus I'm still a little depressed at Terrias' sudden leaving..."

Piermont then kissed her softly and replied, "Once the whole judgment thing is over, he'll be happy and better off where he is."

"Still though," and she suddenly looked frightened, "What will he have to endure, and for how long, until he _is _allowed into Heaven?"

"That," Piermont began, "I'm not so sure."

"I hope I don't seem pathetic for worrying so much..." and Cherub blushed shyly.

"Nonsense!" Piermont replied, touching his forehead to hers, a dragonian sign of affection, "I think it's cute, and there is plenty of reason behind your worries and melancholy. We all loved Terrias, and it will take a long time for any of us to recover."

"I just...I feel like I should somehow try to cheer her up...I just don't know how."

"The best thing that you, or anyone, can do, Cherub, is too just leave her alone."

"But she seems so sad..."

"I know...but if we leave her alone, she will hopefully recover from this painful nightmare."

"I just...I just can't take it," and she shook her head, emphasizing this statement, "Why?"

"Everybody dies," Piermont replied with a sad smile, "It's only natural. It's the metaphorical Circle of Life...Sex, Birth, and Death."

"I just feel so bad for her...to lose a mate...it must be incredibly painful."

"Well, rest assured, you won't lose me anytime soon, love."

However, this didn't seem to calm her nerves, in fact, almost seemed to worry her more, "I can't believe you...I bet just a few days ago, Terrias would have told Aria that he would not be lost anytime soon either. Now look..."

"Cherub...how am I supposed to calm you down when you're so stubborn?" and he added a slightly playful tone to his voice.

"I'm not stubborn!" and Cherub pouted, "I'm just...careful..."

Piermont laughed, "Sure, love, whatever gets you through the night."

"Oh..." and Cherub grinned mischievously, and seductively, "There are many other things that get me through the night."

"Did I succeed in exciting you?"

"You _always_ excite me," and she smiled happily, "I'm just to afraid to approach you on any...strenuous...activities."

"Why?" and he seemed genuinely concerned.

"Well," and she blushed, "I just...never know what mood you'll be in every day, and I'm afraid that if I approach you for service, you will say something nasty and discourage me for ever asking again. I'd much rather wait for a day when I _can _approach you safely than have a time occur where you turn me away and I begin to feel that you have lost all interest in me..."

"_What!?_" and Piermont was alarmed, "No, no, no! I would never...I would never turn you away...I didn't approach _you _because you never seem to be in the mood."

"I'm very subtle in my wishes," she said, "Like I said, I prefer testing the waters before diving right in. If I try to place a hint on what I want to do, and you call me out for it, I at least want to be able to find a way to deny that that was every my intention."

"Cherub..."

"You just...I dunno, always seem angry."

"You _know _it's a facade, Cherub, I'm not really like that..."

"Then why do you act that way, even around me?" and she seemed deeply saddened, "There are days I wonder if you even still love me..."

"I will never stop loving you, Cherub," he said firmly, "_Never_. You mean far too much to me."

"How can I be so sure?"

"Listen, I don't want you to doubt me. Express your intentions to me, hell, do it in front of the others, I don't care! For show, I might kinda...show I'm not really wanting it, just doing it to get lucky...but I don't mean my words around them, I swear."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

And she smiled happily again, "Then c'mon. It's been too fucking long since I've had any proper contact."

"Really now? How do you manage to control your body?"

She then grinned mischievously, "Oh...I have my ways."

"Care to share?"

"Well..." and she blushed like a schoolgirl, "Self-servicing is better than no servicing."

"Hot damn, girl."

"Hey," and she shrugged, "Whatever works, works, hon."

"Ain't that the truth."

And they disappeared inside together as the moon began to peak in the east.


	10. Chapter IX: Running With the Devil

_**Chapter IX**_**:**

**-''Running With the Devil''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_22 June 2012_-**

**-_0114 Hours_-**

Piermont lay beside his mate, grinning happily. Cherub lay, eyes closed, her head on his chest, pleased at the slick feeling between her legs, though it was short to achieve the moment after so long without being together, the orgasm itself was extremely intense, "Y'know," she said, "I really do treasure these moments with you...why don't we have them more often?"

The forest dragon shrugged, "I don't know...but I agree," and he laughed, "I find it so funny how you and I began our journey as archenemies who hated each other..._now _look at us!"

"From enemies to lovers, how times have changed..."

"...And improved," he finished, then, he said something that wasn't said very often, and even brought tears to Cherub's eyes, "Cherub..."

"Yes, Piermont?"

"I love you..."

She snuggled closer to him, pressing her head deeper into his warm chest, feeling his heartbeat, "I love you, too," she whispered, and they fell asleep together.

Alex paced around his room, in the dark, trying to decipher these dreams. He enjoyed the puzzle, as it took his mind away from Terrias' death, and anything to get away from such dark, painful ideas like that was better than anything else at the moment. He skimmed through his memories, trying to figure out where the sense of familiarity developed from. He _knew _he had seen her before, he just wanted to know where. Eventually, he ran into a dead end, and decided to retire. Unfortunately, with relaxation came the onslaught of memories and thoughts on the day's events surging into his empty mind. Thinking of Terrias only saddened him, and although he had tried to maintain that whole proverb, "Think of how they were, not how they are" he found it much more difficult than it should have been. He couldn't just think about Terrias as he was when he was alive and healthy, all he could think about was his death...something that was obviously the opposite of what was suggested.

He then decided to mull over the five stages of grief, mentally going through every member of Alpha Company and trying to calculate where they all stood. Everyone seemed to have managed to bypass the stages with relative ease, entering a state of depression, the fourth stage. However, Aria was lost firmly on the denial stage, no surprise, she had known the servine longer than anyone else, and he was her only family, her mate, and her best friend. Alex, he couldn't gauge where exactly he fit in, he was doing everything he could to take his mind off of the event, and if he could judge, he guessed he was somewhere between denial and anger. He wasn't really denying the servine's death either, nor was he pleading for Terrias' return or depressed. He figured that he was somewhere in either anger or acceptance. Then again, Rapid had been the only time that he could recall where he had fell into the stages. Perhaps, after ten years of wars, and seeing friends die, he had grown resistant to the effects of death. Sure he was a little sad, but that was quickly evolving into total numbness. He felt nothing...and he felt...inhuman. He couldn't grasp why everyone was so emotional over Terrias death...and he was almost to the point of laughing at them.

Was it possible that he was inhuman? A natural-born killer with blood as cold as ice? He showed very little emotion, had never really been too emotional. Several times people had looked at him as an odd person, a robot, someone who had no emotions except for the extremes: blind fury and rage and lust. When he was angry, he was murderous, and he had a short fuse, with certain topics that could immediately ignite the fires of burning rage within him, and, of course, he loved sex. Sex felt good, as what it was supposed to, so as to encourage reproduction and the continuation of species.

As he further sorted out his ideas, he also realized that his known emotions characterized his element perfectly. It was already confirmed that fire was his natural element, and fury and lust were two characteristic emotions or traits that defined his element. Water was the cool, calm, and collected species; the ones who were highly intelligent...and perhaps even a bit arrogant, those of this element always waited until they were ready to tackle a challenge before they did so, exploring every opportunity and searching for ways that it could go wrong, so as they could prevent it, or stay away from high-risk situations, they also concentrated more on evolving mental strength, caring less about physical abilities, unlike Earth. Wind was characterized by kindness, happiness, and it defined someone who was always happy and giving to others. Electricity was the element of hyperactivity and high energy. They were intelligent, but always quick to jump into things perhaps a bit too early. People of the element are always ready to jump into action, and are not afraid to jump into situations without thinking of the consequences, and so they were known to get in over their heads in problems. Earth...the element of warriors, characterized by strategy, defined knowledge in tactics, and incredible strength, both physical and mental. Like those of the water element, they prepared for the worse, but were not afraid to fight, and were usually short-tempered. Then there was fire. Electricity and Wind were extremes, Water and Earth more mellow and well-blended. Fire...it was on a spectrum entirely by itself. It's members were fierce, merciless, ruthless. They only knew three emotions, Fury, and Lust, and Vengeance, and nothing else. They did not care about the outcome, or objectives, but would charge full force and destroy anything and everything that got in their way, they also were soldiers, triggering the wars that haunted the world, and fighting them until their last breath. Alex was of this type, but his experience with mastering all five of the elements had mellowed out the defined characteristics, tuning him into a very effective soldier.

As he tried to sleep, he found that he couldn't, and eventually surrendered, heading outside to go for a walk. He arrived in the Burned Lands just north of the city, strolling through the maze of fires, debris, and ruins. He welcomed the silence and the isolation, he needed time to sort through these nightmarish experiences without his squadmates around as a distraction. He soon found himself at the site of Terrias' cremation. The dragonfire burned on, even though all that remained of the funeral pyre was ash. Alex managed to lower the flames with his pyrokinesis, and sat upon the ground, cross-legged, beside the ashen pile. A breeze blew through the area, sweeping away some of the ash, and Alex just sat in place, watching the dust blowing away. Now he felt himself lapsing into the normal spectrum, and he felt the urge to plead for Terrias' return. He knew it could not be, and his logical mind overruled his urges. He knew it couldn't be, but just to set the primal side of his mind at ease, he prayed for Terrias' return, or at least that he was shown mercy during his judgment stay.

"How strange..." he said to himself, "I've never felt so helpless in my life...even after Rapid's death. What is so different here?"

He listened to the wind for a few moments, and the roar of the _Fiernes Curtain_.

"I wonder...if I can even contact him? Like I did with Rapid..."

He shuddered at the memory.

"No, it would not be best. What Rapid experienced...was terrible...and I can't see what Terrias' hell is like. Best leave the unknown just that."

Yet still, his curiosity bested him, and he came close to trying to delve into the abandoned corridors of the mutual mind bank, the now-vacant hall that Terrias had lived in until his death.

"What should I do, Terrias?" he asked with a sigh, "What would _you _have done?"

The wind picked up for a brief moment, and Alex felt excited that the servine might actually have heard him.

Then, a familiar presence entered his mind, sending chills down his spine. The presence was ghostly, as if an echo of a voice yelled inside a massive cavern, the impression it had on him was intense, terrifying, but clear as day, the distant voice, sounding so much like the servine's, said, _Don't..._

"Terrias?" Alex yelled, suddenly standing, "I...is that you?" his heart was racing, surging with excitement, and he smiled, widely, foolishly. "_TERRIAS!_" he called, cupping his hands, and, with a laugh, he said, "Damn you, man! You scared the shit outta me!"

However, there was no voice that returned his call...and he felt his excitement diminish as he once more sat down with a heavy, mournful sigh.

"Terrias..." he whispered, his voice sad, child-like.

_Alex..._ came a voice on the wind...or so he thought, _I'm sorry..._

"Terrias?" and he felt himself becoming excited again. But there was no reply, and the wind died down again until it was nonexistent.

After several hours with no more haunting experiences, and as the sky began to lighten, Alex finally trudged home, exhausted, both physically _and _emotionally. Already the strange experiences he had thought he had were becoming a distant, dream-like memory, and he wondered if his sleep-deprived mind had imagined them, or if he had just briefly fallen asleep, dreaming of them before awakening, the transition so small that he couldn't tell the difference. He could hear distant thunder rumbling, and he continued his hike back to the dark city.

Another presence entered his mind, but this one was still alive, but had merely been slumbering since its last emergence during the Battle of the Necropolis, _Commander, why are you sad?_

"Necrodusk..." and Alex smiled grimly, "Been awhile."

_That is has, what ails you? Your emotional disturbance is felt through my slumber._

"Nothing _you_ can help with, I'm certain."

_I can do many things, the likes of which you have never seen, and would wish to never see..._

"Fair enough, then...how do you feel about returning to the Pit?"

_I come and go as I please, I don't spy much of a difference in terms of humanity's petty emotions_.

"I want you to visit my fallen companion, Terrias, and tell me how he is."

_That is a high order, even from an archdemon like I. Lucifer does not take kindly to his minions visiting freshly arrived souls. He likes to take his time with them._

"Surely it's nothing that you can't handle, I thought you could do many things?"

_Yes, but visiting a trapped soul for a loved one is not on that list, especially if said trapped soul is freshly dead, or on a judgment visit. I do know another method, but it is one that is extremely dangerous, and very fatal._

"Tell me."

_I would rather not, I like my host_.

Alex then mentally strong-armed the demon. The large mass of shadow fought back, but Alex's mental strength was enormous, and managed to quickly cause the demon to submit.

_Aye! Alright! Alright! Fine then! I can send you to Hell, to where your friend is staying, however, it is a gate that cannot be reopened._

"So it's a one-way ticket?"

_Aye. Once you enter, you will not be able to leave, unless by divine intervention you manage to convince your God to bail you out. Last I checked, He doesn't take kindly to his followers going to Hell just to visit a loved one._

"It's happened in the past."

_More for a prophet's tribulation than for a human being to seek the afterlife to visit a loved one. If you truly wish to go, I can make it be, but you will not return to this city, or this world, and you will surely not enter Heaven upon your death. This is every bit as much of a sin as taking the Mark of the Beast. Your spirit will become forever trapped in the Pit with no chance of escape._

Alex fell silent.

_What is your choice, Human?_

"I...I will do it."

_Are you certain?_

"Yes."

_I cannot believe you are willing to sacrifice everything you have just to see a soul being tortured beyond recognition._

"I feel that it must be done."

_I cannot fathom your reasoning._

"You are a demon, a spawn from Hell and a reject of Heaven, I don't expect _you _to understand why I want to make this choice. Just take me to the Pit, and make this quick."

_There are certain...things...that must be done before this can be achieved._

"Fire away."

_It requires a specific ritual during a celestial event, which, much to _your _luck will occur tonight as today dies and tomorrow is born._

"Be here on midnight, got it."

The demon laughed, a gritty sound, _As much as I try to learn from you humans and to understand how and why you live...I can never achieve a level of understanding. You are queer beings, indeed, molded into the form of God, only to be turned loose upon the world and granted a higher position than even the angels of Heaven. I fail to understand why you could have been given free will when you are nothing more than dumb animals dwelling in a filthy world._

"It doesn't matter," Alex said, "I will be ready for this journey when the hour strikes."

_Do not take anything that you cherish, it will not come with you, you will be as naked as you were the day of your birth, and you will have no possessions._

"I understand."

_Will you tell your living companions?_

"No...they will just try to stop me."

_Perhaps they should, I believe that you do not know the full repercussions of what you are accepting here, this isn't as fine as you think it is...and when a _demon _is discouraging you from taking this journey...it isn't something that should be taken lightly._

"I don't care, I've made my decision, and I will not change my mind. You will send me to Hell, and I will endure whatever your bastard master has in store for me, but I will _not _leave Terrias in there to do this alone! He's been alone his entire life, I don't want him to suffer through this hell alone either!"

_Ah, so you finally reveal the truth of your request...how touching. You are willing to sacrifice yourself so your friend doesn't have to endure the trials and tribulations Lucifer has for followers of God alone? What a testament, it brings sickness to my stomach. The master sacrificing for the follower...what a ridiculous pledge._

"I don't care how you feel about it, I've issued my request, and I expect you to keep your promise."

_I might be a demon, the scum of the universe, but I _do _keep my promises, most of us do. Sure we like to tag little...quirks...to the request, but because you are too stubborn to acknowledge the warning that _I _am giving you, I can safely say that what you are about to experience more than what you expect, and is more of a damnation than any of the 'quirks' we add to our fulfillments._

"So you aren't adding any surprises then?"

_Not at all, you have already made a decision that will curse you for all eternity, I see no point now, it's just a waste of my abilities. I _will _however, be seeking a new host._

"Find someone who can't do either us, or anyone else, any harm, I can't stop you from hunting, but I do request that you don't bring harm to any of my friends."

_You speak to a demon of Hell who has developed an emotional and physical attachment to its host, trust me, I won't bring harm to you or your kin._

"Good," and Alex severed the conversation as he returned to the city, sneaking into his room and collapsing into bed, instantly falling asleep.

By the time he awoke, it was well into the afternoon. As he left his room, he found that almost everybody, save Spyro and Piermont, were still asleep.

"Well," Spyro began, "Glad to see we aren't the only ones still alive."

"Took you long enough, Alex," Piermont replied.

"Sorry," Alex said, "I didn't get to bed until late this morning."

"Yeah, I know, I heard you come in."

"Sorry for waking you..."

Piermont shrugged, "Not a problem...hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine...why do you ask?"

"You just seem...really pale."

Alex, remembering his conversation with Necrodusk, said nothing, only replied, "Eh...probably just lack of sleep."

"I hope so," although Piermont still seemed suspicious, he let it be and said, "Anyways..."

As the day dragged on, Alex tried to enjoy what could very well be his final day on Earth without letting any of his troops know. He knew what would happen if they found out, and he didn't want them to worry about the inevitable. Once they found out about his plan, he knew that they would do everything in their power to try to stop him from fulfilling what he felt needed to be done. _Don't worry Terrias,_ he thought as he peered out over the city and at the distant wall of fire_, I'm coming, my friend, you won't go through this alone, I promise_.

He closed his eyes, silently praying for forgiveness for what he was about to do.

Piermont, hiding behind the door into the Commander's room, stared at Alex. "What the hell are you doing," he whispered, "You are hiding something from us...what could it possibly be?"

"What's going on?" Cynder asked, walking up to the dragon.

"Something's...off...about Alex."

"You don't say? He's grieving, we all are, this isn't something that just disappears overnight."

"No, there is something else..."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive..."

"What do you think he could be hiding?"

"I don't know, Cynder, but that's what I'm trying to figure out..."

"Hmm..."

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"Ya think you can get your mate to ask him what's wrong? He's all ass-buddies with Alex, maybe he can figure out what the fuck is up with him."

Cynder chuckled, "Why do you think that Spyro is gay?"

"Well I dunno, guys don't normally blow off their other guy friends."

"It's not like he had a choice..."

"Still..."

"Anyway, I'll ask Spyro if he can ask, don't get your hopes up, though. Alex won't tell me anything, and I'm his mate, and he won't tell _you _anything, and your his dragon. The odds of him telling Spyro are slim to none."

"Worth a shot, I want to know what the hell he's planning."

"You honestly think he has something planned?"

"Yes I do."

"Well, okay then, I'll go find Spyro."

"Good."

With one final, confused look at Piermont, Cynder shook her head and left. Piermont, however, remained in place, saying nothing, eyes still trained on the Commander. Spyro soon arrived, alone, and he asked Piermont, "What's going on?"

"Hey, Spearow, I want you to talk to Alex and ask him a question. He's your fuckin' ass-buddy, so I think he'll talk to you."

Spyro rolled his eyes, but said, "What do you want me to ask?"

"Ask him what the hell's going on in his head."

"Are you really that concerned?"

"Yes I am. He's acting all suicidal and shit, I don't like it."

Spyro sighed, "Okay then, I'll ask him, but don't get your hopes up for a reply."

"Good boy."

Spyro glared at him but only shook his head and walked into Alex's room.

"Hey...Commander?" he asked, stepping onto the balcony as he stood beside Alex.

Alex started, as if awoke from sleep, but he turned his head to face his second-in-command and asked, "What's up, Spyro?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Sure, everything's fine."

"Then why do I have a feeling that you're hiding something from us?"

Alex shrugged, "I dunno, I'm perfectly fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"You'd...tell us if something was up, wouldn't you?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

Spyro didn't seem to believe this, but said nothing, only nodding and walking back into the room. "Well?" Piermont asked as Spyro, head lowered, walked through the door, past the dragon, and heading into the living room.

The purple dragon paused in his tracks, looking up, but not turning his head, as he said, "Something's wrong, but he doesn't want to tell us."

"What good _were _you then?"

"I delved into his mind, trying to find whatever the hell is troubling him, but he's sealed up tight, he might as well have fucking built a brick wall, trapping himself in a tiny corner."

"Why?"

"Hell if I know, sorry I could not have been any more help," and the purple dragon left.

Night fell quickly, and Alex went to bed early. Tonight was one of Spyro's nights with Ember, and Cynder offered herself to Alex, but he denied her. This, of course, had confused her, Alex never turned down such an offer, and she suddenly feared if her bouts of experimentation, first the watersports, and now the three-way, had caused him to lose interest in her. He assured her that it was nothing personal, that he was just really tired, too tired for any strenuous activities, and he had sent her away. Cynder knew that there was more to the story, the likes of which he still hadn't told her. In fact, she had convinced Spyro to take Ember that night, so that she could be with Alex, and she had hoped that in the throes of passion, or in the post-sex sweet-nothings, he would tell her what was troubling him.

In truth, Alex felt terrible for turning her down, but he didn't want her to become involved and start to question his sudden leaving in the middle of the night. Nobody in Alpha Company knew about his plan to leave them forever just to aide Terrias through his slice of hell. As he lay down in bed, waiting for the clock to reach midnight, he stared up at the ceiling, thinking and worrying about what was to come. He was still going to carry through, but he also was worried about what he would experience.

The alarm on his watch sounded, and he sighed as he climbed out of bed, dressed, and sneaked out of the room. He paused by the elevator, closing his eyes as he reached out with his mind, scanning the world for any followers. Piermont was the only one who was trying to keep an eye on him, but the dragon had fallen asleep.

The Commander thought nothing as he left the city, heading deep into the Burned Lands as he knelt to the ground and said, "Okay, let's do this."

A pale, sickly-looking man approached him, saying, "It's about time you showed up."

Alex looked up, "Necrodusk?"

The man's eyes flashed black, and he said, "In the flesh of another meat-sack."

"I'm ready to go."

"I'm glad _you_ are."

The man then reached into his backpack and pulled out five candles and an ancient-looking knife. Slitting his wrists, he drew a pentagram and strange symbols onto the ground, placing a candle at each of the five points of the star and lighting them with a match before lighting an incense. He then bowed his head, closing his eyes as he said a phrase in ancient Latin. Alex watched this, alarmed when Necrodusk's new host began to glow black and his eyes shot open, revealing white orbs of light. His voice grew layered, and in a flash of light, the ground marked by the pentagram bulged upwards before falling in, revealing an abyss as the edges of the hole fell into the pit. Hot wind, perfumed with the smell of burning flesh and decay, sucked everything in like a vacuum, and demonic howls and whispers emerged from the fiery pit, accompanied by acrid, sulfur-scented smoke seeped from the hole. Necrodusk said, "Your portal awaits, this is your final chance to back down now."

"I will not."

"So be it then," and the demon stepped aside as Alex stepped forward, peering into the gaping hole in the ground. All he could see was the blinding flash of fire at the base of the pit, a sphere of lava, the core of the earth. His eyes burned, and looking into the hole was like staring into the light of the sun. Closing his eyes, Alex leaped into the pit, feeling as the vacuum sucked him in, threatening to tear him apart. He screamed as he fell, looking up and seeing as the pit began to close, and Necrodusk waved him goodbye. As soon as the darkness of the earth disappeared once the hole closed, Alex began to spin out of control, and he shielded his eyes against the blinding heat he was now falling towards. Distantly, he could hear grisly screams of pain, joy, and bloodlust, and he could hear a bass drum, playing in a ritualistic manner.

Then, he smacked into hard, stone ground, feeling the earth shake beneath him, crack, and sink. The stone was covered in a thick layer of hot sand, and he could feel a million pairs of eyes staring at him. He stood up, blinded, unable to see, it was so bright here. He squinted his eyes, howling as the pain of the burning light stabbed his eyes. Suddenly, a massive shadow blocked out the light, and Alex could see fires feeding off of the sand, encircling this massive, circular platform. The immense shadow roared a deafening boom, and Alex saw a black, hulk-like beast approach him, with long, curved, razor-sharp claws, glowing, blood-red eyes, a gaping maw filled with hundreds of razor-sharp fangs, and a bull's snout, with white smoke and fire shooting from the pierced, ringed nostrils. He heard an ocean of demonic laughter, a voice, the likes of which echoed and reverberated, and sounded as cold as ice, and as dark and menacing as anything he had ever heard before...the very voice of evil, spoke in a mocking tone, "It seems we have a visitor!"

The black behemoth charged at the Commander, who quickly dodged as his eyes slowly became accustomed to the light. The behemoth was strong, but slow, and as he sped past Alex, he slid on the sand, trying to stop his hulking mass. He finally slid to a stop at the edge of the platform, and Alex took his weakness as a opportunity to deliver a constant stream of elemental attacks. The monster charged again, and Alex leaped out of the way, struggling not to feel fear as he used his telekinesis to lift the beast into the air and throw him over the edge of the abyss. As soon as the monster was dead, Alex heard demonic voices, as cold as ice, speaking behind him, and he turned around to see three creatures standing there. They appeared to be human, with faces frozen in a horrified grimace of pain and terror. Their skin was gray, their hair was black and stringy, and their eyes were red as blood. Their maws were filled with fangs, and their hands ended in curved talons. They were wearing what appeared to be Daedric armor, only in the form of a tunic, slacks, and a vest. The fallen angels charged at the Commander, they were quick and deadly, but Alex somehow managed to evade them, and he countered with a stream of brilliant attacks. Each successful, elemental attack he launched caused cheers to erupt from the still unseen crowd. One of them charged at the Commander with a dark black, ebony blade, but Alex dodged it, leaping into the air and flipping over the monster, grabbing his sword and landing behind him. With a swift slash, the angel fell to the ground, his head flying away as the corpse fell forward. The fallen angel, now headless, attempted to stand again, but Alex brought the blade of the sword down, jamming it through the beast's heart and into the stony ground below.

From behind him, one of the monsters spoke in a corpse-like voice in rapid Latin, and Alex quickly spun, pulling the sword out of the earth and sending it through the heart of the charging angel before removing the sword from the beast's torso, decapitating it in the backswing. With one remaining, Alex closed his eyes, listening for the beast's cry, he still could not see. When he heard the cry, he acted on reflex, impaling the charging monster as he lifted the beast into the air, and kicking it off of the blade and over the edge, into the ocean of fire below the platform. The crowd erupted in roars of joy and cheer, and Alex glanced around, finally seeing where he was. He was in a gladiatorial arena, the platform was surrounded by endless rows of seats, separated from the arena by fifty-foot wide moat that fell a hundred feet into the wavy, massive ocean of lava below. A twenty foot wall encircled the moat, separating the audience's seating from the arena, and the audience itself was compiled of monsters of every imaginable kind. Alex heard the the cold voice speak again, and he turned to face it. At the edge of the audience, in a seating box, an angel sat. His hair was long, fine, and black, his eyes were a brilliant, captivating maroon, and his smile showed neat rows of tiny fangs. His skin was white and flawless, and he wore a flowing, gold-trimmed, blood-red emperor's robe. He held a golden staff, filled with incredible, glowing jewels, and a gold, gemstone-encrusted crown sat upon his head.

"Well," the beast said in a confident voice, "Who may _you _be?"

"Wouldn't _you _like to know. Lucifer, I presume?"

"The one and only. Hmm...you look vaguely familiar, and I smell a certain odor around you...you aren't dead."

"I came here of my own will."

"You must either be foolish or intent."

"Shut up you piece of shit."

"Cocky son of a bitch aren't you," and Lucifer chuckled, "Guards, take him to his quarters."

The sound of a portcullis opening filled the air, and Alex felt two pairs of reptilian, scaly hands grab his arms with an impossibly strong grip, dragging him away. He was led over a bridge that was made of bone and went over the ocean of lava and into a gaping darkness that seemed to absorb all light. Upon his entry, the portcullis closed behind him, and he was carried through the pitch black caves and to a room filled with millions upon millions of jail cells, going up a rotunda that was thousands and thousands of stories tall. It seemed like hours before he was at the cell he was intended to stay in, but he didn't feel tired, and his muscles didn't ache. The gate abruptly opened, and he was thrown into the cell. He heard the door closed and lock behind him, and when he stood, he looked around, trying to decide where he was. It was dark, but little by little, he began to make out shapes in the darkness, and when he looked to where the second straw bed was, he felt his heart sank as he saw the figure upon it. Terrias was in bed, asleep, his back to the Commander.

Alex quietly stepped across the small cell until he was by Terrias' side, and he gently placed the palm of his hand on the servine's shoulder. He felt Terrias' muscles twitch, and the servine shot up, leaping back as he growled and prepared to fight.

"Easy!" Alex exclaimed, falling back, "Easy, man! It's me! Alex!"

Terrias' angry grimace dissolved into dumb wonder, and he stepped back in disbelief, "A...Alex?" he said, his voice weak and child-like. He shook his head, "No, impossible..."

"Terrias, it's me."

There were a few moments of silence as the servine just stared at him, and then, suddenly smiling, Terrias ran up the Commander, embracing him tightly and crying, "Alex! I can't believe you're here! The hell are you doing here, man?"

"I couldn't let you go through this alone..."

Terrias then stiffened, breaking his embrace and shoving Alex back, "Have you lost your fucking mind? There's no way you're getting out of here!"

"I know that, Terrias," Alex replied sadly, "But I didn't want you to suffer through this hell alone."

"Why? Why would you do such a stupid thing like that? I can take care of myself."

"I know you can," Alex said firmly, "But I didn't want you to be alone."

Terrias, now feeling bad, walked up to the Commander, embracing him again, "Regardless of how stupid you are, thank you..."

"I'm here for you, Terrias. Now, where are we?"

Terrias smiled grimly and said, "We have a lot to talk about, and little time to talk about it."

"This is the Devil's Arena," the servine began, sitting on his bed, "Two random souls are sent to fight in gladiatorial battles...the winner gets to rest, the loser is forced to endure ceaseless torture and torment until their next battle."

"Have you had the torture yet?"

"Not yet," Terrias said, "You learn to fight very quickly...but from what I've heard the guards and other prisoners talk about, they have a wide variety of tortures, everything from ripping you apart while you are awake, only to rebuild you and do it again."

"That's...gruesome."

"Yeah, I know. My last fight was a few hours ago, so I may or may not be up yet."

"How many times have you fought since you arrived here?"

"Several hundred, I lost count."

"Time must pass by quickly here."

"I've been here for years, well, I think so...time does not pass here."

"You've been gone for only a few days," Alex said, "Not a few years."

"Lovely," Terrias sighed as Alex laid down on the bed across from Terrias.

"Hey...Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"I...uh..."

"What?"

"This will sound a little awkward but..."

"Spit it out, man, trust me, I don't think things can get more awkward."

"Do you think you can...sleep with me tonight?"

Alex sat up, raising an eyebrow, "Well...that is a rather odd question."

"Yeah...things get a little lonely, and cold...when I'm not fighting."

For a few moments, the Commander thought about it, then, saying nothing, he climbed off of his bed, climbing into bed with his friend as they fell asleep, dreaming of the nightmarish plain they were in, and waiting for the next battle.

"Sir, we've lost contact with Commander Vaughn."

Jazz frowned, as he turned away from the windows of the chapel that was his castle, the center of the _Maxia _Regime in their base outside of Area 51. He turned to face his visitor, grimacing as he slammed his paw down on the heavy oak table, "Where is he!?" he roared.

"We don't know, sir," the _Maxian _sergeant replied, "We saw him leave New Alexandria through the north gate, being tailed by an unknown man. Our guys followed him from a distance, but they claim that they saw him leap into a hole in the ground before the hole closed, and the man he was with returned back to the city."

"Did they apprehend this mysterious man?"

"Negative, sir. They attempted to, but the man caused half of them to explode."

Jazz raised an eyebrow, "Explode?"

"Aye. He said a certain phrase, and they describe our guys as quote, 'Exploding into a pillar of blood'."

Jazz bared his teeth, "Do they remember what this 'phrase' was?"

"No, sir. They said it was an odd language, ancient Latin or Draconic perhaps."

"So the Commander disappeared into a hole in the ground?"

"Aye, our men explained that it was full of fire."

"So, he's in Hell now..." and Jazz laughed, "Excellent, that's one less thing I have to worry about, commence our invasion force upon the city. Perhaps we can lay siege on it before the end of the day."

"I'll contact them, sir."

"Good, now move out."

"Yes, sir."

Alex was awakened by the creak of the cell door opening. He abruptly sat up, preparing to attack whoever had come through the door. Terrias sleepily sat up, stretching as he said, "Don't Alex, it's not worth it."

"Listen to the snake," the unseen beast replied in a deep, barely understandable voice.

"Sorry," Alex replied with a grin, "Take the cock out of your mouth so I can actually understand what you're saying."

"Alex, don't. Trust me, don't piss them off," Terrias replied in a tired voice, "Just do what they say, it will make things easier that way."

"You know, you should really listen to your boyfriend more," the beast replied, "He knows what he's talking about."

Alex could feel the guard forcefully grab his shoulder as he was forced out of the cell, the door closed and locked behind him. Terrias walked up to the bars, grabbing onto them as he said, "Bye, Alex...be careful...and good luck"

"Don't worry Terrias," he said, struggling, "I will be back!"

"Alex..." and Terrias said a prayer for him.

Alex said nothing as he was dragged to the arena, the closer he grew, the louder the ritualistic drums grew, and soon, he arrived into the blindingly bright arena, still bloody after the last battle, and several reptilian guards cleaned up the bodies of a tag team duo, resurrecting them as they were dragged away, screaming in pain, terror, and mercy. Alex's entry was met with the deafening sound of wild cheers of the demonic crowd.

"Welcome back, _Commander_," the angel of darkness announced over the roar of the crowd, "We will have a grand show!"

"Fuck you," Alex hissed.

The devil shrugged, unfazed, "I'm so frightened of a soldier of God who willingly descended into the pit of darkness to save his fallen friend."

"I _will _get out of here!" Alex roared.

"I highly doubt that, there is no way you can escape, Commander, and my archdemon has moved on to another host. Now, to continue on, today, we will have an amazing challenge! The Great Commander versus none other than the invincible Alistair!"

A deafening roar filled the arena and Alex felt the earth quake. Suddenly, the portcullis opened, and steam poured from the entrance as a massive, black silhouette emerged from the darkness, glowing red eyes glaring down at the Commander. The beat emerged, a massive dragon with scales as black as night. Its wings were shredded and torn, its horns were red as blood, and its belly was dark gray. The beast was bipedal, and held two large swords, seemingly Daedric in nature.

Alex gulped, the creature was much larger than the one he had to face the previous day.

"Oh shit..." he began.

"Yo, Spearow!" Piermont said, walking up to the purple dragon who was basking in the sun beside his mate. Alpha Company was outside, the air was warm, and some of the clouds had thinned out enough to allow a few small rays of sunlight in. Down below in the city, the citizens were wild and ecstatic for the sunshine.

"What?" Spyro asked, irritated.

"Have you seen Alex?"

"Nope."

"Fuck man, _nobody _has seen him. The hell could he have gone?"

Spyro shrugged, "I dunno, personally, I really don't care."

"Fuck you, man."

"I love you, too, Pierre."

And Piermont stormed away.

"So," Cynder began, "Where _could _he have gone?"

"I don't know..." Spyro began, "I mean, I don't feel him...but that doesn't necessarily mean he's dead. In fact, it's almost like he just dropped off the face of the earth. Wherever he is, he doesn't want to get found."

"I wonder why..."

"I dunno, maybe he's jacking off to somebody?"

Cynder glanced uneasily at her mate.

"What?" he asked, "I'm just kidding..."

"Commander Spyro," Elliot's voice said over the purple dragon's radio, which was laying on the bar, "Please report, over."

"Shit," Spyro breathed, standing and stretching as he walked over and answered the call, "Spyro here."

"Get Alpha Company down to the conference room, pronto. We have an issue..."

"What?"

"I'll talk about it once everyone is assembled, get your asses down here, ASAP, over and out."

"Wait! Elliot!" and Spyro roared as he smacked the radio down and turned to the crowd, "Alright gentlemen," he began, "Elliot wants us assembled in the conference room, ASAP. Let's go!"

Groans erupted from the group, and Spyro said, "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm pissed off, too. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, he finds it necessary to interrupt our little day off."

Alpha Company was assembled in the conference room on the top floor of Club Camelot within minutes, and Elliot soon arrived, out of breath, as he ran to the front of the room. "Okay," he began, catching his breath, "We have a bit of a situation."

"Spit it out," Crash replied, annoyed, "What's wrong?"

"Well, Bandicoot, if you _really _must know, sentries spotted an army of five to ten thousand _Maxia _soldiers marching towards the city, about ten or fifteen miles away. So I'm ordering you all to start evacuating citizens underground while we lock down the city."

"You sound surprisingly unfazed, General," Piermont replied.

"It's nothing fancy, just a few hundred tanks and a number of howitzers, nothing we haven't dealt with in the past, but we still need to prepare for battle."

"Yes, sir," Spyro said with a nod.

"Good, move out."

Alex braced himself for a quick evasion if the monstrous demon tried to make a move. With a deafening roar, the beast opened its great maw and spat a massive ball of white fire. Alex quickly jumped to the right, dodging the demon's blast. It launched another ball of fire at him, and Alex, having not recovered from the evasion, knew he was not going to be able to avoid the blast. Instead, he used his pyrokinesis to redirect the ball of fire and turn it back at the demon, who let out a hellish screech as the ball smashed into its face. Alex immediately was upon the demon, launching a series of elemental attacks, a rich combination involving all five of the elements as he struck the demon with perfect accuracy.

The demon, now thoroughly irritated, decided to change tactics, dashing forward with impossible speed as he rammed Alex head on, and the Commander went flying across the arena, sliding to the very edge of the platform. The roars of the crowd increased as he leaped out of the way of another elemental breath attack, countering with several elemental attacks of his own.

"C'MON YOU MOTHERFUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" Alex roared, "GODDAMN HELLSPAWN! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT YOU STUPID BITCH! STUPID CUNT!"

With a vicious roar, the dragon charged him again, and Alex was clipped along the side. He quickly recovered, taunting the dragon more as he quickly searched around for a way to defeat the beast. Lodged in the ground, he saw a sword at the edge of the arena, and he quickly moved for it, rolling as he ripped the blade from the ground and dodged several more elemental attacks from the dragon. He edged closer, feeling the heat of the flames along the hairs on his arm, and he jumped, flipping over the beam of fire. Alex landed directly in front of the dragon, and with a growl, he slashed the heavy sword at the dragon, it struck the dragon's chest, but it only slid off in sparks, not even scratching the beast's belly scales.

"What the fuck?" Alex roared, "Oi! C'mon you stupid cocksucker!"

The dragon charged him again, and he evaded another attack as the massive beast slowed to a stop at the edge of the arena. An idea suddenly flashed in the Commander's mind. Taunting the beast again, he braced himself as the dragon attacked again. After several elemental attacks, the dragon charged at him, and Alex leaped into the air, flipping onto the beast as he wrapped himself around one of the beast's blood-red spines. It roared as it tried to bite and slash at the pest on its back, and Alex managed to barely avoid its grasp, slashing whatever part came at him. The dragon then jumped into the air, spinning as it commenced a body slam. Alex lost his grip and plummeted, smacking into the sandy ground, now dazed. He watched the beast come near him, and everything occurred in slow motion as he rolled out of the way, picking up the blade and jamming it, with all his might, into the back of the dragon's neck. The beast roared in pain and fury, once more charging at the Commander, but his attacks were desperate, less organized, and Alex managed to identify several weaknesses in the demon's attacks, which he began to exploit. He further taunted the hulking behemoth towards the edge, and eventually, the dragon, logic clouded by fury and hatred at the human pestering him, charged at Alex with an amazing speed, so much that Alex could see the beginning of a sonic boom. He still managed to avoid the attack, but barely, and the sonic boom blasted him to the side, like a powerful Unrelenting Force Shout. The dragon, now coming to its senses, roared out in mercy as it scratched the ground, attempting to slow its slide, but it was too late. With a final, pained roar, the dragon slid off of the edge of the arena, and into the torrential ocean of lava several hundred feet below.

The crowd chanted in ancient Latin, Alex assumed they were cheering for him, and he raised the tarnished, blood-stained, gore-covered, silver, gem-encrusted sword to the sky, roaring, as loud as he could, "_URA!_"

The crowd chanted Alex's battle-cry, and he smiled arrogantly at Lucifer, who only grimaced and nodded, "Well done," the angel of darkness began, "So you have proven that you can hold your own, but I assure you, both you and your 'friend' have only just began."

"So Terrias has defeated this bastard as well?"

Lucifer grimaced, unwilling to accept as he said, "Unfortunately, yes he has."

"So you lied about the whole, 'undefeated' part?"

"I never said he was undefeated, I said he was invincible, which is still true. With a snap of my fingers, I can easily resurrect him. GUARDS!"

The portcullis opened again, and Alex was aware of the iron grip of the bipedal, reptilian guardians grabbing his arms and dragging him back into the gaping maw of darkness, returning him to his cell.

Alpha Company stood upon the southern ramparts of New Alexandria, eyes on the approaching army, weapons cocked and ready. The fifty year old four star general, Elliot, led the crowd, arms crossed behind his back. His dark brown, buzz-cut hair on his bulldog-shaped face blew in the breeze. His cold, merciless, green eyes stared intently at the approaching army. His face and nose, flushed with years of alcohol abuse, was now flushed with anger and hatred, his thick, brown brows furrowed in disgust. Lips twisted into a grim smile of fury, hatred, and bloodlust, revealing his tobacco-stained teeth. The usual Cuban was missing from the corner of his mouth, and the short, stocky general looked menacing, standing erect in his black officer's uniform.

Spyro approached him, "Elliot, we're ready to fire on your command."

"_My _command? Commander Spyro, I believe Alex trained _you _for second-in-command, did he not?"

"Uh...yes, sir..."

"So we are ready to fire on _your _command."

Spyro nodded, then said, "Troops, wait for my order."

"What are we waiting for, Commander?" Elliot began, "They are close."

"Not close enough. I want our anti-armor, turrets, cannons, and bazookas ready to fire once their armor comes into view. Snipers, get ready to start picking off infantry, and HMGs, I want you to start firing upon them once they are 1.5 miles out, understand?"

"Yes, sir," the gathered soldiers said.

"Excellent, disperse, man your battle stations."

"Yes, sir."

After the gathered defenders broke apart, Elliot turned to Spyro, "Well done," the general replied, "That's the spirit! Now you are beginning to sound like a commander."

"Speaking of which," Cynder interrupted, "Where in the hell is Alex?"

"I don't know, but I lost feeling of him last night," Elliot said, "Now, I know you guys must already have done so, you've been mutants for years, while the rest of the militia has only been mutated in the past six months.

"Yes," Piermont nodded, "We did...but he can't be dead...I mean, if he was, so would I."

"At least not physically dead..." Spyro said.

"What do you mean?" Cynder asked.

"Well, what I meant, is that maybe he died emotionally or spiritually?"

"That doesn't even make sense, Spearow," Piermont replied.

"Well...I'm just saying..." Spyro's radio buzzed, and the dragon answered, "Spyro here."

"Commander," a deep, gruff voice began, "Spotters have identified approaching enemy armor, approximately 2.5 miles south, at the bottom of the slope."

"You can see them?"

"Yes, sir. We have a clear shot, over."

"Good," then, after a few moments of silence, "Fire at will."

"Affirmative, over and out."

Suddenly, the music of a hundred _nebelwerfers_, bazookas, mortars, and cannons filled the air, as pillars of dust and fire emerged from the distant mass.

There was the distant sound of howitzers firing, and Alpha Company watched as a dozen balls of fire arched in the nighttime sky above New Alexandria, coming down and crashing into the electron forcefield, which briefly flashed green upon each impact.

With another barrage of explosive shells from the allied soldiers, and a collected cry of "URA!" the battle began.

"Alex!" and Terrias, who had been sitting on the edge of his bed, head in his hands, jumped up, running to the cell door and grabbing the bars.

"Step aside, Prisoner," the guard said menacingly, and Terrias moved away as the door opened and Alex was thrown in. Once the door was locked and the guards left, Terrias jumped up again, running to Alex's side and helping him up.

Once Alex was on his feet, Terrias hugged him tightly, exclaiming, "Jesus Christ! I thought you were...I mean...I know you aren't...but I was worried that..."

"Don't worry," Alex said with a grin, "I understand what you meant."

"I heard that bastard's cry from here...Alastair right?"

"Yes."

"Stupid fucker, gave me one helluva bruise when I was forced to fight him. Apparently, that makes you the second gladiator in the history of the Devil's Arena to fight and defeat that goddamn dragon."

"That's what Lucifer said."

"Aye, you should tell me all of the juicy details of your encounter tonight," Terrias said nothing after he broke the hug, only stared at Alex and smiled a toothy grin at him. He soon lost control of himself again, and once more embraced the Commander, "God, I'm glad you're okay...if something were to happen to you..." and Terrias broke the embrace, shaking his head, "I don't even want to begin to imagine what the punishment for defeat is..."

They both jumped and looked around as they heard the pained, horrified roar of Alastair, reverberating throughout the Pit.

"Holy crap!" Terrias said, "It _must _be bad if even _that _fucking juggernaut doesn't like it..."

Alex shrugged, "Maybe they're forcing him to eat sugary candy treats, or play house, or watch My Little Pony?"

Terrias laughed, "It would definitely be a disgrace to a big bad monster such as Alastair. Hell, that'd be hell on _ME_," then, after a few moments of silence, the servine added, "Pardon the pun."

"So...what now?"

Terrias grinned, "Right now? We rest, my friend!"

Suddenly, a guard appeared, saying, "Prisoners, our Lord wishes to speak to you two."

Alex and Terrias exchanged uneasy glances as the cell was opened and the both of them were dragged out and through the prison. They were brought to an elegantly decorated throne room, made entirely of precious metals and gemstones, and Lucifer, wearing regal clothing, sat in a throne made of bones, sitting on a raised platform surrounding a six-foot-wide moat of lava as Alex and Terrias were forced to kneel before him. They could hear the cries of the tortured, and they could see Magma Diamond cages hanging from the ceiling around the room, holding prisoners as demons lowered the prisoners into the fifty-foot-thick, hundred-foot-deep trench of lava that surrounded the perimeter of the room Magma Diamond, nothing more than coal-black stone with veins of magma running through it, called so because it was stronger than even diamond.

"Rise," the angel of darkness said, and the two soldiers of God immediately stood, "You have shown great promise," he began, "And impressed the masses. Believe it or not, it is quite difficult to win so much favor with your audience, especially as soldiers and followers of our most hated enemy."

"Why in the bloody hell did you drag us here?" Terrias said, embittered.

"Terrias..." Alex warned.

"Ah, straight to the point, minus the filler," Lucifer said, "I like that. The point is, from now on, you two will fight together as one in a tag team. You will fight multiple enemies of our most elite gladiators, together, and the reward...or punishment...will be shared."

Both Terrias and Alex were stunned.

"However! The rules in the single matches still apply. Refuse to battle, both are punished. If the battle draws, all parties involved will be punished. Understand?"

"Aye," Alex said.

"Yes," Terrias replied.

"Good! Well then," and he clapped his hands together, rubbing them, "GUARDS! Return them to their cells! As for you two, better rest, though you might fight as a single entity, if one loses, so shall the other, so you need to both defeat your opponents and defend each other."

With this final statement, the guards grabbed the two gladiators and returned them to their prison cells.


	11. Chapter X: The Fallen

_**Chapter X**_**:**

**-''The Fallen''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_24 June 2012_-**

**-_0421 Hours_-**

"Commander Spyro," a Terminator soldier began, "We have enemy bombers at 2 o'clock!"

"Shoot 'em out of the sky," Spyro replied, "I shouldn't have to order that."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

"Well? What are you waiting for? Take 'em down!"

"Oh yes, sir! Right, sir!" and the soldier ran off.

"I must say," Elliot began, reloading his AK47, "You're doing quite well for your baptism by fire, Spyro. Alex trained you well."

"I call it beginner's luck, sir."

"Christ, I _hope _it isn't just beginner's luck! Else we're fucked."

"Right, sir. My apologies."

Spyro's radio buzzed and he answered the call. "Sir, _Maxia_ tanks are at our eastern gate, they're attempting to punch through! Our forces are overwhelmed!"

Spyro returned the call, "I'm sending soldiers your way," then to the gathered Alpha Company, "Attention! We need to send out a party of Alpha Company soldiers out to our eastern gate. They're under heavy fire from the enemy, and they can't hold the gate unless they get reinforcements. Piermont, Aria, Simba, Nala, Cheet, Keisha, and Prancy, I need you guys to get over there. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Kovu, and Kiara, head on out to the northern gate, defend our rear. Rudolph, I need you to lead Rapid, Sarah, Shadow, and Spike to watch our western gate. Cynder, Crash, Schakri, and Cherub, I need you guys to stay here with me on this gate, understand?"

A steady stream of "yes, sir"s erupted from the gathered mass as the divided Alpha Company advanced to their assigned positions.

"What now, Commander?" Elliot began.

"We need to keep raining fire onto those bastards down below. We need to take as many of their numbers down as possible. Take enough down, they'll want to retreat."

"What about their artillery barrages? They keep on hammering us with those damn guns, and our little stone wall will be gravel by the time their tanks advance on our position."

Spyro grinned, "That's exactly what I was about to get at."

"What's your plan?"

"Cynder and I are going to head down behind enemy lines and cripple their artillery."

"Endangering yourself?"

"It's not like we have a choice. Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

Elliot obviously wanted to argue, but, knowing he wasn't going to win against his CO, he surrendered and said, "Fine then, do what you wish. But don't you fucking _dare_ get injured or killed. We can't risk losing our second-in-command."

"Oh ye of so little faith, I'm fine. Now, deliver suppressing fire so I can get my ass down there."

"Prisoners!"

Terrias and Alex sat up quickly, stretching and climbing out of bed, standing in place as the guards entered the cell, binding them and carrying them out of the cell and toward the Devil's Arena. Not a word passed between them as they arrived at their intended destination and were thrown into the arena.

"Welcome back, my beloved audience! Today will be a special showdown between our newest tag team, and he waved towards Alex and Terrias, looking beat and worn out, and two of the most evil people in the history of mankind: Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin, as well as fifty of their best men!"

"What?" Alex hissed, "The odds are stacked against us!"

"Of course," Terrias whispered back, "You expected him to play fair? We've proven ourselves as tough fighters, so he wants to test the limits of our strength. If we successfully conquer these troops, and we will, the challenges will only get worse."

"Shit...I hope you aren't right..."

"To be honest, Commander, so do I."

"Let the battle commence!" Lucifer said, and his announcement was followed by the bloodthirsty roars of the massive crowd.

"Son of a bitch..." Alex sighed, "Seems like they're expecting one helluva bloodbath."

"Of course. It's two of Lucy's greatest champions versus a demonic army of fifty-two soldiers straight out of the goddamn history books!"

"Crap, what's your plan, then?"

"Follow my lead, Alex, and do what I do. I might have never faced _this _particular challenge before, but I _have _faced Hitler and Stalin individually, and their battle tactics are crappy, but it would probably still be best if you followed my orders."

Hitler cursed them in German, which, with an almost audible click, both Alex and Terrias could understand what he was saying, Alex in his native English, Terrias in his own native tongue.

"Die worthless pigs!" he roared, and charged at the duo with incredible speed.

"Alex!" Terrias roared, "Six o'clock!" and Alex leaped out of the way as Stalin missed, stumbling. "Now, Alex! Counter!"

Alex reached into his sackcloth shoes, removing a rusty prison shank. He slashed it forward, but Stalin was incredibly fast, and managed to dodge the attacks.

"As you can see," Lucifer began, "I have...upped...their abilities...to accommodate the strength of two mutants."

"Leave it to Lucy to stack the odds against us," Terrias shook his head.

"Oh, Snake, I am merely testing your abilities."

"Yeah, I know. Alex! Look out!"

The Commander barely avoided a series of attacks by five of the men. Alex avoided the attack, swiftly slitting the throat of one of the attacking soldiers. "Terrias!" he called, "Your left!"

The Commander watched in amazement as Terrias avoided the swing of a bayonet smoothly, as if he were in the Matrix. He grabbed the arm of his attacker, twisting it completely around as the man cried out in pain and dropped the bayonet. The servine somersaulted backwards, avoiding the fire of an MP40, and he grabbed the bayonet, throwing it. The blade stuck up to the hilt right between the eyes of the gunner.

"Alex! Avoid their guns! If they get us, you won't heal!"

"What?"

"Right!" and he avoided another spray of bullets from an MP40 as he rolled between the man's legs, removing the Luger from the holster at his waist and using the man as a shield as he fired the handgun at the crowd of enemies. Alex quickly made his way to one of the fallen soldiers, picking up an MP40 as he reloaded it and fired it as the Nazis surrounding them. "Ah!" he yelled in joy, "It's been _way _too long since I've last used one of these babies!"

A Russian sub-machine gun fired from out of nowhere, shooting the Commander in the arm. He cried out in pain and alarm, collapsing.

"_ALEX!_" Terrias yelled, running to his fallen friend.

"NON FATAL!" Alex cried, standing as he reached for his dropped weapon. One arm was dead, but he didn't care, instead, he let loose another stream of bullets as he gunned down the surrounding Soviets. Terrias was busying himself with the swarm of Nazis, and the Führer was issuing orders in rapid German.

"TERRIAS! RIGHT FLANK!" the servine dodged an attack by Stalin, who was wielding two daggers.

"Alex!" Terrias yelled over the roar of the battle, "Kill their leaders and the army will go out of control!"

"Right!" Alex yelled and he yelled his battle cry as he charged at Hitler. The German revealed a Luger from his vest, but Alex managed to dive into his stomach, knocking the dictator to the ground. In a constant stream of vicious melee attacks, Alex quickly moved to conquer his foe. Hitler tried to retaliate, but Alex searched around, spying a warhammer on the edge of the arena. "Terrias!"

But the servine was preoccupied with a group of twelve Soviets and Nazis, as well as Stalin himself. Grabbing the butt of the dropped Luger, Alex smashed it into the German's head as he jumped up, dashing to the hammer and sliding beneath the sword swings of several Nazis. He soon felt the hammer beneath his grasp and he swung it hard. It struck one of the Germans on the side of the head, and the German's head literally seemed to explode in a spray of blood and gore as he fell to the side. His limp arm burned as Alex hit it up against the falling German's body, and he hissed, biting his tongue. Hitler had recovered, and, with blood pouring from a massive gash above his right eye, had the Luger in hand, taking aim. Alex dove into the German again, grabbing his head by the hair and smashing his face into the arena. Hitler cried out, and tried to stand, but Alex lifted the hammer as high above his head as he could, and swiftly brought it down. The sound that filled his ears was like that of a kernel of corn popping, and blood, tissue, and gray matter sprayed out from the corpse. The Germans all recoiled, as if they were under some kind of mind control, and it had just lifted.

Alex swiftly brought down the remaining Germans with several swings of his hammer. Terrias busied himself with the Russians, and now he held a Mosin-Nagant rifle. He fired at the approaching armies, quickly looting ammo from the fallen soldiers and reloading. "TERRIAS!" Alex shouted, and he tossed a MP40 at the servine. Terrias leaped to the right, rolling and grabbing the fully loaded MP40, cocking it and letting loose a spray of bullets until the clip was empty. He looted the body of a nearby German, reloading his SMG as he avoided the gunfire from the remaining soldiers.

"Don't let him reload!" Stalin hissed, "He must not survive! Kill either one! We reign victorious if we kill only one!"

"Be careful, Alex!" Terrias yelled, "These guys are seriously pissed off!"

"You don't say!" and Alex barely managed to duck beneath a cloud of bullets. "URA!" he cried as he picked up an MG42, spraying it back and forth and gunning down the remaining soldiers.

"Holy shit!" Terrias shouted, and he hit the ground, laying prone, "Jesus Christ! A little warning would be nice, Alex!"

"Sorry, Terrias!"

In the spray of fire, Stalin was killed, and like the Germans, the Russians seemed to wake from some kind of trance. "Now's your chance, Alex! Finish them!"

Unleashing hell from his acquired HMG, Alex finished off the remaining soldiers, and as the crowd cheered for the victory, Alex helped his friend up, "You okay?" he asked the servine.

Terrias abruptly nodded, "I'm fine, are you?: then he saw the blood, "Shit! Alex! Are you okay!"

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" Alex quickly said, trying to calm the hysterical servine, "Just a flesh wound."

Alex suddenly felt an odd feeling as his wound was healed and the blood seemed to fade away, "The hell?" he said.

"Congratulations!" Lucifer said, "Once more, Commander, you have proven yourself capable of not only defending yourself, but your friend as well, you have earned your rest. GUARDS! Take them back to their cells. As for _you_," and Lucifer, with a wave of his hand, resurrected the fallen Germans and Soviets, "Have disappointed me! Guards! Escort _them _to the torture chamber."

With a strange grumble that vaguely resembled, "Yes, sir," a large crowd of the reptilian guards emerged from the darkness of the open gate into the coliseum, dragging the losing team into a portcullis on the opposite side of the arena from where Alex and Terrias were being led.

Back in their cells, Terrias hugged his CO, "Goddamn, Alex! You did good!"

"No, Terrias," he said, smiling, "_We_ did good, my friend. You helped as much as I did."

"Let's agree to disagree and get some shuteye?"

"I agree," Alex said with a nod, and he and Terrias climbed into bed as they quickly drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

An all-too-familiar roar filled the city of New Alexandria, and Spyro's heart sank. Just as he expected, his earpiece buzzed an a voice cried out, "_JAZZ!_"

"Where?" Spyro hissed, and he swore.

"The eastern gate!"

"Hold him off until I get over there!"

"Yes, sir!"

"_ELLIOT!_"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Send a few of Beta Company out there to take down those damn artillery guns, I'm heading out to stop Jazz."

"Don't be reckless!" Elliot hissed, "Understand? Remember what Jazz did to Terrias!"

"Don't remind me," and the dragon grimaced as he took to the skies.

"Spyro! Wait!" Cynder called, and Spyro hovered just a few feet off of the ground.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm coming with you."

"No," he said firmly, "Too dangerous."

"I've been here as long as you have, Spyro. Plus, I've had much more battle experience than you."

"Still, you aren't coming. Jazz is not to be trifled with, and I don't want any harm coming to you."

"You don't trust me?"

"It's not that, I just want to keep you out of harm's way."

"I don't care what you think, I'm coming with you."

"No you're not! _I'm _the Commander, _you _are my under me, and I am _ordering_ you to stay away from Jazz."

Cynder frowned and her eyes narrowed, "_You_ are my mate, and I will _not _leave you alone."

"Cynder," Elliot began in an attempt to sound understanding, "Just listen to Spyro, he's right."

"I'm not letting him go alone, dammit!"

"You will and are," Spyro roared, causing Cynder to recoil, "You are _not _coming with me," and he quickly flew off.

Cynder appeared upset, but said nothing, only turned to face Elliot, "What should I do, then?"

"Fight."

Spyro quickly raced towards the eastern wall, flying low to the ground through the labyrinthine streets and alleys that filled the city. When he finally arrived at the gate, he could see Jazz's dragon circling high in the skies above the wall. As he flew upward to engage the Shade King, Spyro could see that the _Maxia _were almost upon the city, less than a quarter of a mile away. However, reinforcements from the UNSC as well as Swizzle Firma were arriving quickly, and Spyro estimated that the Minecrawlers would be down at any moment. He then shuddered at the memory of the City Minecrawlers being wasted by the orbital cannons that the United States military had established, and he hoped that they were still destroyed and hadn't been repaired or replaced. When he was finally almost upon the enemy commander, he could hear the earth rumble and the strange noise, like a massive explosion being played in reverse, that accompanied the arrival of the Minecrawlers. When he looked, he could see two of the massive tanks had landed, and he saw a vertical, straight, white beam of light shoot from the sky and to the ground. The beam expanded and faded away as it grew about a mile wide, revealing a third Minecrawler. The noise to fill the world was now the deep rumble of machinery and the loud explosions as the Minecrawlers moved and fired their massive, mounted cannons, firing fifteen-ton shells at about one hundred and twenty rounds a minute.

What appeared to be mist clung to the base of the Minecrawlers as the energy streams formed by magnetic fields, solar wind, and gravity moved the behemoths. They had about forty-five minutes before the energy streams lost their idealistic characteristics, and the machines of war had to be returned to their home planet, else risk sitting for twelve hours, unable to move. As soon as the black, tank-like machines, as long and wide as Central Park, and as tall as a fifty story building landed, moving at less than five miles an hour, the invading army soon had a mile-wide gap cut into it across the entire length of the army, which stretched back half a mile, The massive machines had tread that tore through the landscape, scarring it, and the rotating blades at the front that usually dug up the planet's resources had been lifted, now sucking in enemy aircraft and ripping them to shreds. The space between the ground and the underside of the machine was about fifty feet, and the inside of the tread had been closed off, allowing the machines to sit within the Fiernes Curtain and friendly troops and armor to pass beneath the tanks and through the fire wall. The machines were piloted remotely from an undisclosed location within the universe, and were virtually unstoppable unless either the pilot was killed, which caused the machines to go into auto-self-destruct, making them implode back into the energy streams and returned to their home planet, or the energy streams connecting their home world and their destination began to lose stability and lapse into less-than-idealistic conditions, in which case they were also returned as both a failsafe to prevent potential capture and reverse-engineering, and to prevent them from becoming hulking obstacles to friendly forces.

The Terminator Militia had been trained to stay out of the way of the machines, and did so. The black body was broken only by the occasional cluster of barrels, as long as a thousand feet, and with a diameter as large as a nuclear submarine. The barrels of the guns were together in clusters of between six and eight, and fired in sequence so as to deliver a constant barrage of shells. Each Minecrawler had about a hundred clusters along their entire shape. Their metal shell was impenetrable, the metal as tough as diamond, and could withstand shelling, and even the intense heat of the Fierne Curtain and the very epicenter of a nuclear explosion. Their hulking mass and immense weight also made them prime siege weapons, but the strict time limit severely restricted their usefulness. Only three hours a day, the times in one hour increments that varied with the time of year, were granted for them to be in action. Only during these hours were the energy streams between the United States and the home planet of Swizzle Firma in good enough conditions to allow their use. Since their service in the Terminator Militia had began several years prior, only four had been destroyed, all of them during the Fall of New Alexandria, where the orbital cannons had fired with such concentrated heat and intensity that it had punched through the metal shell and through to the core of the machine, what converted the energy streams into power. The damage to the core had caused it to go into self-destruct, and the failsafe mechanism to control the implosion had been damaged as well, resulting in the machine literally just falling apart into hundreds of large chunks that were later teleported back to the home planet.

During the Fall of New Alexandria, however, all three of the orbital cannons had been destroyed, and reports from the militia's Ring superweapon reported that nothing more had been sent into orbit since then. The Ring itself was inoperable, still under repairs after a _Maxia _takeover had caused the Ring to fire through an ODST station and into itself, annihilating a fifteen mile chunk of the ring which was currently still being rebuilt.

"Jazz!" Spyro roared as he broadsided the dark lord's dragon, sending it in spinning.

Jazz managed to stabilize his beast and said, "Ah, if it isn't Commander Spyro. You seem to have forgotten your leader is dead, and you are now endangering yourself. If you die, which you will, the Terminator Militia will be headless, and will fall," and he laughed, "You really are quite unintelligent aren't you?"

"I won't die! And the Commander isn't dead!"

"Ah, so you didn't know," and he smirked, "Of course you didn't. Alex failed to tell you before he leaped into the pit of Hell."

"What? You're lying!"

"Am I? Look into your heart, and tell me if what I say is a lie. Haven't you noticed that he's been missing? Hmm? Necrodusk opened the portal for him, which in turn, he willingly leaped into."

Sure enough, Spyro somehow knew that what Jazz spoke was true.

"How? Why would he do that?"

"Why, for his best friend, of course! He didn't want Sergeant Terrias to be so lonely in Hell, fighting against the worst monsters in the history of the universe alone!"

Spyro was stunned. As much as he wanted to believe that Jazz was just taunting him. Something told him that Jazz's story was correct, that Alex really had done that, and would he risk himself to spare one of his friends?

"Of course he would..." Spyro finished his thought.

"Well, I have many things to do, I'll let you mull over that for awhile," and he laughed as he flew away.

Spyro, awakening from his thoughts with a start, leaped into the air and growled, "Oh no you don't!" as he pursued the rogue Terminator.

Alex awoke with a start as the gate creaked open, and a deep, throaty voice said, "Prisoners!"

He sat up, across from him, Terrias did so as well, and they looked at each other as the Commander said, "Here we go again."

Terrias nodded, and the guards dragged them away.

They were thrown once more into the arena, and Lucifer, still on his throne, was addressing the crowd, "We have proven that the Great Commander and his protege are more than capable of holding their own and defeating whatever we throw at them. So today, we have a _new _challenge, one that will _really _test their abilities! Today, this team will go against several entire armies, all led by famous leaders throughout history! We have Napoleon Bonaparte and one thousand of his men, Attila the Hun and an army of five hundred, and we have Julius Ceaser and an army of one thousand! In addition to this, we have Lord Necro and a _Maxian _army of five thousand, and General "No-Tongue" with his army of twenty five hundred LKA soldiers!"

"_WHAT!?_" Terrias said, jaw dropped, "_Ten thousand! _Impossible!"

"That's not even the least of our worries..." Alex began, voice dreamy. He suddenly adopted a stricken, deeply worried look, "We're also fighting Necro, No-Tongue, the goddamn LKA, and five-fucking-thousand _Maxia _soldiers!"

"Who are the LKA? And No-Tongue?" Terrias asked, "I understand why we should worry about the _Maxia _and Necro, but I don't recognize _those _guys."

"The LKA were an army constructed around the same time as we were, their sole purpose was to destroy us and prevent us from achieving what we have now. No-Tongue was their leader, and also the one responsible for both corrupting Jazz, and murdering Rapid back in '02. But we killed him! During the siege of their base in Chicago, the same day as Rapid's death, our guys shot down his plane as he was escaping, and the LKA fell to our forces...now we have to fight them again...and I worry for what little perks Lucifer has tagged onto this battle!"

"To level the playing field," Lucifer continued, "This time, _both _Commander Vaughn _and_ Sergeant Terrias will need to die before their team loses, and, I am granting them an army of five hundred demons and imps to fight with."

"Fuck that shit!" Alex roared, "I refuse to fight alongside your goddamn hellspawn!"

Lucifer smiled, "So be it then. Well done, Commander, you have stripped yourself of my gratitude. Today, you and Sergeant Terrias will fight alone! Two on ten thousand! _And_, I will also bring them up to match against you. _All _of them have been granted the same abilities as yourself. Have fun, Commander! You have fucked yourself and your best friend in the ass on this one."

"Way to go, Alex," and Terrias glared at him, "You _really _screwed us."

Alex shrugged and said, "I refuse to fight alongside demons."

"Yes, but we _at least _would have had a better chance of fighting them! We don't stand a chance now!"

"Because I'm still a little upset at the Commander's refusal to accept my offering, I will also allow General Tullius and an Imperial army of five thousand to seek revenge!"

"Shit!" Alex hissed.

Terrias, pissed off, only glared at the Commander, "Look what you've fucking done now!"

"Don't you wish you would have accepted my offer?" Lucifer began, "Oh well, let's see if you can stand a chance against them," and he laughed as the arena seemed to suddenly become much larger, as if Alex was shrinking. However, the audience also seemed to grow much larger, and fifty portcullis doors all opened across the arena as the immense army began to arrive. It seemed like hours before all of the enemy armies had been assembled, and all of them had not only been suited up to stand against the Commander, but they had also been given modern weapons and armor. All Alex had was the rusty sword he had taken from his first battle, the shank he had made in prison, and the hammer he had found during the last battle.

"Hope you're ready..." Terrias whispered, "We're not going to make it," and he brought out a sword he had taken from one of the Nazis, as well as an MP40 and a few clips he had scavenged."

"I'm not," Alex said, also revealing a homemade bow and arrows of bone, "But we have no choice."

"Ura?" Terrias asked.

"URA!" Alex roared, and he and Terrias charged into battle as Lucifer laughed.

"And so! Let the battle begin!"

Spyro sped forward as fast as he could, attempting to intercept Jazz. The rabbit's dragon was amazingly quick, and Spyro had a hard time keeping up with him. The purple dragon let out a vicious growl as he made himself more aerodynamic. After several minutes, he was close enough to the dragon that he breathed a jet of bright fire. It struck its target and Jazz's dragon, covered in Daedric armor, lost his gracefulness as he stumbled. In an instant Spyro was upon the beast, teeth gnashing and claws slashing, and Jazz roared as he pounced Spyro. The two started fighting as Jazz's dragon spun around, trying to dislodge the attacking purple dragon.

"Spyro!" Jazz said, out of breath, "You have a lot of balls coming here to challenge me!" and he swung his sword with a mighty yell. Spyro dodged and Jazz continued, "I'll give you that much!"

"I hope you are ready to die, you son of a bitch!"

"So wordy!" and Jazz swung his sword again, leaving Spyro to just barely dodge, "But you are a coward in warfare! Fight me or die!"

"As you wish, cocksucker!" and Spyro began to throw punches at the rabbit. Jazz, swords in hand, swung them around, desperately trying to strike the purple dragon. However, Spyro, remembering the tactics Alex had taught him, and all of the hours of sparring they had done, managed to dodge with ease and cleanly counter.

"Commander Vaughn has taught you well!"

"I've been dreaming of this moment for a long time," Spyro said as he slashed Jazz across his Achilles' heel, causing him to collapse and cry out. Spyro walked up to Jazz, handgun aimed to the rabbit's head as he prepared to issue the _coup de grace_.

Jazz laughed, "You think you can beat me? I am stronger than all of Alpha Company combined! I will _not _go down!"

"Bullshit! This is for Terrias!"

As Spyro prepared to take the shot, Jazz kicked him in the balls, and the dragon went down. Thanks to the protective sheathe hiding his reproductive organs, he wasn't struck too hard, and he quickly recovered, but the diversion in his attention and focus was all the rabbit needed to quickly turn the tables. Before he knew it, Jazz held Spyro by the neck, holding the struggling, squirming purple dragon over the side of the rogue's beast, ready to drop Alex's second-in-command.

"If I die! I will be avenged!" Spyro said quickly, struggling to break free.

"If you die, there will be no one left to lead this pisspoor army, and you will fall. I've long awaited the day of the Terminator Militia's demise, and today, I finally get to see my dream realized, and, to improve it, _I _am the one who ended them! I will go down in the history books as the one who single-handedly brought down the High Command and ended the reign of the 'righteous' Terminator Militia! I will be a hero!"

"Our allies will live on! They will speak the truth! And you will be forgotten!"

"I will be a god!" Jazz said, eyes wild with excitement and insanity, "I will be a god to the people! A hero! Forever spoken throughout the ages!"

"YOU WILL DIE!"

A roar sounded, and Jazz was thrown forward as he was struck from behind. Cynder landed on top of the rabbit, pinning him down, fists and claws flying.

"Cynder!"

"Not now, Spyro!" she roared as she continued her stream of attacks.

"Off of me you whore!" Jazz hissed as he tried to punch Cynder, but he was on his stomach, and Cynder managed to easily dodge his weak punches. She then twisted herself around his body tightly, wrapping her two forelimbs around his neck as she cut off his oxygen. He choked, flailing and trying to get the dragoness to let up, but she wouldn't. Eventually, he tapped out, and Cynder kneed him in the back as she threw him down. His dragon roared as it too flailed from the pain of its rider, and Spyro slid off of his back. His descent was too quick, and the air around him prevented him from spreading his wings. Cynder grabbed his paw and held on as she spread her wings and flew away from the falling beast. However, she was trembling, all of Spyro's weight was pressing down on her limb, and she was going down. She cried out as she began to go into a tailspin, and with a loud crack, her limb dislocated from the shoulder. She spun around, losing control, but Spyro used the slowing of his rapid descent to spread his own wings, and he flew beneath her as she landed on his back. He flew the two of them to the balcony of nearby Club Camelot, and landed beside the pool, lowering his head as he gently bucked Cynder off of him. He grabbed her limp limb, abruptly turning it as it snapped back into place with a crack, and she cried out in pain. She stumbled, collapsing, and Spyro quickly got beneath her as she fell onto his head. He nudged her upright and, breathing heavily, kissed her hard and fast.

"You're so stupid!" he roared, kissing her and crying, "Jesus! You are so stupid!"

"I saved your life!"

"You are stupid! You could have been hurt!"

"I don't care about my life, Spyro! I care about yours! I told you I was yours, I'm your bodyguard, my body is your shield! I told you all of these when we first mated!"

"That was a stupid, stupid thing for you to do...but thanks," and, now calm, he kissed her again, slowly, more gently.

She touched her forehead to his, "I love you, Spyro."

"I love you, too," and they rose into the air together as they rejoined the battle.

Alex engaged the Chinese first, swiftly swinging his sword and hammer. Terrias went after the French, moving quickly as he effortlessly dodged the attacks. This wasn't the first time that Alex had experienced battle this stacked against him. The baptism by fire for Simba and Nala saw the three of them going against an army of hundreds of LKA alone. However, the LKA were not mutants, and all fifteen thousand of their enemies were mutated. Despite the obvious challenge, a hand-to-hand battle like this instantly brought him back to that time, and instilled in him a deep sense of joy and excitement. He felt more powerful than them as he, an individual lost in a sea of enemies, slaughtered them, racking up the body count. In the heat of battle, moving and fighting like the Spartan warriors in the movie _300_, Alex yelled, "This is better than sex!"

"URA!" Terrias cried in agreement, and the two, now fighting alongside each other, back-to-back, watched each others backs as they fought on

"Hey, Terrias!" Alex cried happily, "This is fun as hell! I challenge you to a little game."

"Name the rules," Terrias said, attacking quickly.

"Whoever has the highest body count?"

"You're on!"

They used everything at their disposal to fight, and they were quickly wasting the opposing armies. "DIE YOU SONS OF BITCHES!" and Alex laughed maniacally, "YOU'VE BEEN _OWNED_!"

"I'm at one thousand!" Terrias cried out, "You?"

"Fuckin' fifteen hundred, bitch!" and he laughed again.

"DIE YOU S. ! URA!" and Terrias charged into another group.

"Should we take down their leaders?"

"Hell no! What's the fun in fighting an army that is fuckin' brain dead? We fight to win, _hombre_! Haha!"

Alex dodged the sword swing of a _Maxia _officer, and he removed the dagger from the soldier's belt, jamming it into the chest of a nearby Roman. Sliding underneath the legs of an LKA soldier with an MP40, Alex grabbed him by the shoulders, jamming the dagger into his chest as he held the soldier, ripping the MP40 from his hands and opening fire on the surrounding soldiers. One of Attila the Hun's officers charged at him, swinging a sword, and Alex ducked as the LKA soldier was beheaded. The Commander threw the body into his assailant's body, and he went down. Alex revealed the hammer from the loop of leather at his waist and smashed in the man's head. Spinning around with the hammer and taking down twenty of the surrounding enemies.

Covered in blood, he dove into Attila the Hun's stomach, causing the man to stumble. Now sitting on him, Alex revealed his shank and sawed the head off of the leader. The warlord's army awoke from their trance, and Terrias was quick to annihilate them. "The hell?" the servine said with a hardy, insane laugh, "I thought we weren't going after the leaders just yet?"

"Didn't know it _was _the leader!"

"Bullshit!" and he laughed again, "Oh well, that means plus five-o-o for _me _biatch!"

"Fuck you!"

"Fuck you, too! We can buttfuck tonight if you so desire!" and they laughed as they sped into another massive group of soldiers.

"Nah!" Alex roared, gunning down several French soldiers, "I'll just suck you off like I did with Spyro."

"Sixty-fuckin'-nine? Fuckin' A, man!"

Roman centurions charged after them, Alex and Terrias swiftly moved into the heart of the army, ducking beneath sword swings, punches, kicks, and strafing through the mass to dodge gunfire. Alex swung his hammer as hard as he could, smashing them in the face, in the torso, or in the legs, leaving Terrias to finish off any that escaped his deadly blows. The partners fought together, fighting perfectly in synch as they burned through the massive army.

The crowd cheered them on, further adding to their overall enjoyment and bloodlust, and Lucifer stared at them, jaw dropped, unable to believe that they were not only surviving the onslaught, but gracefully slaughtering them as well.

"Die, Stormcloak!" an Imperial officer roared, and Alex jumped out of the way, flipping over the man's head as he raised his hammer and landing behind the Imperial soldier, smashing the back of his skull in. He did this several times, feeling as happy as ever. Here in Hell, there was no fatigue, and he fought hard and fast, not feeling tired in the slightest, his stamina forever maxed. A few soldiers of their enemy ran away, trying to avoid the deadly annihilation of the two Terminators, but Alex let none escape, he was having too much fun.

Together, they massacred the opposing armies, thinking only of how much fun they were having, and wanting this to continue on. Eventually, only a few thousand remained, then, all too soon, only a few hundred still stood. They hungrily burned through the enemy army, like a fire to a pile of dry leaves, many of their victims did not even see what was coming before they had fallen. Alex and Terrias still fought in synch, and they didn't worry about the other, both thought alike, and thus, there was no need to worry. The enemy armies began to lose order and fall into discord and disarray. Both Terminators took the chaos to their advantage, continuing their graceful, amazing, and extremely organized combat, as they swiftly massacred the confused army.

Soon, only the leaders remained, and Alex and Terrias, completely painted red with the blood of their enemies, charged at them. One by one, the leaders were bested, and soon, it was only General No-Tongue and Necro, Malleas, and Malefor that stood in their way.

Malleas dove from the skies, great, black maw opened as he spewed fire down on them. Alex dodged, leaping onto the dark dragon's back as the vicious dragon commenced a series of rolls, flips, and corkscrews, attempting to dislodge the Commander, but he held on tight, riding the beast and enjoying the difficult flight.

"And yet the two Terminator bastards still stand!" Malefor roared, lowering to attack Terrias. The servine leaped out of the way, diving and grabbing onto the massive purple dragon's tail, clinging on tightly as he scaled the dragon's back. The two dragons attempted to throw their riders off, but the two Terminators wouldn't budge, and both delivered a constant stream of heavy blows. Alex's ecstasy dissolved into blind fury, and he struck as hard as he could with his hammer, delivering crushing blow after crushing blow to Malleas. The dragon roared in pain, and kept trying to throw his rider off, but to no avail. Terrias slashed hard and fast, his ecstasy had also dissolved into pure rage, and he advanced swiftly to Malefor's head and neck. He grabbed on tight, baring his teeth in anger and hatred, and he swiftly slashed with his sword, sawing at the dragon's throat.

Alex, clinging to Malleas' shoulders, brought the hammer over his head and delivered several crushing blows to the top of the dragon's head. After an unknown amount of strikes, the dragon went down, crashing to the ground. Alex jumped off of the beast's back, landing on his feet as he rushed forward and continuing his onslaught of attacks. Even after Malleas had stilled with death, Alex continued smashing and bashing the beast's head and body until all that remained was a pile of blood and mangled tissue. Finally sawing through Malefor's throat with his dull blade, Terrias jumped off of the purple dragon's back as he too went down, only he didn't overkill, he let the beast bleed out.

Once he was satisfied with the brutal slaying of Malleas, the Commander rushed towards No-Tongue, screaming in anger and hatred as he swung his hammer around. No-Tongue had twin swords and dodged the heavy blows of the Commander, using his lighter weapon to his advantage. He slashed faster than Alex could swing, the heavy weight of the hammer was slowing his attacks, but making them stronger and more brutal. "Alex! It's been a long, long time!"

"You don't say?"

"Too bad you will never see your little army ever again."

"DIE!" and Alex swung his hammer again, smashing the swords out of No-Tongue's hands. Alex threw down his weapon, engaging in brutal hand-to-hand combat with his hated enemy. Terrias charged after Necro, engaging in a bloody sword fight against the former leader of the _Maxia_. Necro was quick, and quite skilled with the sword, but Terrias began to see through his blind rage, and unleashed an elemental attack that stunned the evil commander. Electricity coursing through his body, Necro tried to stand, but his muscles were twitching out of control. Terrias unleashed his anger in powerful attacks of every element. With an insane yell, the servine picked up his blades and swiftly hacked Necro to pieces.

Alex continued his battle with No-Tongue, relishing in the length, purposely trying to delay the end of the battle. Terrias watched him for a few minutes, then, growing tired of Alex, exchanged his dull ebony swords for an iron, one-handed ax. In a quick slash, No-Tongue's head went flying in a spray of blood, and the body still stood for a few seconds, blood spewing from the severed jugulars before it finally collapsed to the ground.

Now that the battle was over, the duo stood still in place, thought finally returning now that their adrenaline-fueled bloodlust had dissipated. They were stunned, amazed, as their logical thinking and understanding saw an arena, completely red with blood and gore, and thousands upon thousands of corpses laying strewn about, in pieces.

The audience cheered wildly, the first time since the beginning of the battle that sound had not been drowned out by the enemy army. Lucifer was struck silent, and hundreds of guards already arrived, resurrecting and dragging the losing teams away to the torture chamber. Having finally found his voice, Lucifer said, "I...I don't know what to say..."

"We won," Alex roared happily, "You fucked bro."

"I assure you, the challenge isn't over yet, but you have truly impressed me, I never expected you to defeat that many soldiers..."

"Surprise, motherfucker!" Terrias said with a laugh.

"Guards...take them to their well-earned reward."

Two guards approached them, saying, "yes, sir," as they grabbed the duo and dragged them away, back to their cells. Once they had returned to their cells, Alex and Terrias once more embraced and exchanged their usual expressions of joy and happiness before they crawled into their beds and fell asleep.

Spyro's earpiece buzzed, "Sir! They're punching through our eastern gate!"

"Stop them!"

"We're trying, but they are tearing through our defenses!"

"Spyro!" Cynder said, "The Minecrawlers are going back up!"

Spyro stopped in his tracks, watching as the beams of light returned, and in that same, strange sound, the Minecrawlers vanished into the beams of light. "Shit!" he swore.

"What do we do?" Cynder asked frantically.

"We need to defend the eastern gate. They've already broken through, so we need to get over that and try to drive them back."

"How? We'll be killed if we get too close!"

"I have an idea..."

The mated pair of dragons landed on top of a skyscraper overlooking the eastern entrance. The gate had been blown to pieces, and the _Maxia _were quickly moving in, gunning down the defenders as they advanced onto the street and towards the military district which was just north of the east entrance.

"What's your plan?" Cynder whispered.

"We need to block their route of advance, try to divert them to a route where we can easily gun them down."

"Any ideas?"

"Perhaps..."

Spyro jumped off of the building, spreading his wings as he flew through the city, pursuing the _Maxia _soldiers and dodging their fire. Cynder followed closely behind her mate, and she asked, "Where are we going?"

"To get ahead of them! There!" and he flew towards a skyscraper a mile ahead of the advancing troops. He landed on the street just before the building, looting a fallen demolitions crew as he grabbed a bag of explosives and ran to an alley that ran alongside the building. Busting the lock on the steel door, he kicked open the door and ran inside the dark building, triggering his night vision with the blink of an eye. Cynder followed closely behind him as he ran downstairs and to the crawlspace. Crawling prone across the ground, Spyro began planting satchel charges on the building's foundation. Once he had planted them, he turned to Cynder and said, "C'mon, let's hurry out of here!"

They backtracked, leaving the building and emerging onto the street. "Quickly!" Cynder began, they're almost here!"

"I know..." he replied, and then, "Let's get away from here and onto the next building."

"What the hell are you doing?" Cynder asked her mate.

"You'll see," he replied and continued his dash.

As he repeated his strategy, he heard Cynder yell, "I think they're here!"

"I know," he replied, and he finished setting the explosives as they quickly crawled back out of the building and onto the street. "Cynder," he began, "Get into the air!"

"Why? What's going on?"

"Just do what I ask, dammit!" and he leaped into the air. Cynder followed him, and he watched as the advancing armies came near the intersection. He revealed a detonator, and as the soldiers reached the intersection, he depressed the switch. There was a click, and several loud, consecutive explosions occurred as the buildings trembled and smoke belched from below them. They began to sway back and forth, and Cynder, now understanding what Spyro was doing, used her wind breath to blow the buildings towards the street. With several loud, deafening creaks, they fell to the side, and the music of furniture sliding and falling through the windows, crashing to the street, filled the world as the building crashed onto the street, blocking the path. The second building crashed as well, and Spyro quickly flew down to a building further up the eastern street, landing just before that intersection and repeating his strategy, as he detonated the explosives he had planted, Cynder once more aided him in knocking the building down, and once they knocked down a building behind the advancing army, they had completely entrapped them. The alleys were already blocked with thick stone walls, and there was no way the enemy army could advance until demolitions crews cleared the way.

Even then, there were no demolitions crews in the advancing army, and Spyro and Cynder easily massacred the soldiers trapped within. Just then, Spyro's radio buzzed again, and he heard Elliot say, "Alright, we've taken down their artillery and closed off the breach in the eastern gate...so how has _your _day been?"

Spyro grinned, "Been better."

"Well, sun's sinking, we probably should send out the night crew."

"Cynder and I can go on, as I'm sure the rest of Alpha Company can."

"Yeah...well..._I _think you need your rest."

"The battle's almost won!"

"I'm glad _you_ think so. They're still coming at us in droves!"

"Fine then, Cynder and I will gather Alpha Company and break for the night, dispatch our night crew to continue to defend the city through the night, we'll come back first thing tomorrow."

"Yes, sir."

Alex and Terrias were awakened by the guards, as usual, and as usual, they were led to the Devil's Arena. Upon their entry, the crowd cheered.

"We're loved," Terrias said.

"Yeah, kinda funny actually."

"I guess that's what happens when in a battle of two on fifteen thousand, the two win?"

Alex laughed, "Perhaps. Anyways, regardless of our enemy today, good luck, man."

"Yep," and the two knocked fists.

"Welcome back to another day of exciting combat!" Lucifer begin, "Today, we have something special planned for our champions!"

And the crowd roared in jubilation.

"We'll take whatever you throw at us!" Alex taunted, cupping his hands, "You've failed to stop us yet, Lucy!"

The dark angel grinned, "Oh, you will love what I have in store for you two today."

"You fail to impress us yet, dumbass!" Terrias laughed.

"Today, we're going to put a spin on things!" Lucifer began, "Prepare to see one become two as we test not only the physical strength, but the spiritual and emotional strength of these two champions!"

"Wait..." Terrias began, "What the hell is he talking about?"

"Today!" Lucifer began, "You will see a fight of the ages. Commander Vaughn versus Sergeant Terrias!"

"_WHAT!?_" Terrias exclaimed, suddenly worried.

_No..._ Alex thought, stunned, glancing sorrowfully at his friend, _He doesn't expect me to...to fight Terrias...does he?_

"Alex! We can't let this happen!" and Terrias was hysterical, "We can't! I won't fight you! I can't! You...you're my friend!"

"Prisoners!" a guard rumbled from behind them, "Get into position!"

"Fuck you!" Terrias hissed.

The guard then forcefully grabbed Terrias, dragging him to the opposite side of the arena.

Alex and Terrias stood in place, facing each other, unable to accept the fate that had become of them. For several minutes, they only stood across from each other.

The audience began to boo and hiss, and Lucifer roared, "Where's the fight at?"

"I won't fight him," Alex said sternly.

"And I won't fight Alex," Terrias replied in agreement.

"You will fight or _both_ of you will endure the most painful night of your life!"

Alex and Terrias continued staring at each other, struggling to decide whether or not they should fight. Alex lowered his head, closing his eyes, and he said, "Terrias...I'm sorry..."


	12. Chapter XI: Bat Out of Hell

_**Chapter XI**_**:**

**-''Bat Out of Hell''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_29 June 2012_-**

**-_2326 Hours_-**

"Alex, I don't want to fight you!" Terrias exclaimed, backing away as Alex stepped forward.

"We have no choice, Terrias."

"I refuse to fight you!"

Alex's face adopted a stricken look as he revealed his sword. "Terrias, let's just make this quick and painless."

Terrias lowered his head, dropping his swords, "I won't fight you."

"Well, well," Lucifer began, "It seems, Commander, that you have an easy battle. All you need to do is execute him, and the battle is won. He has already given himself to you. Finish him."

Terrias collapsed to his knees, head still lowered, saying nothing.

The crowd began to cheer for the Commander, booing for Terrias as Alex stepped right beside him, raising the blade above his head, about to bring it down upon the servine's neck.

"Terrias..." Alex began, "I'm sorry..." and he brought the swords down...

Terrias opened his eyes once he heard the swing of the swords, and he looked up at the Commander. Alex's sword stuck out of the ground, inches before his eyes. "Alex?" the servine asked, voice small. The Commander had lowered his head and closed his eyes. He then looked up at Lucifer, angry grimace on his face.

"Fuck you!" Alex roared at Lucifer, "I refuse to kill him."

"Can't do this the easy way can you?"

"Kiss my ass!"

"Fine then! There's room in the torture chamber for _both _of you," and the angel of darkness truly sounded angered. "GUARDS! Bring these lowly worms to the chambers! Have them strung up, and rip them apart!"

"Yes, sir," the reptilian guards said as they grabbed both Alex and Terrias, dragging them across the arena and to a dark hall leading to the torture chamber.

The battle raged on and on through the night. Spyro managed to get very little sleep, and what he did get was troubled with nightmares, tainted by the sounds of the battle outside. He and the rest of Alpha Company emerged from the bunker they had slept in, exhausted, but ready to fight. They rendezvoused with Elliot in the lobby of Club Camelot, and the general said, "Morning, gentlemen."

Randall Fox stood beside him, "Hello, boys," he said. Although the scientist and doctor was born in England from a Scottish father and American mother, no trace of the accent was in his voice, and he sounded as if he was from the midwest states of the USA. He was tall, lanky, with combed-back, thick black hair, pale complexion, and green eyes sitting behind thick-lens glasses. His usual white lab coat had been exchanged for a pair of dark green army BDUs, and his black-glove hands were crossed behind his back.

"The hell has happened since last night?" Spyro asked Elliot.

"Not much, we're holding our own, for now, hard telling how much longer we can, though. Those bastards are moving quickly. We have, however, noticed that small platoons of troops are fleeing, whether that's a sign that the whole army is about to go on the retreat, I don't know."

"Well, let's keep hammering down on their forces, eventually we'll send them on the retreat."

Alex cried out in pain as he felt his fingers being ripped off, one by one. He was chained above a pit of lava, and two demons were around him, armed with scissors and butcher knives, tearing him apart piece by piece. Already he had been torn apart once, but they had just put him back together, healing him before they began their torture once again.

They ripped off his finger and toe nails first, then his finger and toes, then his hands and feet, one by one, and then they removed his arms and legs. Once he was a torso, they tore off his testicles, then ripping out his tongue, eyes, and ears, before they pulled out each one of his teeth and gutted him, ripping off his head. Once he was nothing more than chunks, they rebuilt him until he was whole again, and the process started over. Terrias was undergoing the same, gruesome torture, and Alex felt bad for the servine, who was crying uncontrollably. There was nothing either one of them could do except for endure the torture.

After the night had ended, they were once more thrown back into their cell, and both were too sore and in pain to move. Alex then turned to Terrias, and said in a shaky voice, "Terrias...we need to get out of here..."

"How can we?" the servine asked, sniffling, "We're stuck here..."

"We'll get free somehow."

"How?"

"Surely there's a portal we can open...Necrodusk told me that demons can come and go as they please, pending they have the proper ritual."

"What are we supposed to do about that? It's not like Lucifer or any demons would let us escape so easily."

"Think about it, we know that the _Maxia_ have a number of Satanists, maybe they commune with the demons, if we can find an open portal, perhaps we can escape and back to our world..."

"Maybe only demons can escape?"

Alex shook his head, causing his body to roar in protest, "No, how else would we get the spirits of the deceased to return?"

"Good point...what's your plan then."

Alex, groaning in pain, carefully walked across the cell and to Terrias' bed, moving as slow as an old man. He climbed into the bed with his friend, whispering his plan into his ear, and they both soon fell asleep, pressed together for warmth.

"INCOMING!" a soldier cried, and Spyro and Cynder hit the ground as a plane, engulfed in a ball of flame, was going down, zooming past above their heads.

"Commander!" Elliot called, arm pressed against his mouth and nose to keep out the smoke, "We have troops pinned down in town center, I need you and Cynder to get your asses over there and liberate them!"

"Yes, sir!" Spyro replied with a nod, and he leaped up, sprinting through the destroyed building they had taken shelter in and emerging back onto the street through a breach in the wall. Beside them, a burning _Maxia _plane crashed into the side of one of New Alexandria's skyscrapers, and embers and debris rained down upon them as they rushed through the city streets.

"_Maxia_!" Spyro cried, and he dove into Cynder as they both rolled into cover behind a cracked stone wall as an enemy tank blasted through the side of a building, rolling over the debris, through the dust, and out into the street. Bits of stone and dust fell from the grime-covered tank, and _Maxia _troops, clothed in the black body suits of the special forces, emerged alongside the vehicle. The _Maxia _fired what sounded like assault rifles, using the cloud of tan dust spilling onto the street for cover.

"What the hell are we going to do, Spyro?" Cynder asked, "There's a crapload of _them _and only two of us!"

"We do what we can..." the purple dragon said, smiling grimly, "C'mon, we will die if it's God-willing..."

Cynder nodded then, "Okay..." she began, "Then I'm with you, as always."

"Ready?" and he readied himself.

She nodded abruptly.

"URA!" Spyro cried as he mantled over the wall, charging into the dust cloud and avoiding the surprised _Maxia_'s weapons as he brought them down.

"Spyro, I'm gonna go take down that tank!"

"Okay, Cynder, be careful!"

"I will..." and she sped out of the cloud, heading towards the tank that was now rolling down the crater-filled, debris-covered street. One of the enemy soldiers appeared behind Spyro with a blade, and the purple dragon barely managed to dodge the lunge of the KA-BAR as he swiftly broke the neck of the soldier with a harsh whack of the blade of his tail.

Cynder chased down the tank, leaping into the air and grabbing onto it as she used the rotating turret for cover from the enemy armor's escorts. One of them climbed onto the tank, preparing to execute the dragoness, but she swung her tail across the man's legs, tripping him as she grabbed the back of his head and slammed his face into the steel turret. She wrestled the modified assault rifle from his hand, gunning down the surrounding escorts in a sweeping motion before she threw the weapon down, prying open the hatch of the turret and dropping a grenade into the darkness. She leaped off, rolling as she hit the street. Behind her, she heard a dull thud followed by a muffled, metallic boom as the tank went up in flames.

_Maxia _HMG nests in the surrounding buildings fired upon her, and she ran across the street, mantling over another concrete wall alongside the street as she heard the bullets whizzing around her head, ricocheting off of the wall and punching through the thick rock. She crawled, laying prone, along the sidewalk and towards a nearby alley. "SPYRO!" she cried, but her words were drowned out by the bullets.

"CYNDER!" came a deafening roar from the sky, and Cynder risked peeking out as she saw her mate filling the building with the HMG nest full of flames. The machine guns neutralized, he landed beside his mate, "You okay?" he asked.

Cynder nodded, "Yeah...I'm fine...thanks."

He nodded and said, "C'mon, we need to get to the center of town."

They rushed along the burning city streets, oblivious to the acrid smoke that surrounded them, and they heard the roar of a dragon which Spyro recognized as Jazz's. "Oh _shit_!" he screamed, "Cynder! We need to get the hell off of the streets! _NOW!_"

"Why?"

"_JAZZ!_"

"Oh _hell!_"

They quickly sped into an alley, racing scaling the stone wall as they continued their sprint. The alley itself was tucked between two sandstone buildings, and was far too narrow and reinforced for the beast to penetrate, but Jazz, who was most likely riding dragonback, could very easily leap off and continue the pursuit, and the resurrected traitor was far faster than either Spyro or Cynder.

Quickly they ran through the alley before they arrived at the intersection between St. Petersburg Avenue and Allison Street, two of the main thoroughfares that intersected about two miles south of the defined center of town, at the city park. With a deep breath and a prayer, they rushed onto the street, hoping to find cover and get off either of the main thoroughfares before Jazz's dragon spotted them.

No such luck.

Spyro felt a white-hot heat along his back, and as he leaped and dived to avoid the ball of fire. He could see the massive black behemoth flying mere feet above his head, they had to hurry.

"Did he see us?" Cynder asked, gasping for air.

"I'd think so..."

Jazz's dragon flew onward before turning vertical and looping over, barrel-rolling to become upright again.

"He's doing another pass!"

"We've been spotted! _RUN!_" and the two small dragons continued their race through the streets, running towards the massive dragon. It suddenly flew overhead, missing them by several yards as it opened its great, gaping maw and spat white fire onto the street. The beast attempted a tight U-turn, but ended up running through a building in its turn, causing the building to collapse into a pile of rubble and dust as it approached again.

The rotting sound of Jazz's mental voice raped their minds then, and he yelled in joy and malicious, sadistic pleasure, _You thought you could hide from _me, _Commander? Alex hasn't trained you nearly as well as I had imagined._

Cynder ran ahead, leaping through the busted-out window as she turned and waited inside, calling for her mate. "Spyro! In here!"

The purple dragon, however, was frozen to the spot, unable to move, paralyzed, and he was terrified. Jazz's dragon opened its maw again, and Spyro just barely managed to strafe right to avoid the blast of fire.

"_SPYRO_!" Cynder cried, "What are you waiting for? Get in here!"

_C'mon now, Commander! _Jazz laughed, _I only want to play a game with you!_

"Don't listen to him, Spyro! Get over here! Quickly!"

But he still couldn't move...

Spyro managed to narrowly dodge another fiery pass by the black monster that flew above, and Cynder was starting to panic now.

_D'aww, how unfortunate...missed again._ Jazz began in a mocking tone, as if he were speaking to a small child.

Spyro dodged another pass, this time, however, tongues of flame flared as they passed him, scoring his flank, but lightly.

_Stop moving, imbecile!_

As Jazz's dragon turned again, Spyro felt an immense weight settle over him, pinning him in place, and he collapsed, as if gravity had just increased tenfold. He couldn't breathe, it felt as if someone was sitting on his lungs, and he realized he was glowing with a dark black aura, a heavy aura.

"_SPYRO!_" Cynder cried, and she leaped out of cover, running to where her mate sat and trying to move him...he wouldn't budge, it was as if every muscle in his body had just locked up.

Jazz's rumbling crackle of a laugh filled their heads, and the Shade King said, his voice somehow booming over everything else in the world, "Now! Let the show begin!"

Cynder roared in fury as she felt something snap within her, and anger and hatred as deep and vicious as ever erupted like a volcano, overwhelming her mind and body. She had one thought on her mind...to defend her mate...to defend her family. She roared a deafening screech, and Spyro watched as a dark shadow enveloped her, quickly expanding to the size of a multiple-story building. The shadow flickered out, and Spyro watched as Cynder, in her old, corrupted form, growled with such force and anger, that thunder boomed and clouds began to circle in the skies above.

"Cynder..." he said weakly, "Oh no..."

In a dark voice...her corrupted voice, she said, "Nobody brings harm to my kin!" and she rose into the air, flying with such speed and agility, that she seemed almost like a blur. She quickly charged, ramming into the flank of Jazz's dragon and sending the latter into a spin. She hovered in place, roaring as she opened her maw and spat dark red fire onto the alarmed dragon.

"What is _this_!?" Jazz hissed, "Die whore!"

"You first, asshole! Nobody threatens my mate!"

"Aww, how sad, the girl defends the male. _Now _I see who has the balls in your relationship."

Spyro looked away in shame, but Cynder growled at him, "You are nothing more than dogshit on the bottom of my paws. I have put up long enough with your bullshit, you are worthless, a coward, a megalomaniacal warlord who worships an imaginary being."

"You think Lord Lucifer is an imaginary being?" and Jazz chuckled, a gritty sound that sent chills down Spyro's body, "Last I checked, your precious mate is enduring the tortures that please my lord."

"My mate?" Cynder laughed, "Spyro is fine and well, and if you think that he will die, I will assure that you're grave will be filled first."

"No, not that purple cocksucker! The one whom even _he _sucks off and is boned in the ass by, the late, great, Commander Alex Vaughn!"

Cynder seemed genuinely alarmed, "Alex? Dead? Impossible, if he was gone, so would his dragon."

"Piermont isn't dead," and Jazz grinned, he knew he now had taken control of the verbal showdown, "Because Alex isn't physically dead. His death is spiritual, not physical or mental. Then again, I don't expect you to understand. All you want is to have his microscopic dick in your wet, loose, pussy. We _all _know you have the hots for him, we _all _know that when you think of him, you get all wet and hot, and juicy..." and he licked his lips, "Mmm...a wonderful treat that I hope to someday make my own."

"You will be tasting your own dick before I do."

"Is that a threat?"

And Cynder, roaring, charged him, grabbing him with her arms and throwing him to the street, pinning him in place as she stood over him, baring her teeth and growling, "Ooh! Delicious!" he said, "I knew you would be willing to oblige! And with BDSM, too? This just keeps getting better and better!"

"You aren't worth it to me."

"Really now? You sure look wet to me...ah...and the way your hot, dripping wet, swollen pussy opens wide when aroused to revealed the deep, cavernous darkness...so magnificent, so...gratifying." and he reached to try to touch her. She brought one paw down hard on his reaching arm, pinning it in place as she placed a razor-sharp talon to his throat, preparing to strike.

"Cynder," Spyro said, standing unsteadily, "Don't, he's only playing mind games with you."

"I'm well aware," and Cynder roared at him.

"Leave him alone, he'll have what's coming to him. All you are doing is feeding him."

"Hmm...so you are correct," and she jumped off of him, soon transforming back into her normal self. Weakly, she collapsed, and Spyro caught her, allowing her to lean on him until she had recovered.

"Aw!" Jazz said with a laugh, sitting up, "That's it? You're just gonna tease me on, only to do nothing?"

"You mean nothing for me, and you don't have the balls to match up to my standards."

"Why do you say such hurtful things?"

"I don't like dicks I need tweezers and a microscope to see," and she walked away.

Spyro grinned, flipping him off before he followed. With several quick, hard flaps, both dragons rose into the sky, arching over a building and disappearing behind it. Jazz looked off dreamily before speaking to his dragon who had landed beside him, "Ain't she hot and sexy, and spicy too! When we take down the militia, remind me to let her survive and to take her as my own mate. Oh the things I would do to her, I'd tap that, wouldn't you?"

Cynder landed inside an abandoned, destroyed building in a part of town that wasn't currently seeing action. Spyro landed beside her, "Are you okay?" he asked.

She walked up to him, and without a word, hugged him tightly, "I want that bastard dead, Spyro!" she said, her voice trembling, as if she was struggling not to cry.

"So do I," and he broke the embrace, kissing her, "And he will die."

She smiled grimly, "I want to be the one to end his life."

"I hope we _are_ the ones, lover."

And she kissed him again, slipping him her smooth, thin, wet tongue to which he willingly took and gave her his own. When their kiss finally broke, she said, "I will make sure he dies the most painful way he possibly can."

"I hope he does," and he hugged her one last time before he said, "Now c'mon, we have work to do."

"Prisoners!" the guard roared, slamming open the cell door and forcefully dragging both Terrias and Alex out of bed without giving them so much as time to climb out themselves.

"What the hell?" Alex struggled, "What the hell is all this for? We _could _have gotten out by ourselves!"

"Apparently," Terrias said, "They've kinda lost respect for us since we turned down fighting each other..."

"Unfortunately," Alex began, "I think we're gonna be forced to fight each other again..."

"Do you honestly think they would do that?"

"Well I dunno, Terrias! You've been here longer than _I _have, you tell me. Would they do something like that?"

"Well...yeah..."

"There ya go."

"This time though, I think I _will _fight, I..." and the servine shook his head, "I don't think I could put up with that shit again..."

"I understand, I feel the same way."

"Then we'll fight?"

"Hold on! Remember our plan."

"Right," and he nodded, "I forgot about that. I just hope that it works..."

"So do I, Terrias, so do I," and they said nothing else as they emerged out of the darkness and into the Devil's Arena.

"Welcome back, Gladiators!" Lucifer began happily, "I trust you have taken into consideration on following my orders?"

Both kept their heads down, eyes closed, and stood slumped over, nodding.

"Wonderful! Now, let's get this show on the road! My beloved audience, we once more have Commander Alex Vaughn versus Sergeant Terrias!"

And the crowd cheered.

Alex and Terrias stood in the center of the arena, blank looks on their faces.

"Begin!"

The two circled for a few moments, and Alex, struggling not to move his lips, whispered, "Remember! Just how we planned!"

Terrias nodded, only slightly.

Alex roared as he charged forward, sword in hand, prepared to run his friend through. Terrias, with amazing agility, dodged the blade, moving out of the way as he grabbed the sword's edge and sharply turned it, twisting it from Alex's grasp. He flipped the sword into the air, grabbing the hilt as he held it out. Alex reached into the leather belt at his waist, keeping his sackcloth clothes tied on. He revealed the shank, his ebony blade, and crouched down. Terrias roared as he charged, lifting the sword above his head as he prepared to bring it down on the Commander. Alex blocked the charge with his blade, and drew a circling motion into the air, sending the servine's sword flying out of his hand and sliding across the sand.

Terrias, now unarmed, crouched down, dodging all of Alex's lunges as he attempted to get behind the Commander, or at least strip him of his weapon. Alex was fast, alarmingly fast, but not fast enough, and Terrias managed to easily evade the charges. Alex's face was frozen in an angry grimace, and his eyes were searching all over the place, he was scanning his opponent for any clear weakness, Terrias had seen this tactic before, and Alex had, in fact, taught him this already. Master and apprentice fought swiftly, both intending on besting their opponent, and both almost got lost in the heat of battle and adrenaline to remember that there swordplay was merely a distraction to appease their tyrant while they awaited their window of opportunity to unleash their plan. Alex growled as he slashed at the servine, and Terrias almost dodged, however, the Pokemon hissed as he twisted the wrong way, cramping, and Alex's dagger slashed open a shallow cut on his arm.

Blood oozed from the wound, but Terrias didn't feel it, the searing pain soon disappeared, covered by the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He grabbed Alex by the shoulders, throwing the Commander down, and Alex, not expecting the attack and losing his balance fell back with ease, dropping his dagger. The servine ripped the clothes off of his back, now in his natural form, and he pounced upon the fallen Commander, delivering very real punches, and seeming truly angry.

"Hey!" Alex whispered, stunned, "Easy man! Easy!"

But Terrias didn't hear him through his blind rage, and blood from his arm dripped onto the Commander's sweaty skin, feeling hot and sticky. Terrias continued his maniacal barrage of punches, and Alex did the only thing he could to bring sense back into his friend, he reached for the dagger, feeling the crudely-cut hilt as he picked it up and jammed it, deep, into the servine's shoulder. His face adopted a stricken look, and his grip loosened as he moaned in pain. Alex took this opportunity and weakness in Terrias' surprising grip to free his legs and deliver two swift kicks to his gut. Terrias fell backwards, hitting the ground and somersaulting backwards.

He hissed and snapped, still lost in anger, and Alex pounced upon him, restraining his limbs and pinning him down. Terrias attempted to break free, struggling hard and turning like a slippery worm beneath the Commander's calloused hands. Both were drenched in sweat and the servine's blood, and now fresh blood dripped down the Commander's face from his mouth and nose after Terrias' painful blows.

"Relax!" Alex whispered harshly, ripping the blade from Terrias' shoulder and pressing the still-ice-cold blade against his throat. Terrias struggled beneath his grasp, but his struggling was growing weaker, his flailing growing weaker and much slower, and soon, Terrias grew still, breathing heavily, occasionally bucking, but doing nothing. Alex still held on, sweat matting his hair to his head, homicidal look in his eyes, baring his teeth in anger, but the blade was pressed firmly against the servine's neck, a thin line of red began to appear, and if Alex added anymore pressure, or if Terrias struggled anymore, the Commander would very easily slit his throat by accident, killing him.

Alex watched with a steeled look as the fire in Terrias' eyes, and the anger in his face dissipated, melting into unhappiness and deep worry, as well as sorrow. "I'm sorry, Alex..." he whispered, "I don't know what came over me..."

His sorrowful whispers were drowned out by the hisses and catcalls of the audience, now chanting, "FINISH HIM" as Lucifer, clapping his hands, raised a hand to silence the crowd. He then said, "Well done, Commander! Now, all you need to do to reign victorious is to issue the _coup de grace_! Thrust that blade of yours deep into his throat, strangle the life out of him, do something! Anything!"

Alex's grip on the blade at Terrias' throat didn't cease, and Terrias' eyes adopted a saddened, pleading look...the face of one who knew he was about to be betrayed by someone he had once called 'friend'. "Alex..." Terrias whispered pleadingly, "Please...don't do this! Please!"

Terrias then yelled in alarm as Alex grabbed him by the throat, pulling him close to him, "Please!" and the servine was frantic now, "Don't! Don't do this! Don't! Please! I'm sorry! I'm _sorry_!"

However, Alex had pulled him close in such a way that it looked as if he was strangling the servine, but his mouth was close to Terrias' ear, "Play along!" he whispered quietly, but harshly.

"Wh...what?"

But Alex increased his grip on Terrias' throat, and the servine now was really being choked, "I said play along!"

The Pokemon's eyes widened with understanding, and he nodded, just enough so Alex could feel his neck muscles move. He did this not only so Lucifer would be oblivious to their plotting, but also because Alex's chokehold was still tight, although it was slowly loosening. It was still tight, but had loosened enough to at least allow the servine a small amount of fresh air, enough to keep him conscious, but not enough for him to speak.

"Now listen," Alex continued, speaking quickly, "We have zero room for error. When I say go, you are going to play dead. Then, once I let you go, you will hit the ground, and pretend you are dead. I will stand up and turn my back to you, screaming 'Ura' to the crowd. As _soon _as I say 'Ura', I want you to pick up my dagger, and throw it at Lucifer...do you know how to use throwing knives?"

Terrias nodded slightly.

"Good, as _SOON _as I say 'Ura,' I will hit the ground, and you will throw my dagger, it's been given a special chemical I made that _should _paralyze Lucifer. When it hits him, we will get up, and run like hell, understand?"

Terrias nodded again.

"This has to be the RIGHT timing! Not too soon, not too late. You have to be right on it! We have to be right in sync! Too early, I'm dead, too late, we're both dead. Now...go!"

Terrias then made a choking noise as his eyes rolled up into the back of his head, and he stopped breathing. Alex gave him a few good shakes for show and threw him down to the ground. Terrias collapsed to the side like a sack of potatoes, face down. Alex dropped the knife, conveniently beside the servine's outstretched arm, and he spared a glance at his friend. The Pokemon opened one eye and winked at him.

Alex stood slowly, pretending that he was sore. He then stepped forward, between Lucifer's line of sight and the fallen servine. Terrias' arm barely moved, and his hand slipped around the cool blade of the dropped dagger, his fist wrapping tightly around it, permitting only enough space between the palm of his paw and the sharp edge of the dagger to prevent cutting himself. The crowd exploded in cheer and amazement, clapping and hooting for the victory.

"Well done, Commander!" Lucifer said, "Doesn't the heat of battle, even when betraying a friend, feel good?"

Alex smiled then raised his hands to the sky. The crowd's cheering and praise grew much louder, and the servine's eyes opened quickly as he tensed his muscles to jump up.

Instantly, everything became slow motion as Alex cried, "URA!" and he immediately jumped to the side as Terrias appeared behind him, standing straight and throwing the knife with steady, but sweaty hands. The blade spun wildly, and within moments, found itself planted between the eyes of a laughing Lucifer. The Devil went down, and the crowd screamed in terror and panic as Terrias helped Alex stand and the two immediately made a dash for the portcullis that led them back to their cells.

"Let's go!" Alex roared, "We don't have much time before they recover and figure out what the hell just happened!"

"I'm right behind you!"

Several reptilian guards appeared in the doorway, wielding halberds and large, steel shields, preparing to strike. Alex picked up his ebony sword, dual-wielding that with his dagger, and Terrias, holding his twin swords, appeared beside them. They glanced at each other, smiling and nodding as they dove into the crowd of waiting guards, hacking them to pieces while they dodged the blades.

"MOVE!" Alex roared, "The portcullis is closing!"

The two slid beneath the closing gate, and it slammed shut as soon as they entered. The pursuing guards ran into it, shaking the bars and attempting to break them. They barked orders in rapid Latin as two of them ran to the side, presumably to open the gate again. Now charging through the halls of Hell, the other prisoners begged for their freedom as more and more guards seemed to emerge from the woodwork, engaging the escaping prisoners. "We need to hurry!" Terrias said, out of breath.

Alex nodded and said, "No talking, just running, save your strength! I doubt Lucy is feeding us unlimited stamina anymore."

They cut through the waves of approaching guards, and now, demons from the audience, and beings that neither Alex or Terrias had ever seen before were joining in the fight, attempting to slay the escaping prisoners.

Terrias stumbled, and Alex steadied him, warning, "This is our one and only chance, don't fuck this up!"

"Sorry..."

"Over there!" and Alex pointed to a door at the top of an iron-grate stairwell at the end of the hall, "I betcha that's the warden's office! If we can throw the master switch and set the prisoners free, we can lose the guards in the riots!"

"How do you know that there is a master switch for the cell doors?"

"Faith, my friend, keep faith!"

Alex and Terrias tore through the door, rushing into the small cavern. A large, gray-skinned reptilian creature, clothed in that same Daedric-lookalike armor jumped up, steel mace in hand. "DODGE IT!" the commander roared, and the warden, growling, swung the weapon. Alex dove beneath it as Terrias ducked. It smashed into the wall, bringing on dust and dirt crumbling from the walls and ceiling.

"Alex! Look out!"

The Commander rolled out of the way as the mace swung downward, smacking into the ground and bouncing off of the cave floor in sparks. Terrias could hear the whoosh as the heavy mace swung through the air, and he mantled over a desk, hiding behind it as the mace went over his head. With a roar, Alex jumped up, pouncing the warden and holding onto the beast's back. The monster turned and jumped around, trying to get the Commander off, but he held on tightly, revealing his dagger and digging it into the throat of the beast. It went down with a gurgling sound, dark green blood pooling around its corpse as Alex picked up the mace, smashing support beams that were beside the door to the cells. The earth shook, and the ceiling collapsed, blocking the door. The Commander, stealing the mace and loop of leather that served as the sheathe from the corpse, searched around, finding an old, dusty knife switch.

"Found it!" Alex said cheerfully.

"Sure?"

"Damn near positive!"

"Good enough for me, I'd take any chances at the moment."

"Terrias, put on the warden's armor, it should fit you," and he tossed the switch. The fires in the sconces dimmed, and the sound of old, creaking machinery and massive turning gears filled the room. Peering through the crude window, Alex watched as every door on all of the millions of cells, slid open. Within seconds, prisoners of Hell were out in the corridors, overwhelming the guards and slaughtering them. More reinforcements arrived, and Alex watched as these guards had strange looking guns. Upon their firing, a beam of golden light tore through the prisoners, and they cried out in pain as flames engulfed their bodies instantly, as if they were nothing more than dried paper, and their bodies were instantly disintegrated into yellow-orange grains of dust that hit the ground and seemed to seep in. _Permanent, spiritual death_, Alex thought grimly, _So that is what happens when you are truly killed in Hell. Your soul is completely destroyed_.

Alex turned to face Terrias, now clad in the armor which was slightly too large for him. "How do I look?" the servine mused.

"Hot," and Alex smiled grimly.

"This suit _is_ hot as hell...mind the pun."

"Anyway, no time for chitchat, time to go," and Alex ran for the door across the room.

"What about you? Don't you need armor?"

The Commander paused in his tracks, turning back to face his friend, "I'll find some if I need it."

"O...kay then?"

"C'mon! Enough chatter!" and he threw in the door, ushering Terrias through. They were now in a dark, chapel-like room. The massive, arched windows, made of stained glass, depicted imp-like creatures performing horrific tortures on screaming, human victims. The pews were all made of a heavy stone, appearing Daedric in nature, much like the rest of Hell's furnishings and color schemes. On top of a raised platform, in front of a huge throne made of skulls, sat a stone pulpit with a pentagram carved in gold on the front of it. Open on the pew was an ancient-looking, greatly yellowed book showing strange, indecipherable runes and lines of Latin words. The runes appeared as if drawn in blood. The chapel was also eerily quiet, all sound of the riot was blocked out by the massive, heavy, six-inch-thick stone double doors that opened into the room.

"Should we take this?" Terrias asked, nodding towards the macabre book.

Alex grimaced at it, "I'd rather not, this must be the chapel where Satan is worshiped..."

"Just...ugh..."

"Yeah, especially when you see that little bit of décor."

Behind the throne, mounted on the wall, was an upside down cross with a human-looking corpse, rotted and mangled, nailed to it. There were chunks missing out of its thigh, legs, and arms, and several gaping holes were in its torso, revealing the ribcage and the bloated, rotting organs within. The only way to identify its sex was by the bloated facial features, its genitalia had been mangled and removed. The eyes were also missing, and a chunk of the scalp and skull had been removed, revealing the gray matter of the brain. By the candles, incense, and flowers at the base of the gruesome sight, it was obvious that this was some kind of altar.

"Don't look at it..."

"I can still smell it," and Terrias wrinkled his nose in disgust, "Good thing I ain't a body...I probably would have puked out my whole goddamn stomach and intestines."

"Keep moving!" and Alex threw open the opposite door to the chapel as they continued their mad dash through the endless labyrinth that was Hell, hoping to find a way to escape.

"Spyro!"

Cynder and Spyro emerged out of a decimated building, finding themselves in the square at the center of town. The brick ground had been busted up and reduced to dust. The statue, normally depicting Jesus Christ, had been destroyed and busted up, revealing the twisted steel bars that acted as the supports for the concrete sculpture. Bits of road had been dragged, dividing the square into four sections, and barbed wire had been wound across the top of the chunks of road. Destroyed tanks, personnel carriers, and several decimated pieces of anti-armor littered the area. A tall, ten story building overlooking the square from the opposite site of Spyro and Cynder had every window busted out, and four HMG nests spread evenly out on each floor, and bodies littered the field.

"Holy shit," Cynder said, "Look at all of this..."

"Forty fucking MG nests, no wonder they're pinned down...where are they?"

"Over there!" and Cynder pointed to the base of the statue. A trench had been dug into the ground, all branches had been collapsed or blocked by the destroyed weapons of war. Cowering in the small area of trench at the base of the statue were around twenty soldiers, all struggling to shoot and take down the nests overlooking the plaza.

"C'mon!" Spyro nodded at his mate, "We need to go save them!"

"How?"

"Flame the buildings, we can clear up the area for 'em."

"Yes, sir!"

The two dragons took to the skies as they raced towards the building, dodging the bullet streams of the M240s.

"Go!" and Spyro opened his maw, spewing fire onto the middle floor of the building. The smell of burned flesh, and the cries of the dying filled the air as one-by-one the duo neutralized the nests. After several minutes, they landed beside each other inside the crater that the trapped company was covering in.

"Commander Spyro!" one of the men said, a captain by the bars on his chest, "Christ aren't we glad to see you."

"Likewise," and Spyro nodded before nodding towards the east, "Go, the gunners are neutralized, get your men out of here."

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" and he saluted the dragon.

Spyro raised on wing to his brow, saluting the captain, "Go!"

"Yes, sir!" and the captain turned to his men, yelling, "Alright gentlemen! Let's move out and regroup at the edge of this hellhole!"

A steady stream of 'sir, yes sir's erupted from the crowd as the survivors quickly scampered out of the trench, mantling over destroyed cars and other vehicles, and sped to the street that led to the eastern entrance of the square.

"Where to now, love?" Cynder asked.

"Hold on, I'll radio Elliot."

He stepped aside, using his right forepaw to tap the piece in his ear, "Elliot?"

"Spyro? You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Did you liberate those men?"

"Mission complete, sir."

"Good, well, head on out to the southern ramparts, I have a feeling that our boys are on the retreat."

"About damn time!"

"Amen, brother. So get your scrawny ass over here and help our guys...eh...'persuade' them to leave."

Spyro grinned, "Yes, sir. We're on our way."

"Roger, over and out."

"C'mon, Terrias! You're slowing us down!"

"I'm sorry, Alex, I can't fucking help it! I'm not as fit as you!"

"Well now's the best time to get into shape! Hurry that ass of yours up, I hear them...they're catching up."

"Well, shit, ain't that a surprise? Sure we ain't backtracking towards _them_? I get the feeling we're just going around in fucking circles."

"Necrodusk said..."

"Who gives a fuck what Necrodusk said, Alex! He's a goddamn demon, and even if he _was _right about this 'portal' of yours, how are we gonna know that we can even go through it? Obviously, if it was possible for the prisoners to enter through it, we'd have several more of those damn terrorists returning to Earth! I think this portal is meant specifically for demons...we're not demons, what if we can't even go through it?"

"Worth a try."

"Sure, like I said, I'm willing to take _any _chances, regardless of the odds, if it just gives us a chance to get home!"

"Besides, there is always Plan B."

"Plan B?"

"Yeah, run around and hide for all eternity until a Satanist or curious teenager decides to try to contact the dead. Spirits of the departed...and demons...are notorious for returning through Ouija boards and other rituals."

"Yeah, if there _is_ even any credit to th..._oof_!" Alex had stopped dead in his tracks, glaring at the servine, who had ran into him and fallen on his ass to the stone, cold ground.

"Don't underestimate the power of those damned objects," Alex said, as dark and serious as ever, "Even God warns us of those kinds of things."

"Well, He sure don't mention them by name..."

"And you expect Him to?"

"Fine, you got a point. Now, can we _please _keep going? I don't want to go back there! Especially since we're both bound to be tortured ruthlessly before we suffer through fuckin' perma-death."

Alex extended a hand, causing Terrias to jump. When Alex rolled his eyes and opened his fist, Terrias grabbed his hand, and the Commander pulled him up. "C'mon," and Alex nodded towards the direction they were heading, "We need to keep moving."

As their sprint became a jog, and their jog became a casual walk, silence stayed between them. They could still hear the sounds of the guards, chattering angrily in a mix of English, Latin, Draconic, and their native language, but the voices were far off, and Alex could safely estimate at least an hour's sprint to catch up to them, pending the two fugitives stopped moving, and their pursuers took the exact same path, which Alex highly doubted. He doubted that many of the demons and monsters had even been down the cavernous corridors. Hell's usual architecture, color schemes, elaborate buildings, and torture rooms, had long since dissolved into a seemingly endless series of pitch black cave tunnels, even their night vision was beginning to fail them it was so dark. Alex, however, believed that the guards didn't need light, odds were, they saw through infrared, and sniffed their pray in pursuit. If that was the truth, perhaps they could find the correct route, which was why the pair hadn't stopped to rest.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of endless silence except for the distant echoes of their pursuers, Terrias broke the eerie silence, "Tell me," he began, "If we _do _get back home, how do we explain to Alpha Company my sudden return? Especially if I have already been cremated..." and his voice became more worried and helpless, "Can I even return? I have no physical body left! I don't want you here, Alex, you don't belong here, but I admit, I have enjoyed your company...I don't want to lose you, either."

"I will not return unless I am sure that you come with me, Terrias. Never leave a man behind."

"But I...I'm _dead_! You aren't...you came here of your own free will...I died...if I have no body left, or even if I just plain died, I'm afraid that I won't be able to come with you," then, his voice trailed off. Alex respectfully gave him his silence, and soon, he started hearing the servine sniffling...he was crying, "Please don't leave me, Alex..."

His tear-filled request broke the Commander's heart, but he knew that there was nothing that could be done, and so he showed no emotion, as difficult as it was. All he could do, and all he did, was pray...pray that God showed the innocent servine mercy, pray that he was given a second chance at life.

Then, Terrias added something to his line that only added more weight and sadness to the Commander's stone heart, one that nearly brought him to tears even, "Alex...I...I love you..."

The Pokemon hugged him, "Not as...y'know...but you are like family to me...like my older brother...you and Aria...are really the only family I have now..."

"You have the rest of Alpha Company."

Terrias shrugged, sniffling as he finally overcame his sadness, "Perhaps...but they don't really treat me as family. Sometimes, I just think they show compassion because of my roots."

"I assure you, Terrias, they love you, it isn't just them feeling sorry for you because of your crappy history. We've all had dark times in our lives. Sure yours is worse than many, but look at me, even! I was kidnapped from my parents when I was three years old, when one of the final battles of the Green/Tan war went to my home town of Connorsville, Illinois."

"What happened?"

"Y'know, I obviously don't remember much but...my parents have told me some things about it..."

Terrias listened intently, waiting patiently as Alex began his story.

"It was my third birthday, and my parents had taken me across the street from our house and to a new park that had just opened. There was a soccer field at the bottom of a bluff that divided our house-on the bluff-and the park-in the valley. Well, we got there, and as I was swinging on the swing sets, not a care in the world, happy as can be, my parents heard what sounded like a train approaching, that rumbling sound. It was getting closer, and they were starting to become concerned, so they decided it was time to take me home...well...as we left the park. An army of tan tanks and infantry came out from the ball field that was right next door, to the west of the park, and an army of green tanks and infantry marched out of the forest next door and to the east of the park. They clashed in that soccer field, and my parents were caught in the crossfire. A mortar round went off nearby, knocking my parents unconscious and blowing them away from me.

"While they were out, the battle finished, a green victory, and General Plastro, upon his retreat, found me laying in a ditch, unconscious, at the base of that bluff. He picked me up and took me home with him. That very day, after I awoke, he recruited me into the ranks of the Tan Army, and began my training. By the time I was four, I had already participated in the three last battles of the war, winning victories for the Tan Army in all but the last one, and Colonel Grimm, of the Green Army, proposed a treaty. After days of deliberations, the two armies joined forces, and I fought miscellaneous battle for Plastro in his attempt to annex territories, much to the Greens' protests. I quickly fought up the ranks, by my fourth birthday, I was already a two star general and Plastro's second-in-command. Soon after, I began to dream about starting my own army, and no matter how many times I proposed it, Plastro gunned it down with a laugh, lying about how 'he'd think about it'. Finally, I was sent out on an alliance-building mission with Colonel Grimm and the Greens, out to Africa, where I met Simba and Nala, and persuaded them to join. Mufasa had said no, but that night, they sneaked into camp, coming to my barracks and lying, saying that he had finally agreed. So I brought them home, introduced them to Plastro, and basically said, "Hey fuck you buddy, here's my new army."

"See? You are an example of someone who takes a shitty experience in their life, and turns it around for the better!"

Alex was struck silent by Terrias' reply. It was heartwarming, especially since he had been doubting the path he had been taking in his life, and everything he had done. The Commander smiled as he was told by one of the many lives he had changed for the better, just how good he was for the world, and that he had chosen the right path. The servine didn't know about it, just like he didn't know about his CO's doubts...but he had just answered one of Alex's longest-standing prayers.

"I mean," Terrias continued, "Look what you've done...you've saved my life...you helped me win my mate, which I could have never done without you. I have a lot to thank you for, Alex, and serving under your command is the least I can do. Anyways, sorry for the interruption, please continue."

"It's okay," and Alex genuinely laughed. A huge weight had just been lifted from his shoulders, "Anyway, Plastro had no choice but to accept my offer, obviously, but I was responsible for supplying them with everything they needed to become effective soldiers. Food, training, weapons, uniforms, bunking, healthcare, all came out of _my _pocket. My army's first mission took us to a battle on Nsanity Island versus the LKA, the first battle of many, and I ran into Crash who saved mine and my two young troops' lives. He joined, and not too long after that battle, Fort Plastro was attacked by a marine contingent of the LKA, wiping out the fortress and slaughtering everybody I had ever known...only Simba, Nala, Crash, and myself survived, and we declared independence, moving to Fort Ozark, the first Terminator stronghold, on one of the Caribbean Islands, and right next door to Martaan. Hell, it even got to the point where we built this big fuckin' suspension bridge between Martaan and Fort Ozark."

"Martaan...that's where Piermont is from, isn't it?"

"Yep, Cherub, too. How do you think they joined? I built an alliance with the dragons there, and they agreed to send their young to the fort for what I like to call 'The Choosing'. Back then, it was a particular date, not just 'walk in and go'!"

Terrias laughed and nodded, "Times have changed."

"Indeed they have, but not necessarily for the worse. Sure we have the _Maxia _breathing down our backs now, but we are still thriving! We have more soldiers than any army in the history of mankind, and we still are quite respected by the citizens. Our history of good tidings countered the lies that bastard in the White House told. We've_ never _been a menace to society, we've been protectors of the states, aiding our brethren in the legit army whenever we could."

"So there is still hope for the Terminator Militia?"

"There is always hope, especially if we maintain our beliefs, and our faith remains steady. Great civilizations have always fallen whenever God was removed. Those that kept God survived longer...look at the United States? We were originally built upon freedom, liberty, and God, and now we've lasted two hundred plus years!"

"And now that society is becoming a bunch of faithless dogs, engaging in sinful acts and arrogant selfishness..."

"The United States of America is beginning to fall."

"Our downfall."

"No, not ours...the United States'. We, the Terminators, remain faithful to our Father in Heaven, that's why we are protected and always recover with relative ease."

"That's why you guys were nuked and just stood there, staring at each other while you burned, completely not feeling the flames?"

Alex nodded, "Mm-hmm, precisely."

"Damn, God works wonders doesn't he?"

"He helps those who believe in Him. Lose faith in God, your reign ends."

"Amen."

Silence fell between them again, before Terrias asked, "Hey, did Necrodusk happen to give you an idea as to where this portal was...or what it looked like?"

"Nope, all he had told me was that my voyage was a one-way-trip."

"That just crashed my mood...we're never getting out of here, are we?"

"We will, I promise we'll find a way."

"Alex..." and Terrias had stopped, grabbing the Commander's arm and holding him back. Alex turned to face him, that worried look had returned to his face again, "Don't make a promise if you know you can't keep it."

"I never break my promises, Terrias," and he continued forward, the servine following him.


	13. Chapter XII: Unbound

_**Chapter XII**_**:**

**-''Unbound''-**

**-Outside New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_30 June 2012_-**

**-_0450 Hours_-**

"C'mon, Cynder!" Spyro yelled, "We're almost there!"

The mated pair of dragons flew side by side through the wartorn city, advancing quickly towards the southern ramparts where they could make out a black strip of _Maxia _armor and infantry. They landed beside Elliot, "Is _this _your definition of 'on the retreat'?" Spyro asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, for one thing, there ain't nearly as many as there was a fucking hour ago! So yes, I think they _are _on the retreat."

"Christ I hope you're right, Elliot."

"Yeah, same here, Commander, but I think we're getting pretty damn close."

"Well then, I guess it's time that we give them a little kick in the ass and tell 'em to get moving, hmm?"

"That's what I was thinking, get on out there, Commander."

With a victorious roar, Spyro and Cynder leaped into the air, flying over the sea of soldiers as they opened their muzzles and spewed fire down upon them. Around them, other dragons, both those of Alpha and Beta Companies were doing likewise. The _Maxia_ still fired up at them, struggling to stop the aerial attacks of the dragons, but the beasts of the Terminators were much more intelligent and reflexive than the anti-aircraft guns of the _Maxia_, and the aircraft of which they were designed to shoot. The United States army's anti-aircraft was designed to take down enemy fighters, bombers, and drones. The dragons of the Terminator Militia were able to dodge these rounds with barrel rolls, loop-the-loops, and other aerial tricks, all the while spewing fire down on the army below, decimating them. Within half an hour, the invasion force had been divided into clearly marked quarters, with a strip of charred corpses and terrain acting as borders.

"Keep it up!" Elliot cheered on through their earpieces, "We've almost won! I can feel it!"

The dragons continued their annihilation, and after an hour of relentless attacks, the enemy army began to break up as large chunks of the body broke away, retreating.

"They're retreating!" Spyro roared, "_URA_!"

His call was answered by the identical battle cries of everyone else in the militia.

"Shoot them in the back!" Cynder roared, "Show them that they can't just come fuck with us, then expect to retreat unscathed! Waste their sorry asses!"

The dragons of Alpha and Beta Companies all roared in harmony, agreeing with the dragoness as they continued their relentless attack, chasing the retreating army away from New Alexandria and towards the river that ran five miles south of the city.

"Into the mountains!" Spyro roared, and as the enemy army paddled through the river, the dragons continued their counterattack on the _Maxia_, driving them into the foothills of the mountains, and even into the mountains themselves.

"_KILL THEM ALL!_" and Spyro roared in victory.

The dragons once more answered in agreement with their acting commander as the counterattack continued to drive the enemy deeper into the mountains. Little by little the retreating forces tapered down as more and more were slaughtered by the hellish rage of the dragons and riders. They chased the _Maxia_ until the sun came up, and once the enemy army had crossed the Montana border south and into Wyoming. Once the sun had fully appeared above the horizon, and the _Maxia_, fleeing deep into the forests of Wyoming, became nothing more than black specks against an emerald backdrop, Spyro finally ordered the dragons to halt.

The dragons, all of Alpha and Beta Company assembled, Spyro turned to face them, and was amazed. They were all hovering, with him leading the group and Cynder by his side. They all roared in victory as the riders began to chant his name, he was a war hero. Spyro tried to maintain his calm demeanor and cap his pride, but he couldn't help a toothy grin. This was a victory he could truly call his own...no...it was a victory that belonged to the army, and he only aided them in their cause. He had to start thinking less like an individual cell, and more like a body. He was merely a tool that the body of the Terminator Militia used to defend themselves and reinforce their cause.

The dragons fell silent, expecting a speech. Spyro was speechless, however, and instead just yelled, "_URA_!"

The crowd, cheering, answered his call with their own. The conjoined battle cry reverberating off of the world and echoing for miles around, the Terminators had successfully defended their capital again, and now, they had yet another victory beneath their belt.

As they returned to their capital, Spyro landed beside Elliot, who was still standing on the ramparts, facing the direction of the _Maxian _retreat, and the purple dragon smiled widely.

"Well done," the general began, removing a thick Cuban from the breast of his uniform, jamming it into his mouth as he seemed to produce a match from out of nowhere, striking it against his thigh as he lit the cigar.

"Thank you, sir."

"Not bad for your _first _experience in leading this army."

"Thank you, sir."

"Let's see if you can keep it up, or if this was just 'beginner's luck'."

Spyro laughed, "I agree, sir."

"Dammit, and stop calling me 'sir'! You are the commander of this army, not I. You are my superior, I should be calling _you _'sir', not the other way around."

"Right, s...I mean General."

"That's better. Now, assemble our boys in town center for debriefing."

"Yes, s..." and Spyro only nodded.

"You still need to work on your titles, Commander."

"Yeah...right..."

"It'll come to you, I'm certain. Alex didn't pick you for just anything. He saw something in you, something he had only previously seen in General Rapid, and if there is anything I can honestly say Alex knows, its the best way to succeed. If he picked you as his second-in-command, he obviously saw the characteristics in you that were needed to fill the job. Many troops have come and gone since Rapid's death, and that spot has been vacant the whole time, until _you _showed up, and what you did...what I saw on that battlefield this past week, it's what Alex must have surely seen in you when he chose you to be his wing-second!"

Spyro felt honored to be complimented in such a way by such a decorated war veteran. He couldn't control an explosion of warmth deep in his gut.

Alex was near dozing as he and Terrias walked along the endless corridors of Hell. The sounds of their pursuers had long since faded away, whether they had given up, decided to enter stealth mode, or had gone the wrong way, Alex didn't know. They had been walking for an unknown length of time, and in order to combat his growing fatigue, he had decided to take the long walk in a trance-like state. Most of the vital parts of his brain, the ones that needed rest, had shut down for their required rest, and Alex felt like a robot. No thoughts coursed through his mind, he could hardly see the world around him, all he saw was a blank screen, a dream world that so desperately wanted to form, but the brain wasn't quite down enough to allow the dreamscape to be painted. Terrias was much the same way, he could technically be considered asleep, even though he was still walking.

It was due to this lapse of full focus and consciousness that they didn't notice that the world was starting to brighten again. They even shut off their night vision without even realizing it, and silence held thick behind them. Around them, the usual appearance of Hell had returned, but this sector was empty, there was nothing around, no guards, no demons, no prisoners, like a small town at midnight, the world was empty. Alex and Terrias only started to return to consciousness once they spotted a strange arch that sat in the center of the room, in the heart of a massive pentagram carved into the center of the room, into the stony ground. Brilliant runes, on inlaid with red, like the pentagram, surrounded the intricate design, and standing in the center of it was two pillars of Magma Diamond, rising out of the ground about fifty feet, and topped with an arch.

Now fully aware, the two stared, mouths agape, at the massive artifact before them.

"Is that your portal?" Terrias asked.

"Um...sure seems like it."

If it was, it obviously wasn't activated. The center of the gate showed only the opposite side of the room. Alex tentatively stepped into it. As he walked through it, he emerged on the other side of the room. "Anything?" Terrias asked.

Alex shrugged, "Nope, nothing. Feels just like walking through a damn whole in the wall. No strange vibes, no weird noises, no electromagnetic field, no lifting of the hairs on my body, no weird, warping picture of the room, nothing."

"Dammit," Terrias swore, "Any idea on how to activate this piece of shit?"

"Not a clue."

Then, a voice from behind them began to speak, "Well, you two sure like getting into trouble."

They jumped back, alarmed and ready to fight.

"Easy!" the silhouette said, bored, and it stepped into the dim light of the room. Necrodusk, in his new host, gave them a sarcastic look.

"Necrodusk!" Alex roared, "How in the hell do we open this thing?"

"Now, how did I know that you only wanted to come here just to bust your fuck-buddy out?" the demon said, directing his words to Alex.

"I dunno, you're omnipresent I guess?" Alex replied with a mischievous grin.

"Maybe," and he picked his green teeth with the tip of a Daedric dagger. "I find this kinda funny actually, I knew you were going to come here, even though I told you this was a one-way-trip."

"No sense in not trying at least."

Necrodusk shrugged, "I'll give you that much. You definitely are a persistent bastard."

"I'm awesome that way."

"Uh huh, you also did a damn good job raising hell in...well...Hell. Gotta admit, you threw my old man some curve balls he wasn't expecting. A brilliant escape plan, you should get an achievement."

"Yeah, yeah, enough of this shit-talk already, are you gonna help us or not?"

"Well, _somebody_'s snappy today aren't we? Anyway, because I'm a nice guy, I'll open the gate for you and _not _tell Lord Lucifer that we had this little encounter, not like it isn't the first time I've said a few white lies...anyway...eh...you might not like what you see out there."

"What do you mean?"

"Well...eh...I'll let you see for yourself."

"Open the gate?" Terrias snapped, growing impatient.

"Fine, fine! Damn, you are so impatient! Step aside, please."

The duo stepped off out of the pentagram as Necrodusk strolled up to the closed gate, rolling up his sleeves and stretching, popping his neck and knuckles as he began to chant in Latin, in a deep voice. After several minutes of his ominous chant, there was the sound of an electrical zap, and white light flickered as a small fireball, as small as the head of pin, blinked into existence in the center of the arch. The ball quickly expanded then, dominating the whole arch as the appearance became transparent, tinting the view of the opposite side of the room a deep red. A yellow-orange ball of fire appeared in the center of the red film, spiraling outward as it exploded in a flash of light. The vortex was now opaque, and as they watched, a view of a destroyed New Alexandria slowly shimmered into view.

"Your door awaits," Necrodusk said, exaggerating a bow as he waved his hands to the portal.

Alex and Terrias hesitantly stepped towards the portal, pausing right before it.

"Well?" the demon began impatiently, "What are you waiting for? Keeping this open only attracts attention of the other demons, and it saps my own energy, I can only keep this open for a short time. Are you going to go through it or not?"

Silence.

"I thought this was what you wanted? It won't bite! It might _look _like fire, but it'll just feel like passing through a pocket of hot, summer air."

Finally, Terrias dipped one hand into the vortex, quickly withdrawing it with a small cry.

"You okay?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, it just feels weird..."

"Well..." the Commander began skeptically, "On three. One..."

"Two..." Terrias added.

Suddenly, Necrodusk cried out in alarm as he was thrown against the room. Alex and Terrias abruptly turned, seeing Lucifer and six guards to either side of him, all looked angry and ready to attack. "You are a pest!" the dark angel hissed, "Turning one of my _own _minions against me? You will regret this!"

Necrodusk, sitting up and holding his head, yelled, "Quickly! Get through the portal! I can't keep it open for very long!"

"Not today!" Lucifer hissed, and a bright light flashed.

Necrodusk groaned and said, "Hurry! I'll hold them off!"

"What!?" Lucifer roared, "How can it be possible! I can't close the portal!"

"You aren't the only one with unimaginable power, _your majesty_!" Necrodusk roared.

"_Impossible! _Guards! Kill them! All of them! The demon especially!"

Alex continued staring in dumb amazement at Lucifer and Terrias broke from his trance with a start, quickly grabbing Alex's arm and trying to pull him into the portal, but he wouldn't budge, "C'mon Alex! Now's our chance!"

Alex awoke from his trance, looking around as he turned and made a dash for the portal. Terrias leaped through, calling for Alex to hurry. The portal shimmered unsteadily, it was shutting down.

"Necrodusk!" Alex roared, "C'mon! Let's get out of here!"

"No! I am the only one keeping the portal open! Get out of here! Now's your chance!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"Leave me! I will get what I deserve! But I have seen the light! I have sought forgiveness and redemption! Go forth! Go back home! I will manage!"

"Necrodusk!"

"Just go!" and Alex cried out as he was lifted by some invisible force, Necrodusk was telekinetically throwing him into the portal.

"No! _Necrodusk_!" he suddenly felt the force throw him through the portal, and as he entered, he looked up and saw he was falling from the sky. He looked back, watching through the gash in the sky as Necrodusk weakly stood and Lucifer pointed at the demon. The guards at his side charged at Necrodusk, and as the demon weakly fought them off before Lucifer grabbed him and dragged him away, the portal flickered out of existence.

"_NO!_" Alex cried, but his senses soon returned, and he was quickly aware of the rush of cold air past him as he fell. A green sphere flickered into existence around him as he straightened himself, ceasing the screaming Terrias and embracing him tightly as they fell, and the ground grew closer and closer...

Alex squeezed his eyes shut as they actually seemed to pass _through _the ground, instead of striking the charred, baked earth. It was then that they both fell into unconsciousness.

"Oi! Spearow, the fuck is _that_?" and Piermont nodded towards the horizon where the dark clouds had began to swirl.

"Damned if I know," the purple dragon said, standing beside him, "But it's not worth worrying about."

"Hmm, ominous clouds rotating around a central eye, dunno about you, but this sounds macabre."

"You worry too much."

"And you aren't worrying?"

"Not really, I don't sense anything bad around those clouds. Anyway, on a slightly different note...are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, the hell do _you _care for?"

"Because, it's been how long since Alex went missing?"

"About a week..."

"And you aren't in the least bit worried about something bad happening?"

Piermont shrugged, "No...he ain't dead, cause I'd feel it, and I'm still alive."

"We haven't seen, heard, or felt any sign of him since he went missing."

"I'm fine, Spearow, now leave me alone."

"Uh...Commander Spyro?" a young soldier yelled, running up to the acting commander and Piermont.

"Yes, Corporal?" the dragon replied, noticing the boy's insignia.

"We have...a situation north of the city."

Suddenly alarmed, Spyro asked, "What is it? The _Maxia_?"

"Not exactly..."

"Thank you, you may go now."

"Yes, sir," and the boy ran off.

"Cynder! Elliot!"

"What?" the two replied, running up to him.

"Something's brewing north of the city, let's get Alpha Company dispatched there and prepare our troops for a _Maxia _counterattack."

"On it, sir," and Elliot ran off.

"What do you think it is?" Cynder asked.

"I don't know, but I _do _know what I hope it _isn't_."

"The _Maxia _sure have balls if they're intending to attack us so soon after we drove off their invasion. It's only been a few hours."

"I don't know, but I'm still worried, let's get over there and see what the hell is going on."

The two dragons landed beside each other on the northern ramparts. Soldiers were running around, staring to the north, talking in hushed, worried voices, and seeming deeply concerned as well as confused about something. The group was several rows thick along the whole length of the wall between two of the watch towers. Spyro searched for a spot to squeeze into, but it was jam packed. Cynder, standing beside her mate, also had a worried, confused look on her face, "What the hell is going on?" she asked.

"I don't know," Spyro replied, "If these damn bastards would move!"

"Commander!" Elliot rang out, "Get your ass over here! _Now_!"

Exchanging worried glances, Spyro and Cynder rushed through the crowd, running to one of the guardhouses. Spyro threw open the doors, and the soldiers in the guardhouse quickly moved away to allow the Commander passage. "Elliot!" Spyro roared in a commanding voice, "What the bloody hell is going on? _Maxia_?"

"No..." Elliot said, his voice grave, "Worse."

He stepped aside to allow Spyro and Cynder to see, and both were confused as to what they saw.

"The hell?" Spyro began, "What are those? Demons?"

"They look like zombies to me..." Cynder replied, sounding a bit terrified.

Stumbling across the plain were two rotting creatures. They were of average height, hairless, and their skin was rotting away in several places, revealing bones and organs. They had a massive hole that spread from their chests and down to their genitalia, which was missing. The hole revealed their ribcages, pelvises, as well as the red, swollen goo that was their entrails. They stumbled along at a quick speed, and both Spyro and Cynder struggled not to gag.

"Zombies is what I would call them..." Elliot said in disbelief, "Tell me...what should we do?"

"I...I don't really know," Spyro began.

"Should we shoot, sir?" one of the soldiers asked.

"Not yet..."

The creatures stumbled closer to the walls of the city, and Spyro watched through a pair of binoculars as their flesh seemed to crawl and squirm, as if there were thousands of bugs beneath their skin.

"What are they doing?" Cynder asked, sounding disturbed.

"I don't know," and he bared his teeth in disgust, "Whatever it is, it's fuckin' nasty."

The more he watched, he then began to notice that their skin seemed to be...growing back? They moved quicker, more intent, and one of them growled, a bone-chilling, layered, and almost demonic sound. Spyro recoiled, as they moved quicker and quicker now, much faster than a normal human...

"They're getting _really _close..." Cynder said, and she had begun to gnaw on her claws.

"Open fire!"

"Are you sure, sir..."

"I said, OPEN _FIRE_!" the purple dragon roared.

"Yes, sir!" the soldier answered, hurrying off as the sound of a single assault rifle firing filled the room. Within moments, several more guns added to the ensemble, and after a minute, the room was completely filled with the deafening sound of gunfire as the soldiers fired upon the walking dead. Suddenly, one of them, the taller of the two, rose a hand to the sky, and shot a fireball out of his palm. It exploded in the guardhouse, sending all of the soldiers within to the ground. The creature launched another one, and an explosion occurred nearby, throwing Cynder back and into the back wall where she was knocked unconscious. Smoke filled the room, and Spyro picked himself up, choking, "Cyn!" he cried out, "Where are you!?"

Elliot, arm pressed against his mouth and nose, choked as he shouted, "Spyro! Get the hell outta here!"

"What is going on?"

"I don't fucking know, but it's too dangerous for you! Get out of here!"

"I need to find Cynder!"

"You leave! I'll look for her and send her your way!"

"Are you sure?"

Elliot abruptly nodded, "Yes."

"Okay then..." and the dragon, choking on smoke, left the room and onto the rampart. The gathered soldiers were firing upon the two creatures stumbling across the plain, but aside from the occasional fireball the taller one threw, they did not fight back and only continued their drunken sprint.

"HOW ARE THEY STILL MOVING!" Piermont hissed.

"They're the living goddamn dead! Normal rounds don't take them down!" Rapid answered.

"We're using silver bullets aren't we?"

"Well...yeah...I don't know why..."

"KEEP SHOOTING!" Spyro roared, "Don't let them get to the city!"

"There's only two!" Sonic replied, "And even if they _did _get to the walls, they aren't gonna punch through."

Suddenly, in a booming, corpse-like voice, one of them roared, "_NORLOK SEIN XANDRE VON DROU!_"

"What the hell? What are they saying?" Piermont roared.

The other one then said, "_Calire valum estovo maliantos seh och fin!_"

"What?" Spyro replied.

"_ALIOS! SEIN OCT FU! SEPHORUS!_"

"Wait..." Rapid began, "That...sounds familiar..."

"How? It's fucking gibberish!" Piermont hissed, confronting the skunk.

"Yes, but I've heard it before...I think it's Draconic, but it is a very archaic form."

The corpse-like cries of the monsters then penetrated their minds as the creatures switched over to telepathy. The sensation of their rotting mental voices in the minds of the soldiers was like the feel of maggots and worms on a summer-old corpse.

_Malai! Valien telum! Ahst convei atria malai! Ish ishavum! Costidos ostos mafierum!_

Suddenly, Rapid started, and he said eagerly, "I remember now!"

"What is it?" Spyro asked.

"It is an ancient form of Draconic used in only one place."

"What?"

"Here's a hint, it's known as the language of the dead for a reason."

"That doesn't help..." Piermont hissed.

"Hell..." Spyro replied, "It's the language of Hell."

"Do you...do you think that..."

"No, it's not possible. Neither of them looks like Terrias!"

"Yes, but that could mean nothing. There still 'rebuilding' I guess. Watch as their bodies seem to crawl, you see that? Their skin is regrowing, they are rebuilding themselves."

"Terrias?" Piermont began, "_TERRIAS!_" he called out, cupping his mouth, "IS THAT FUCKING YOUMAN?"

"I'm not taking any chances!" Spyro hissed, "Keep it up!"

"Have you lost your fucking mind?" Rapid roared, "It might be!"

"Then again, it might not!" Spyro said, and the two stood off, "Even if one of them was Terrias, what is the other one then?"

"I don't know, maybe Alex?"

"He isn't dead, remember?"

"I don't know! Maybe he was killed when he went missing, and we just didn't know?"

Spyro then started as he remembered something...something that Jazz had told them as they had fought on dragonback...

"_Ah, so you didn't know. Of course you didn't. Alex failed to tell you before he leaped into the pit of Hell..."_

"_... Necrodusk opened the portal for him, which in turn, he willingly leaped into..."_

"_...He didn't want Sergeant Terrias to be so lonely in Hell, fighting against the worst monsters in the history of the universe alone..."_

"No..." Spyro choked, mouth agape, stunned, "Impossible..."

_Alex! What the hell are they doing!_

_I don't know, Terrias, I don't know..._

They duo stumbled across the plain and towards the city. To each other, they looked normal, and they couldn't tell why they were being fired upon. They couldn't speak, however, because every word they said wasn't heard by the other, which was why they retreated to telepathy. New Alexandria looked thew worse for wear. The wall was damaged, and even destroyed in some parts, and an army of soldiers was on the ramparts, firing upon them.

_Why are they firing upon us? Did...did the city fall while I was gone? _Terrias asked, deeply concerned.

_If so, it fell while I was gone as well...how long _were _we gone anyway?_

_Couldn't be more than a few hours..._

_This looks like more than a few hours worth...what should we do? Should we fight back, or what?_

_I wish I could answer that, Terrias..._

Cynder awoke, blinding smoke filling her eyes, making them water. She stood, shaking her head as she struggled to find the exit. The smoke made her disoriented, and her lungs burned with a painful fire. She was finding it difficult to breathe as carbon dioxide from the fires slowly strangled her. She finally reached for and blindly grabbed a ladder as she quickly ascended, throwing open a trap door and emerging on the roof of the turret. Using her tail, she slammed the door shut behind her, choking as she felt the rush of cold oxygen fill her burning lungs. She rubbed her eyes, crying out when the soot from her paws got into them, blinding her again. Her eyes watered, flushing the soot out of her teal eyes as she rushed to the end of the turret. Around her, on either side of the burning guardhouse, soldiers lined the ramparts, firing on two fast-approaching, distant figures. To her, they looked liked the zombies from _The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion_, but at the same time, there were a few clear differences. One of them, shorter than the other by a few inches, had a hairless appendage extending from its back, resembling a tail, and its eyes were narrower and more angled, but the corpse itself was still mangled beyond recognition. The smaller one was nude, but the larger one was wearing a shredded tunic and pants, as well as scraps of cloth that resembled a hat.

However, its shirt was shredded, revealing a massive, gaping, bloody hole in its chest. Little by little, it seemed that the skin was...growing back? As clear as day, ringing out over the deafening staccato of gunfire, Spyro was barking orders to continue the onslaught of fire. Cynder, feeling her heart leap at the sound of her mate, confirming he was okay, leaped off of the roof of the turret, gliding down twenty feet and to the ramparts. She shoved her way through the crowd, searching for any of Alpha Company, especially her mate.

Spyro's mouth was twisted in a grimace, beads of sweat were on his brow, the monsters were still coming closer, and it didn't matter how many rounds they were sinking into the walking corpses, they weren't going down. "I don't understand..." Spyro began, and with a roar, he yelled, "I DON'T _UNDERSTAND_! What the _hell _are those things and how are they still, fucking, _moving_!"

"Spyro!" and the purple dragon quickly turned around as Cynder leaped, embracing him tightly and wrapping her soft, slim body around his. She rubbed her muzzle against his affectionately and clambered off, "Jesus! You're okay!"

"Of course I'm fine..." he began, "I'm just glad you are."

She then turned her attention towards the approaching creatures, "What are those things?"

"I don't know, but whatever they are, they're immune to bullets, both silver _and _normal, poisoned _and _non-poisoned. We've tried just about everything."

"Have you tried the cannons or the anti-armor?"

He shook his head, "The battle drained our supply of explosive rounds and shells, we're out, and the _Maxia _brought blasted away half of our damn factory, cache included."

"Shit...so what are we supposed to do then?"

"I don't know."

Suddenly, one of them, the taller one, began roaring in that ancient language again. It cried out in pain then, and it fell forward.

"Did we finally kill it?" Spyro asked, excited.

However, the creature stood again, and it briefly glowed a light blue as the hole in its chest became much smaller.

_Alex, if they keep this up, we aren't getting back there before they gun us down!_ and Terrias briefly cried out as a bullet tore through his chest before it quickly healed. _And personally, I'd rather not be Swiss cheese._

_We need to move faster, but almost all of my powers are gone...all I have is telepathy, obviously, and I can heal, that's it. Telekinesis, teleportation, invisibility, as well as all of my elemental powers, they're all gone..._

_Well, we need to think of something! _the servine was near hysterical now.

_Think of something then! Cause I got nothin'._

_Dammit._

_Wait...maybe..._

Spyro watched as the larger of the two creatures began to glow red, and in a burst of hot wind, acrid smoke rose, seemingly out of nowhere, and drifted over the city and the ramparts. The fog was thick, and visibility was zero beyond the ramparts. They could see the entirety of the ramparts, but the city behind them and the Burned Lands before them were completely obscured, even the glow of the _Fiernes Curtain _couldn't penetrate the wall of smoke.

Immediately, the soldiers stopped firing, and what sounded like whispers blew in from out of nowhere. The world was eerie, and they could hear a loud thump from somewhere beyond the still-burning guardhouse, as well as heavy, unsteady footsteps.

"Brace yourselves," Spyro commanded, "I think they're here..."

Nobody spoke, not even a breath was heard as the crowd remained eerily silent, listening as the strange footsteps grew closer. A sudden growl filled the air as the taller of the two zombies appeared out of nowhere, a blur as it dashed through the crowd, pouncing upon Spyro and pinning him to the ground. He cried out, flailing as the crowd fell back. The purple dragon tried to fight the beast, but it was strong. He kicked it in the stomach and it fell back, hitting the ground. It was soon standing, but Spyro was quickly upon it, delivering several blows. It was unfazed, and another growl filled the air as the other one appeared from behind Spyro, ripping the purple dragon off of its companion and throwing him. Spyro stood, growling as he braced himself to attack. The two zombies stood before him, standing side-by-side, and the purple dragon watched in confusion as a white glow overtook them. The glowing shapes grew brighter and brighter in intensity, and the frightened crowd collapsed, shielding their eyes.

Once the glow diminished, Spyro looked up, and his jaw dropped as he saw Alex and Terrias standing before him. The two stood unsteadily before they weakly collapsed.

"Alex!" Cynder cried, and she, Spyro, and Piermont ran to his side.

He weakly pushed them away, standing and taking an unsteady step forward before falling forward again. Piermont caught him, gently lowering him to the ground.

"Terrias..." Aria whispered, stunned speechless.

The servine picked himself up, holding his aching head as he groaned. Aria broke from her paralysis as she ran to her mate's side, pulling him close and holding him tightly as she cried, "Terrias...you're okay!"

"Aria..." he said, crying, and he nuzzled against her chest, "I'm back..."

"Don't you _ever _do that again!" Aria exclaimed, "If you're hurt, go to a damn doctor _before _it's too late!"

"I will," and Terrias laughed sadly, "I learned my lesson."

"I don't want to lose you, ever again!"

"I don't want to lose you either, Aria."

Alex, once he had recovered, stood again, and he scratched his head nervously as Alpha Company glared at him, "I...guess I have a lot of explaining to do?"

Piermont nodded, "Ayup."

"Hehe...yeah..."

"Why?" Spyro asked, refilling his cup with tea, "Why would you do something so ridiculous like that?"

Alpha Company was sitting in the parlor back in Club Camelot, and Alex and Terrias had just finished their stories.

"You endangered the whole damn army!"

"I'm sorry, Spyro...I just...I dunno."

"It's inexcusable!" Cynder hissed, "That was the stupidest thing you could have ever done!"

"Hey! I said I was sorry..."

Cynder growled and stormed out.

"Well," the Commander said, watching after her, "She's pissed."

"Of course," Piermont began, "Even though she's with Spyro, you are still her mate, and it was still hell for her when you were gone. You went missing, Alex, right as the _Maxia _launched an attack on the city over a week ago. You were damn lucky that Spyro took control and managed to hold off and repel them, but it was still a very risky move on your part. What would have happened if we would have lost the city? If Spyro would have been unsuccessful in his leadership capabilities, hmm? We'd all be dead! That's what! I don't want you to do that again! Understand? Else _I _will personally kick your ass, regardless of the effect it will have on me. What would have happened if your escape would have been unsuccessful? If Necrodusk wouldn't have sacrificed himself for you? If you would not have been able to escape Hell? Lucifer would have fucking killed you!"

"But he didn't, so can't we let bygones be bygones?"

"Nope, you will not see the end of this anytime soon," Spyro said before he left, running after his mate.

"Great...pissed off everybody."

Terrias turned to face the Commander, "I told you it was a stupid move for you to do that...but thanks," and he hugged his friend, "Damn, never thought I would ever want to actually, physically feel you."

"It's okay," and Alex laughed, "Just...don't make a habit of it. Already I'm dealing with people thinking I'm gay for Spyro, I don't want people adding _you_ to the mix either."

"Yeah, but he didn't suck you off," Piermont said with a grin, "Unlike Spyro..."

"For the millionth time! It wasn't my fault!"

"Doesn't mean you are gonna see the end of the mockery, especially since you keep bringing it up."

Alex was driven silent, before, "I reject your reality and substitute my own."

"Anyway," Terrias said, standing and stretching, "It's getting late...and I have some...catching up...to do with Aria."

Piermont chuckled, "I understand, you enjoy the night with Aria...she really missed you, man."

"Well," Alex began, "I'm glad to have you back."

"We all are," Piermont agreed with a nod.

Without another word, Terrias led Aria into their room, and once they heard the door close and lock, the rest of Alpha Company retired for the night as well, until only Alex remained awake. For several minutes, he thought about everything that had happened, and praying for forgiveness for his costly mistake, he went to bed, secretly hoping that Necrodusk was okay.

_..."Leave me! I will get what I deserve! But I have seen the light! I have sought forgiveness and redemption! Go forth! Go back home! I will manage!"..._

What did the demon mean when he said that he had 'seen the light'? Had he realized the error of his mistake in following Lucifer? Was the demon seeking reentry into Heaven and returning to his status as an angel? It didn't even seem possible, but the demon seemed to have developed at least someone of a conscience, whether that changed anything was questionable, and Alex thought about all of this as he fell asleep, enjoying the feeling of sleep after so long.

His sleep that night was haunted by nightmares of his experience in the Devil's Arena.


	14. Chapter XIII: The Way the World Ends I

_**Chapter XIII**_**:**

**-''The Way the World Ends, Pt. I: Judgment Day''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_06 July 2012_-**

**-_0001 Hours_-**

Terrias quietly climbed out of bed, taking care not to jostle his sleeping mate. He walked across the room, sneaking past the sleeping Alpha Company in the parlor and leaving the suite.****

Outside, he jogged North, up the quiet streets for a few miles, evading patrols and arriving at his destination, an old stone bridge about a mile up the mountain, in the middle of the evergreen forest. He paused on the dirt road, watching the hundred foot waterfall feeding the river rapids rushing a hundred feet beneath his feet. The night was cool, a normal Summer night, the starry skies was empty with the exception of a few, puffy, black clouds. Even the shimmering blue haze of the forcefield was invisible, and the only evidence of the presence of the black ribbon of the Ring was the dim, yellow, LEDs.****

After he had retrieved his breath, he veered off the dirt road, disappearing in the trees and enjoying the enveloping darkness. He could hear the roar of the waterfall and the river nearby, as well as a crickets, cicadas, and owls. He stop in his tracks, closing his eyes, smelling and tasting the crisp, Summer air, and he began to glow a deep gray as he felt a click in his mind, and the atmospheric track, "Skyrim Atmospheres" began to play quietly, growing a little louder as it appeared out of nowhere.****

Pleased with the soothing venture, he breathed deeply, opening his eyes and smiling as he wandered deeper into the forest. After an hour, he left the cover of the trees, emerging into a small, circular glade. three waterfalls fell from the encompassing cliffs, converging in a still, crystal-clear lake that encircled the western half of the arena, like a crescent moon.****

Allowing the track to grow louder, he took a deep breath, meditating as he mentally and physically prepared himself for today's practice sessions. After he and Alex has escaped Hell and the Devil's Arena two days earlier, he had been instructed by Fox to find an outlet for his nightmarish memories in hopes of eliminating his nightmares, or at least make them milder in nature.****

For an hour, he meditated before he began to execute the "Judgment" move. Sitting cross-legged, he glowed a burnt orange as he began to levitate, and his eyes, glowing white, shot open. With a powerful, layered voice, matched only by Skyrim's Greybeards, a flash of light, voiced by a blast of thunder filled the area, and the sky above became a swirling vortex of silver clouds. Wind appeared from nowhere, and it quickly became a gale as white, tadpole-like spirits emerged from the glowing white eye of the supernatural storm. Fire appeared, converging and forming a ring with a fiery flash of white light. Stones vibrated, shooting from the ground and converging to form a rocky ring, then leaves flew from the trees, and as the elements of the earth became spinning rings, Terrias commanded them to combine. In a powerful Shout, a ball of pure, colorless energy blew from his body, hovering still above him as the elemental rings wrapped around the energy ball, forming a spike-ball-like entity.****

With a powerful roar, the attack carried through as the ball smashed into the ground, causing a mini earthquake as white shockwaves spread out from the core of the explosion. As soon as the storm and gale appeared, it dissipated, and a levitating Terrias, eyes still white, collapsed to the ground. Feeling as if he had just experienced a powerful orgasm, he weakly stood, watching in awe as spots of red appeared on the ground beneath him. He wiped his face, and his palm came away, covered in blood. He felt the usual tickle as his bleeding eyes, nose, mouth, and ears healed, and he stood again, wanting to test his abilities and pull off a second Judgment attack.****

Relying on his psychic abilities, he tried to once more summon the elemental essences, but he couldn't concentrate enough, and he found his telekinesis weak, to weak to keep the elements hovering, let alone to command them at will. Trying a different approach, he remembered every bad experience he had ever had, his time in Hell, Jazz-inflicted injuries, his abusive owner...he tried to build up his rage so he could strengthen his psyche with a wave of adrenaline. However, it failed, and then he discovered another portal within his mind.****

With an alien click, he felt the new tunnel open, and he channeled his anger through this new portal, once more, he felt his control return, and he summoned another successful Judgment attack. The recoil of the attack made him double over in pain, and he coughed blood. However, he was enjoying the emotional high, and like a junkie to his favorite drug, he tried to summon the Judgment attack through another new channel. His mind, he discovered, was a limitless network of channels, and as long as he switched them out between attacks, he could pull off a continuous stream of attacks.****

Unfortunately, he was going to need to strengthen his psyche and body through repetitive exercises. Two consecutive attacks nearly killed him, anymore without exercise and he wouldn't stand a chance. He was incapable of stopping, he enjoyed the high far too much, risking death, he called upon the elements...like opening a floodgate, a flood of hellish memories shot through his mind, and he screamed at the onslaught. He felt the weight of the flood on his mind, he felt like he was being crushed. Grasping for help, a hidden channel opened up, and he eagerly rushed to it, hiding within it as he narrowly escaped the memories.****

Back in the physical world, he had taken on a whole new form. His flesh was as black as night, and his eyes were a blinding white, glowing pearls in his shadowy body. His fingers had grown, becoming gnarled as ropes of muscle bulged the skin, and his razor-sharp, moss-green claws had a metallic shine. Sub-zero air surrounded him, and icy, black smoke rose from his head. He roared as he spoke an unknown phrase in Draconic. He then sped forward, flying faster than the speed of sound. He glowed violet as his mind singled on a series of memories and he vanished in a flash of electric blue.

* * * * *****

-**Compound B: Undisclosed Location, United States**-**  
**-_**06 July 2012**_-**  
**-_**0522 Hours**_-****

"Corporal, get your ass over here!"****

"Yes sir, Lieutenant."****

The two _Maxia_ officers looked towards the northern horizon as they glimpsed a strange, circling storm.****

"What the hell...?" The corporal said, "Doesn't look natural."****

"Terminators maybe?"****

"Could be."****

"I'll contact the commander about this."****

"Yes, sir."****

As the lieutenant left, the corporal reached into the satchel at his side, pulling out a pair of binoculars and looking towards the distant storm. "Something is odd," he said to himself, "And I don't like it."****

From behind him, the corporal heard a sinister voice that made him cringe, "Hello you son of a bitch."****

At first, he figured it was the lieutenant trying to scare him, so he said, "You bastard, why do you always try to scare me," as he turned to the voice, he paled as he saw it's owner...a pitch black Servine.****

The only knew two talking Servine, and by the shape of the pouch on his abdomen, this one was a male.****

"S...Sergeant Terrias?"****

With a roar and a swift slash, the disemboweled corporal collapsed to the ground. A nearby patrol cried out before, in a blur, the two men fell forward, their heads rolling away.****

An alarm sounded throughout the compound, and soldiers rushed towards Terrias, guns blazing. the Terminator swiftly brought them down with ease as he tore through the crowd of soldiers leaving a trail of bodies and blood in his wake.****

Terrias slaughtered everything in sight as he advanced to the Commander's Residence. Jazz's bodyguards charged forward to engage, but Terrias' claws made short work of them. He Shouted, and the door blew off its hinges. He butchered the guards, and within minutes, he charged into the room of the Shade. The Lieutenant, his report interrupted, opened fire on the Servine, but Terrias was quicker, beside his attacker before the Lieutenant had even withdrawn his weapon. Terrias grabbed the Lieutenant's chest, and with a hellish scream of pain, and a disgusting ripping sound, the Lieutenant fell forward, blood quickly pooling around him as the Terminator threw the Lieutenant's still-beating heart to the ground.****

In an instant, Terrias held Jazz's throat in a death-grip, and the surprised commander smiled wickedly, "Ah, Sergeant Terrias, so you survived and actually grew a pair of balls, it's about time. Send this little present to Alex for me," and the rabbit spit in his face.****

"You will die!"****

"Oh, I'm so scared of a pussy like you."****

Terrias roared as he was about to strangle the rabbit...and then...he suddenly grew dizzy, and as pain tore through his body, he whited out.****

* * * * *****

"Terrias?" Came a distant voice, "Terrias, how long have you been here? Are you all right?"****

Terrias opened his eyes, only to squeeze them shut again when the noon sunlight shined down. He sat up, groaning as his headache worsened. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Mark standing there.****

"How long have you been here?" He asked again.****

"I...I don't know," Terrias muttered, "I don't remember..."****

"Well...okay then..." Mark unlocked the railroad museum's door and disappeared inside, Terrias following behind.****

As Mark opened the museum, he asked, "So, did you hear about what happened last night?"****

Suddenly alarmed, Terrias said, "No, what happened?"****

"Apparently the _Maxia_ took a nasty hit. A literal one-man-army completely wiped one of their compounds off the face of the earth, and damn near killed Jazz."****

"Jazz survived?" Terrias said, nervous that his dream proved to be more factual than fantasy.****

"I know! Shitty right? It's kinda crappy he ain't dead but...oh well."****

"So how'd Jazz survive?"****

Mark shrugged, "They didn't say, or if they did, I didn't hear them. Apparently, though, their assailant came to his senses right before he ended that bastard's life. Still, it's funny as hell that an entire compound of _Maxia_ Elites was wiped out by a single man."****

"Hmm..."****

"Hopefully that little schism scared the crap out of them...hey, mind helping me open the baggage doors?"****

"Sure."****

Once the museum had opened, Alpha Company arrived, and as Alex clocked in, he said, "Ah! There you are Terrias! Aria was scared shitless when she woke up to an empty bed."****

Laughing nervously, Terrias said, "Yeah..."****

As Mark repeated his news, Terrias managed to escape to the quiet solitude of the vast, empty library across the museum. Once he was comfortable and relaxed, Terrias decided to take a power nap, and he curled up, and fell asleep.****

* * * * *****

When he awoke an hour later, Terrias managed to sneak back into the layout room, unnoticed. Alpha Company surrounded the computer on the desk, and the servine stretched to see. He saw what everyone else was watching, a YouTube video showing footage of the compound assault, filmed from a FOX news chopper.****

Suddenly speaking up, Alex said, "Hey...rewind that."****

With a confused nod, Mark did, rewinding it until Alex said, "Freeze the frame."****

Alex, eyes squinted, pressed his face to the computer screen, seeing a badly pixelated form of the attacker.****

"What do you see, Alex?" Spyro asked.****

"Methinx I've found our attacker."****

The nervous servine slowly began to back away until Piermont said, "Well I'll be damned," and then he teased, "Hey Terrias, he kinda looks like you."****

Heart racing, sweating nervously, Terrias said, "Yeah right. That can't be me."****

"Then why do you sound so doubtful?" Piermont teased.****

"Well..." Alex began, and his suspicious voice alarmed Terrias even more, "You did go MIA last night, so it could be you, technically speaking."****

"It obviously isn't."****

"Are you keeping something from us?" Piermont asked.****

"No!" Terrias exclaimed, "Of course not!"****

"Do you know something about this attack?" Alex said.****

"No!"****

"You're lying."****

"No I'm not!"****

"Bullshit, don't lie to me."****

"But I'm not!"****

"Yes you are."****

His constantly shifting positions, profuse sweating, and his shaking voice betrayed the truth, even as he continued to deny. He began to back away, running into Piermont.****

"What are you hiding?"****

Stammering, Terrias said, "N...N...Nothing! I'm n...not hiding anything? Wh...why would I? I...I...I mean I...it's nonsense!"****

"Tell us!"****

With a hefty sigh, Terrias then reluctantly told them of everything he knew, from his sneaking out to train and up until his blackout before he strangled Jazz.****

After he had finished, Alex broke the silence and surprised the servine by asking, "Now see? Was that so hard?"****

"You mean...you aren't mad?"****

Laughing, Alex said, "No! Of course not! In fact, I'm laughing my fucking ass off right now...but, your little...realization...is giving me an idea...would you mind coming with me outside?"****

Confused, Terrias nodded and followed the Commander out into the hot, sunny, noon day.

* * * * *_****_

As the sun peaked, Alex and Terrias stood across from each other. "So..." Terrias began, "What's your plan?"_****_

Alex didn't speak. He stood tall, arms crossed, head lowered, eyes closed, and smiling his million-dollar smile._****_

"Well?"_****_

Silence._****_

Terrias relaxed and said, "C'mon! Out with it! Or I'm going back outside, it's too hot out...OW!"_****_

Alex had quickly sped to him, smashing a stick against his head._****_

Rubbing his head, Terrias said, "Ow...what the hell was THAT for?"_****_

Alex shrugged._****_

"Bastard, that hurt."_****_

Terrias then was victim to another smack by Alex's stick, this time in the thigh._****_

Rubbing his side, Terrias said, "Fuuuuuck my liiiiife! Why do you keep fuckin' DOING THAT!"_****_

Alex shrugged again, then resumed his pose. Terrias looking out for another surprise attack by Alex, screamed and jumped when Piermont, next to him, said, "It ain't workin' Alex!"_****_

"Oi vey! Would you get out of here!?" Terrias exclaimed._****_

Laughing wildly, Piermont walked away, and Alex got off another smack, this time in Terrias' stomach._**  
**__**  
**_"Oof!" He cried, doubling over and gagging, "Ow! Stop that!"_****_

After twenty minutes without another attack from Alex, Terrias walked away, stepping behind a tree to relieve himself. The silence was eerie, and Terrias listened out for any sneak attacks, however, all he heard was his own flow of urine, splashing against the peeling bark of the maple tree._****_

Sure enough, as he sighed in relief, an earthworm suddenly landed on his hand, and he cried out in alarm, pissing on himself in the process._****_

"D'aww...GODDAMMIT!"_****_

He could hear Piermont laughing as he shook off and walked back to where Alex stood in his eerie statuesque pose. "You pissed off yet?" Piermont said good-humoredly._****_

"Nope," Alex said, "But he is pissed on."_****_

"Argh!" Terrias roared, "I'll piss on you in a second!"_****_

"No thanks," Alex said, "Not into pissplay."_****_

"Oh really?" Cynder said, "Then how come you had me piss on you before we had sex last night?"_****_

Alex was driven silent, "Um...never mind."_****_

"Then, you had me piss when you ate out of me-"_****_

"Okay! That's enough, we get the point."_****_

"What the hell, man?" Terrias said._****_

Alex then nodded at Piermont. "You're a whiny bitch," he said._****_

Terrias was stunned, "Okay? I don't like this..."_****_

"Shut up before I fucking castrate you."_****_

"What? I-"_****_

"Stop whining you pussy. Nobody likes you, I don't like you."_****_

"I thought we were friends-?"_****_

"Why would I befriend someone you was abused by their owner? I'm not THAT desperate."_****_

Terrias was near tears now, and though Alex felt bad, he knew it was necessary, and he continued._****_

"C'mon you pussy! You should have killed yourself when you had the chance. You're worthless, I don't want you anymore. You can rot in a fucking ditch for all I care."_**  
**__**  
**_Crying now, Terrias said, "I thought we were friends."_****_

"We never were. Why would anyone want to be friends with you anyway?"_****_

"Uh...Alex?" Aria interrupted, "This is too much, don't you think?"_****_

Ignoring her, Alex picked up rocks, throwing them at the servine. "Please stop!" Terrias cried, choking on tears and cowering, "Please! I'm sorry!"_****_

Alex kept it up until Terrias suddenly silenced and stopped shuddering. Looking up, his glowing white eyes showing pure fury and hatred, Alex watched as Terrias adopted his dark form._****_

Alpha Company stared at him, awestruck and terrified. Roaring, Terrias charged and swiftly beat down Alex with uncanny speed. "Terrias!" Aria cried, "Stop it! Stop it! It was a test! He didn't mean it-"_****_

Speaking in a layered voice, Terrias hissed, "Aria, stay out of this before you get hurt."_****_

"I didn't mean it!" Alex said, "I only meant to trigger your dark form! It worked so you can stop now!"_****_

"NO!" Terrias roared, furious, vengeful._****_

* * * * *_****_

"Listen," Commander Jazz said, addressing his massive, gathered army, "The Terminators were responsible for that massacre last night. I'm tired of their interference, if they want a fight? We'll give them a fucking fight! It's time to commence Operation: Red Dawn, I want you all to attack _en masse_. Strike America's largest cities and start taking territories away from them. Even if New Alexandria is currently to strongly defended, by triggering battles across the country in rural and urban areas, we can splinter the militia enough so that a direct attack on the city can bring it down, and we can end the Terminator Militia. Now, move out, we attack in an hour."_****_

"Sir! Yes, sir!" The crowd cried at once._****_

"Go! Go!"_****_

* * * * *_****_

"Terrias!" Aria cried._****_

Alex was on the ground, still getting the living crap beaten out of him. Aria, Piermont, Cynder, Crash, and Sonic were all trying to pull the homicidal Terrias off of Alex. But in his blind fury, Terrias overpowered all of them._****_

"Cheet!" Crash cried, "Help us, man!"_****_

"I'm trying!" The cheetah replied. With Rudolph, Schakri, Sarah, and the Nighthawks adding to the effort, they finally managed to separate and subdue Terrias._****_

While the servine struggled, more and more of Alpha Company joined in the dogpile, until Terrias stilled as his flesh returned to it's normal color, and his fury diminished._****_

Once he was back to normal, he cried out as he struggled to breathe, and Alpha Company quickly pulled away from him. Sitting up and gasping for breath, his terrified eyes fell upon Alex, and his normally happy spirit suddenly became hurt and angry._****_

"I'm sorry," Alex said, "But I had to be sure."_****_

Suddenly, a roar sounded, and Reznov's dragon, Nikolai, landed. The Russian stepped off and said, "I hope I am not interrupting anything."_****_

"Not at all," Alex said, extending a hand to help Terrias. The servine only glared at him, pushing away Alex's hand and picking himself up, walking away._****_

"I have some bad news," Reznov continued._****_

"What?"_****_

"Follow me."_****_

* * * * *_****_

"Phantom Squad, roll in!" Jazz commanded over the radio._****_

Citizens fled as an army of fifty tanks rolled into the suburbs of Seattle, laying waste in their advance to the city. At the same time, armies were rolling into Miami, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Los Angeles, and Dallas. In the blitz attack, there was little time for retaliation._****_

One by one, the commanders of the squads called in, declaring their victories, "Things are rolling just fine," Jazz said to himself, "Let's see the Terminators take shit back, they have a surprise waiting for them."_****_

-**New York City, New York**-_**  
**_-_**2018 Hours**_-_****_

Chris looked out the window, his heart sinking at the sight of the _Maxian_ tanks rolling down the streets. Being a former Terminator before he, angered by Alpha Company's Conservative, religious views, quit, he knew just how cruel the _Maxia_ was._****_

Then, a small group of _Maxian_ officers knocked on his home's door. When he opened it, they barged in, looting the house as they cuffed him and his family, dragging them outside and towards an APC. The whole event seemed like a vivid dream, even though he knew it wasn't._****_

Eventually, the APC parked, and he, as well as the other passengers, were forced outside and into Times Square. Thousands of citizens were bound and cuffed, forced to stand in the square as _Maxian_ officers surrounded them, weapons trained on any who didn't comply._****_

The massive screen across the street displayed the news of all of the other _Maxia_ sieges. "What's going on?" He asked the others around him, nobody answered._****_

The screen then flashed white, becoming static and white noise before the Terminator Eagle then flashed on screen. _Maxian_ soldiers rushed to fix the hack, but then Alex, in full Daedric, dragonriding armor, appeared, Terrias and Spyro to his left and right respectively._****_

"Jazz!" Alex hissed, "We know what is going on. You can't leave us alone can you? Well, guess what, now it's our turn. As of today, 6th of July 2012, 2031 Hours, I, Great Commander Alex Vaughn, declare war on the _Maxia_ Regime."_****_

With this said, the _Maxia_ managed to correct the hack, and Jazz's face appeared on the__screen. "So, the Terminators decide they want to challenge us? Excellent! But they won't win. My loyal subjects, as I speak, I am dispersing soldiers to our territories, and Terminator-occupied territories. All hell is about to break loose, and this time, we won't go down with ease."

_To Be Continued..._


	15. Chapter XIV: The Way the World Ends II

_**Chapter XIV**_**:**

**-''The Way the World Ends, Pt. II: Red Dawn''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_07 July 2012_-**

**-_0901 Hours_-**

"What in the hell are we gonna do?" Piermont asked, sighing.

"We need to fight," Alex replied, looking at the map of the United States on the desk of his war room.

"The _Maxia_ have NEVER been so swift before..." Terrias said, "Even during their blitz shortly before we charged through Necropolis."

"Obviously, they're pissed," Piermont said, lighting a cigarette.

"But why?" Spike said, glancing at his mentor, Spyro.

"Well I don't know!" Piermont said sarcastically, "It's not like one of our guys threw a tantrum and single-handedly flattened one of their motherfucking compounds!"

Terrias glared at him.

"Now, now," Alex reassured, "It's not entirely Terrias' fault."

"He's got a point," Schakri said, looking at his reflection in his trued tail blade, "Jazz is a whiny bitch, he wants to look like a badass mofo, but he ain't."

"So you are saying Terrias had NO part in this?" Piermont said, eyes narrowed.

"Not at all. I know Snake has partial fault, but he should not be held accountable for all of it."

"Look at you," Spyro scoffed, speaking sarcastically, "The voice of reason."

"Fuck you, Purple Boy."

"Enough!" Alex exclaimed, emphasizing his command with a hardy smack on the glass-covered table, "We need to concentrate here."

"Why did you declare war on them anyways?" Cynder asked, "We're trying to rebuild our damaged reputation, not thrust the US into another half-decade civil war."

"You wouldn't understand, Cynder."

"You're most certainly right, but it's not your logic I don't understand, it's you."

"Don't start, Cynder," Spyro sighed, "I understand his reasoning."

"So," Schakri said, "What are we gonna do?"

"Break Alpha Company up into a day and night shift," Spike said.

"Precisely," Alex replied with a nod.

"Why?" Terrias asked.

Spike broke the silence, "Simple, we're more effective if we deliver a continuous stream of pain."

"Correct," Spyro replied, "And Alex probably already has an idea."

"You're damn right I do," the Commander replied happily, "Day Shift: Me, Piermont, Crash, Sonic, Tails, Cheet, Keisha, Sarah, Cherub, Rapid, and Rudolph. Night Shift: Spyro, Cynder, Terrias, Aria, Schakri, Simba, Nala, Kovu, Kiara, Prancy, Shadow, and Spike."

"Ah," Terrias scoffed, "The usual."

"Aye."

"Better make this quick then so us night owls can get some shuteye."

"Right, follow me."

Alex led Alpha Company out of Club Camelot, through New Alexandria, and into the western mountains bordering the city through the hidden hangar door. Once inside, Alex led them down numerous corridors and to the blast door leading into the Halo Control Center's bunker. Revealing his keycard, he and Spyro walked to the opposite panels, and, after swiping their cards in unison, the red light inside the card slot turned green, and the door opened with a deep rumble. He led them inside and said, "Get comfortable, we're living here for as long as the war continues. We have enough supplies stockpiled to last all troops based in the city for 7 years."

"A Prepper?" Schakri said with a laugh, "I'm impressed, if not exactly surprised, being a rough-and-tough military leader and all."

"Schakri," the Commander began, "Now is not the time for your smart-ass remarks, this is serious."

"Yeah, so is my happiness, Charra and I need our own private room with a private bath and hot tub."

"No can do, if you want to delve into lovemaking, you better be an exhibitionist."

"Fuck...okay," he smiled mischievously, "I hope you all like hetero scaly porn, you are gonna see a helluva lot of it."

"Try to stay civilized?"

"I'll 'try', but I swear, it won't work, when I'm horny, I seek release, right Cynder?"

Cynder only rolled her eyes, and Spyro growled.

"Easy, Purple Boy. Why don't you party with Ember so I can dance the tube-stake in a nice sandwich. I'm hungry, and a nice _au naturale_ sandwich, perhaps flavored with a tad bit of saltwater sounds nice right now."

"Anyways," Alex said, ignoring the black dragon, "Rest easy, the rest of us need to start evacuations, no sense in racking up a body count of innocents."

Suddenly, Elliot called on the radio.

"Alex here."

"Vermilion's under attack, better get over there to oversee evacuations. All of Illiana is in a red-hot war zone, so you will literally be leading civilians through enemy tanks and infantry to safety."

"Right, are there people already there?"

"Aye, once you're done there, head to San Francisco, our boys are catching hell on the Golden Gate, we also have a shitload of civilians pinned down there, we're understaffed, and the city's under heavy fire from the _Maxia_, perhaps the worse in the country."

"On it, Alex, over-and-out," the Commander turned to his company, "Day Crew, come with me, Night Crew, get some sleep."

"Yes, sir!" Alpha Company replied.

"Spyro, go ahead and throw New Alexandria into DEFCON 4 lockdown."

"Yes, sir."

While the day crew left, Spyro sped over to the terminal beside the massive, holographic screen that currently displayed the internal blueprint of the Ring. Using a key hanging by a gold chain on his neck, he unlocked the bullet-proof, shatter-proof glass box covering the large knife switch, currently set to DEFCON 1. He switched to DEFCON 2, waiting a few moments for the klaxon to sound and the computer's feminine voice to say, "We are now at DEFCON 2."

He flipped the switch even lower. The klaxon sounded and the voice said, "We are now at DEFCON 3."

He then flipped the switch again, closing the lid as the voice said, "We are now at DEFCON 4."

"Now what?" Schakri asked.

"Now, we sleep," Spyro replied.

* * * * *

Piermont and his rider, both clad in full-on Daedric armor, emerged from their electric blue teleportation portal in the skies above the small town of Vermilion in rural Illinois. To the south, they could see the advancing tanks of the _Maxia_, signified by their pitch-black bull insignia.

"What do we do, Alex?" Piermont asked, his solemn, serious voice full of anticipation and far from his casual, sarcastic tone...his battle tone.

"Simple," Alex replied, equally serious, "We stick to our objective, get these people to safety, and leave the tanks and infantry to our soldiers."

"Where do we start?"

"My parents' home."

As they landed in their front yard, a captain ran up to them, "Commander Vaughn, sir, we've established a blockade on the main road, and encircled the town with concrete obstacles, barbed wire fencing, and Flaks."

"Good, make sure they don't get through...at least until we get these people to safety."

"Sir, yes sir."

"Carry on."

Alex slid off Piermont's back, running to the house while Piermont, transforming into his human form, sped to the neighbor's house.

Alex's father opened the door. "Alex!" He said, "What a surprise! What's going on?"

Alex shoved his way inside and said, "Dad, you need to get everybody, pack, and follow me."

"What's going on?"

"The entire country is at war, and we're under attack."

"They won't get us...will they?"

"Dad, why do you think we blocked the city and have tanks rolling around? We have an entire tank division just outside the city."

"Oh crap!"

"Just hurry! Now!"

Alex's radio suddenly buzzed, "Commander! Tanks have punched through the western wall! Move out, now! Expect company!"

"Shit..." Alex whispered beneath his breath, "Dad, better hurry up! Enemy tanks coming our way!"

Alex quickly dove inside as a _Maxia_ Abrams parked in front of the house, firing at a Flak battery in the schoolyard.

"Son of a bitch! Dad! Tanks just outside, keep your head down and move! Head through the back!"

Alex, crawling prone, approached the door. He opened it, rushing outside as he opened fire with his AK47, dashing to the tank. _Maxia_ infantry ran to him, and he quickly gunned them down, scaling the tank, ripping open the entrance portal, and tossing a grenade into the turret, closing the portal and jumping off as an explosion tore the door off it's hinges, warping the turret's barrel and causing acrid black smoke and fire to rise from the creases between the body and the turret.

"Tank dispatched!"

Alex's family approached, arriving through the backyard fence's gate. As a column of tanks parked in front of the house, training their turrets on Alex, the Commander said, "Oh shit! Run! Into the alley!"

He dragged his family into the neighbor's backyard as an explosion that annihilated the neighbor's garage caused the earth to rumble. They scaled the vine-covered, ten-foot-tall seasoned pine fence, leaping into the neighbor's yard as they opened up the gate, leaving the yard and into the alley.

There, they met Piermont, clearing out one of the houses facing the alley. "Alex!" Piermont exclaimed, embracing his rider, C'mon!" He said, "We need to get our asses outta here!"

"Don't go onto the street! Tanks are all over the goddamn place!"

"There's a house with an underground tunnel leading across Church Street, perhaps if we could get in there, we can pass under the _Maxia_ blockade and head to the railroad tracks. It's what? Sunday? We'll pass by the train museum and we can clear that out as well, if Mark is there, he can help us."

"Good idea."

"Where is the entrance to the underground railway heading to New Alexandria?"

"About two miles between Vermilion and Hoopeston, left side of Route 1, just north of us."

"Goddammit."

"Maybe we can flank the _Maxia_."

"Perhaps, or hijack a tank."

"Good idea."

"C'mon! Let's go."

"Uh, guys?" Alex's father began, looking nervously towards the northern end of the alley, "There are tanks turning onto the road?"

"Go!" Piermont roared, "Go! Go! Go! Off the street!"

As he led into the yard of a house, they ran across the yard, kicking down the door and speeding in. They dashed through the empty house, running to the basement and jumping down the stairs. The tunnel was more like a dirt cave, the entrance marked by a breach in the stone wall. They leaped over the wall, hiding beneath the opening as the _Maxia_ infantry fired at them.

While they reloaded, Alex stood up, opening fire and killing the soldiers. "Move!" He said, "Keep moving!"

While he covered their escape, Piermont led them to an old, wood ladder heading up to a manhole made of wooden 2x4s. He opened the cover, pulling them out as they sprinted to the nearby railroad museum. Mark was outside, gunning down _Maxia_ infantry with his AK47.

"Is everyone out of there?" Alex called.

"Yes!" Mark replied.

"C'mon! Our turn!"

"Where are we going?"

"The portal to New Alexandria, we need to get everybody to refuge!"

"Is New Alexandria even safe? If the _Maxia_ are here..."

"And everywhere else," Piermont added.

"Right...if the _Maxia_ are here and everywhere else, are they at New Alexandria?"

"No."

"I'm surprised."

"Besides, even if they are, we're at DEFCON 4 lockdown, only Terminator soldiers are allowed to enter and leave."

"Let's go! Do you have transportation?"

"I will find transportation..."

Alex's radio buzzed, and Elliot said, "Alex, get to San Francisco! Now!"

"Why?"

"We have troops and civilians pinned down here!"

"We're trapped as well, _Maxia_ are all over the goddamn town!"

"Well, hurry and get them to safety!"

"Hey, Alex," Mark interrupted, "I can take care of them, you get to California."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I can lead everyone, I know where the portal is."

"Thank you."

"No problem, good luck."

"You, too."

* * * * *

-**Solitude, Skyrim**-  
-_**08 July 2012**_-  
-_**1144 Hours**_-

Ralof and Ulfric Stormcloak looked out over the plain. "Damn _Maxia_ have the balls to come here!" Ralof hissed.

"They are on friendly terms with the Imperials," Ulfric replied.

"What should we do?"

"Hold Solitude at all costs."

"Ulfric!" Dante called, running to them.

"Yes, Stormblade, what is it?"

"Galmor received a call from Sergeant Terrias, we are to start sending civilians to New Alexandria at once."

"And the other Holds?"

"They are to do the same."

"What about the Jarls?"

"They are armed and ready."

"Good, good. Send this message to Galmor: The Jarls are to defend their cities no matter the cost."

"Yes, sir."

After Dante had left, Ralof asked, "What are we to do?"

"We fight."

"How long do you think we'll last?"

"Hopefully until the end."

* * * * *

-**Canterlot, Equestria**-

"Princess Celestia!" Her stewardess cried out, running in. "The Terminators are holding off the _Maxia_ as much as they can, but we are to start sending civilians to New Alexandria!"

"Is it safe?"

"Yes, for now anyways."

"Okay, then start doing that...we should go to..."

"I'll send out the guards."

* * * * *

-**San Francisco, California**-  
-_**08 July 2012**_-  
-_**1221 Hours**_-

The day crew of Alpha Company arrived several miles outside of San Francisco. From their vantage point, it was clear that the city had suffered major damage. Many of the buildings were either destroyed, or damaged beyond repair, the broken, buckled, crater-filled streets was littered with rubble and debris, and fires burned everywhere.

"Holy crap..." Piermont muttered, "This city has obviously seen better days."

"By the extent of the damage, especially after such a short time, the _Maxia_ blew this play to hell in one of their preliminary blitzs. This is probably one of their first targets."

"Jesus...what's even worth saving here?"

"Territory."

They arrived at the Golden Gate bridge, and it was obviously one of the war zones. The concrete street was broken, crater-ridden, and even missing in places, revealing a large drop into the roaring waters below. Destroyed vehicles littered the expanse. The Terminators occupied the mainland side, but were struggling to advance. The _Maxia_-occupied side had four howitzer and Flak batteries. Piermont quickly took care of the batteries, evading the numerous MG nests dotting the expanse as he flamed the bridge.

While Piermont took care of the large weapons, Terminator-owned Apaches arrived, wing-mounted M139 Miniguns blazing. The Terminator infantry then moved onto the bridge as the heavy _Maxia_ concentration thinned out. Under cover from Piermont and the Apaches, they advanced, and once they were halfway across, the air support turned their attention to the _Maxia_-occupied island. Almost immediately after the friendly infantry stepped off of the bridge, four, _Maxia_-owned Chinooks emerged from the skyline, but they were quickly brought down by the combined efforts of Piermont and the Apaches.

Finally, after an hour, the ground crews radioed Alex, "Thanks, Commander, the city is ours."

Piermont landed on a skyscraper and Alex updated Elliot.

"Well done!" The General began, "Now, I've got a new mission for you."

"Lay it on me," a tired but confident Alex replied.

"New York City. We have received reports that civilians are imprisoned there. We need you to go in there and liberate them. We don't know how many _Maxia_ are defending them, or how many of these max-sec prisons have been turned into POW camps. All we know is that this is what you'll be doing for the rest of your shift, and the night crew will go in and do the same thing."

"Okay. Oh! And Elliot?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Issue this order to all personnel: Take no prisoners!"

"Are you sure?"

"Roger, over and out."

As Piermont was about to take to the skies and teleport to their next destination, Alex's radio buzzed, this time, it was Terrias, "Alex, the last of the Vermilion refugees have arrived."

"Terrias, shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Bah! I'll have plenty of sleep when I'm dead."

"Go to bed, or you'll do just that. Terrias, I need you in full health tonight, you will be finishing the project we're starting."

"Fine. Goodnight, Alex."

"Goodnight, Terrias."

"Over and out."

"So," Piermon began, "Are we ready to go?"

"Aye."

"Awesome."

With a final roar, a quick circle, and a large plume of fire, Piermont vanished in a flash of brilliant, blue light.

* * * * * *

They appeared over Times Square, a staging ground for the Terminators. As usual whenever Piermont came out of teleportation, he announced his arrival with a hearty roar, and they could the Terminator troops below cheering them on. Several tanks in the center of the mass moved away, giving the Great Commander and his dragon, the highest ranked pair in the entire militia, space for landing.

Piermont landed, and, deciding to show off, raised his emerald maw to the sky, roaring loudly and menacingly, and breathing a huge jet of white flame, so bright, the day seemed to almost grow to night when the flames rose. In response the Terminators cheered their battle cry, "URA!"

"Where is this prison?" Alex asked, his voice deep, powerful, fierce, almost royal. Piermont noticed that this was the voice he used whenever he spoke to massive crowds of his soldiers, the forest dragon could remember the last time Alex used it, when he addressed his army the night before they lowered the Fiernes Curtain and pushed to the Necropolis.

"You're eager to battle, Commander?" A man, about age 30, said. From the silver bar on his breast, he was a 1st Lieutenant.

Another man, with the chevron patterns of a sergeant, appeared next to him.

"Of course."

"Come with us then, we're heading there now."

"You're on point, Lieutenant."

The Terminator rolled down Broadway, easily bringing down the clusters of _Maxia_ they encountered. When the prison appeared, Alex roared, "ATTACK!"

"URA! URA!" The army chanted as they charged forward, using debris and destroyed vehicles for cover as the tanks blew away at the thick concrete walls of the prison.

The tanks continued their advance, eventually punching through the perimeter walls. With the walls breached, the infantry pushed forward, using the armor for cover.

While the main body, having secured the prison yard, was pinned down by M240s in the windows, Alex, Piermont, the rest of the day crew, and a small squad of Terminator grunts flanked the MGs, mantling over a breach in the wall and into the "W" Wing. _Maxia_ were quick to engage, and the militia was forced to find cover in open cells or doorways, as the open halls couldn't warrant cover. Armed with smoke grenades, they pushed through the halls, liberating civilians.

Piermont rose over the prison, entering the center courtyard where a firing squad was lined up. With a roar, Piermont flamed the courtyard, scattering _Maxia_ as Terminator soldiers arrived to liberate the prisoners. With the MG nests cleared, the armor punched through the prison walls, gathering in the center courtyard as they fired into the prison.

* * * * *

Chris, from his cell in "M" Wing could hear the chaos across the prison. He was confused, scared, and also furious. He had been betrayed by the _Maxia_, imprisoned in a small, cramped cell, surrounded by _Maxia_ grunts. Across the cell, a man who, ironically, was Alex's father's best friend sat, still. "Hey," Chris said, "We need to get out of here."

"Hopefully, the Terninators come to our rescue before the _Maxia_ decide to kill us off."

"You're a Terminator?"

"No, not at all, but I AM classified as a 'sympathizer'."

"So you're one of those right-wing nuts."

"Nope, I'm as left as left can be, but I still am friends with conservatives. They have their views, I have mine, it's not my place to demonize them."

"Oh..." Chris said.

"So, are you a Terminator?"

"I used to be..."

"Used to be?"

"Yeah, but their pathetic religion got on my nerves, stupid bastards."

"Well you're a judgmental prick, aren't you?"

"They need to suffer."

The prison shook violently, officers emerged from the warden's office, and the officers and grunts, ran out of the block,heading to the gunfire. Moments later, they returned, crouching as they fired.

Another violent explosion rocked the hall, and acrid, white smoke filled the room as smoke grenades bounced off the polished concrete floors, spinning like tops as they spewed their load.

Chris watched as the _Maxia_ were gunned down instantly, and Terminators emerged from the smoke, crouching and firing. One crouched in front of Chris' cell before he was killed.

As the Terminators moved in, Chris pulled out a lockpick and opened his cell, Grabbing the fallen soldier's weapon, he ran into the warden's office, hitting a knife switch. With the sound of a bell, every cell door opened and he ran to the heavy blast door into the armory, using his learned skills from his time in the Terminators, he hot wired the card panel and the door opened with a hiss.

"This way!" He called out, "In here! Arm up!"

Once they were all armed, Chris grabbed a black marker and drew the Terminator Eagle across his face.

"Do what I do!" He commanded to the crowd. Let's help 'em out!"

* * * * *

The Terminators were in the warden's office, using various pieces of furniture for cover. Suddenly, Chris appeared next to Alex, crouching down beside him and joining the firefight. "Why are you always the one raising hell in my city?" Chris asked.

"Well, well, well, Chris, long time no see. Here to stab me in the back again?"

"I'm the only one saving you from getting your ass shot by the dicks, don't insult me."

"Make yourself useful then, take one of our fallen's armor, get up to 'C' Block and free them."

"On it."

With the last of the resistance here gone, Alex ordered them to continue on.

* * * * *

Chris charged upstairs, gunning down the soldiers here. Spying the knife switch that opened the cells, he ran to it. "Chris!" Came a familiar voice.

"Dad!" Freed, they embraced and Chris said, "C'mon, we need to get out of here."

* * * * *

"ALMOST THERE!" Alex cheered, "Kill these and the prison is ours!"

Once the _Maxia_ had fallen, the Terminators and armed civilians regrouped.

"Okay," Alex began, "What we have accomplished so far is the easy part. The extraction point is across town! We have less than three hours to get there. Stick close to me, and we'll succeed. Ready? Three, two, one! Go!"

At his sign, the day crew open the heavy prison door as sun filled the room and New York was in a full war zone. As explosions occurred around them, Alex led them onto the street, leading them towards the extraction point.

For several hours, they fought through the city, and finally, the end was in sight. Unfortunately, the extraction point was under heavy fire from the _Maxia_. Once the civilians and day crew joined the fight, the battle was short-lived, and the _Maxia_ retreated while a Terminator Apache gunned down the retreating soldiers.

As Chris joined in to eliminate stragglers, pain ripped through his leg and he went down, watching as blood spilled from the bullet hole in his leg. Alex and Piermont approached him, helping him up and supporting him as he walked towards the Chinooks, landing within the green smoke marking the safe zone. The civilians climbed on, and Alex and Piermont helped Chris on.

"Get a medic on his leg," Alex told the pilot before he climbed off. Crash climbed on board, as did the rest of the day crew. The gunships then took off, and Chris watched as Alex and a dragon-form Piermont stood in the heart of the "green" zone, watching the gunships leave.

He grunted briefly as Crash tore the bullet from his leg and began to heal him.

* * * * *

"Where to now?" Piermont asked.

"Now? Now we go back to New Alexandria. It's time to switch shifts."

"Do you think we're even close to the end?"

"I'm afraid we're just getting started."

_To Be Continued..._


	16. Chapter XV: The Way the World Ends III

_**Chapter XV**_**:**

**-''The Way the World Ends, Pt. III: Counterstrike''-**

**-New York City, New York-**

**-_07 July 2012_-**

**-_1809 Hours_-**

Piermont perched upon the roof of the Chrysler building, wings folded, his rider sat on his back, and both looked out towards the sunset. Around them, the _Maxian _attack on the city continued, even as the Terminators gained ground.

Piermont grunted, "Methinks the city has seen better days."

"It hasn't even recovered from the siege."

"I love how all the bad shit always happens to fucking NYC."

Alex shrugged, "It can be quite amusing sometimes, but still, hard telling how long this war will continue."

"I still can't believe that the _Maxia _were so swift."

"They're getting desperate, either that, or Jazz has decided that he wants to deal as much collateral damage as possible."

"Of course, he's a fucking terrorist, that's what terrorists do! He's not a military leader, he's only respected by the _Maxia _because he opposes us."

"He also has a way of spreading fear, and spreading fear is a good way of controlling the masses. This is all a power play, and right now, this massive, country-wide battle is all he needs to regain control. Remember, he's losing respect within the _Maxia_, so this is a perfect way to get it all back."

"I don't know whether he's a genius, or a madman."

"Most geniuses _are _madmen, Pierre."

"Touche," and he spread his wings, "Well, we better get heading back to New Alexandria, we need all the rest we can get until this battle is over."

"Who knows when it will even be over to _begin _with."

"Exactly..."

"Well, once more unto the breach!"

"Amen bro!"

With a roar, Piermont leaped into the air and flapped away, glowing purple as he soon flickered out of existence.

Chris looked around in silence as the city of New Alexandria rolled past him. It had been over a year since he had last been here, and much had changed, not only was the city much more worn due to the constant stream of battles, but it was also like a living, breathing organism, constantly expanding. Terminator soldiers filled the streets, more than usual, as the patrols imposed much stricter curfews while the refugees sheltered here. The sky was painted yellow, the sun half below the horizon, and already the houses were dark as the citizens, with nothing better to do, went off to bed. He was in a jeep with five other wounded refugees, and he held a blood-soaked rag to his leg. He heard an electrical zap, followed by a booming roar, and he looked up to see the emerald mass of Piermont flying overhead, disappearing somewhere deep within the military district of the city.

No one in the vehicle with him spoke, and he was bored, and in pain. The bullet had been removed, and Crash had healed any serious damage, such as the severed artery, but the wound was still open as the medic was trying to conserve his strength for many more healings he was bound to be doing through the unknown length of the battle. Finally, the driver of the jeep broke the silence as he turned in his seat, addressing the refugees, "Well, here we are," he slowed the vehicle down, parking it beside a large crowd of doctors and nurses. As soon as the vehicle parked in the ER driveway, Chris was lifted onto a gurney and quickly wheeled over to the operating room. He thought nothing, said nothing, and his face was a blank expression. All he was doing was going to have the bleeding wound in his leg stitched up, but he didn't know where he was going to stay.

As soon as his leg was stapled shut, he was wheeled over to the top floor and given his own private room behind a glass door that could only be opened by a password and card reader. At least his bed had a window seat. He slid off of the gurney and into the bed, fluffing the pillows as he sat up against them, looking out the window to his right. The city, now thrust into darkness, was still awake and rampant with activity as refugees and the wounded came in at a constant rate. The hospital was situated at the border between the business and residential districts, and his room overlooked the business district. He knew that the Commander and Alpha Company were insane, but when he saw ponies wandering around just outside, heading to and from the hospital, he shook his head in disgust. Apparently, Alex had forged an alliance with Equestria, and he sighed. He himself was already a brony, known as 'Rarity' by people he knew due to a 'which pony are you' test he had taken, which was a bit of irony that they knew he disliked, but he said nothing about anyway.

He was stuck with a serious moral issue...did he continue to deny and mock the Terminators? Even though they were helping him and keeping him safe? Or did he accept them and become a quote 'sympathizer'? Hell, he smiled maliciously at the thought that he might even be able to talk Alex into restoring his former rank so he could rejoin the fight and seek revenge against the _Maxian _bastards who had betrayed him. It was not even the _Maxia _that had betrayed him! It was Jazz, that damned, treacherous, ex-Terminator who had supposedly been killed. He was the one pulling the strings now, the puppet master, and he was the one corrupting the pure ideas of the _Maxia_ by injecting his terrorist ways into their strategy. All of this was his fault, as well as Alex's for doing whatever he did to piss the rabbit off to _begin _with! This all came down to Alex. If he wouldn't have pissed off the rabbit so long ago, perhaps Jazz wouldn't have betrayed the Terminators, been executed, then rise again to side with the _Maxia _and waste half of the country within a night!

Chris felt his fury towards Alex and the rest of the Terminators increase, but he bit his tongue. His anger and thirst for vengeance would do nothing in his current position, and he was almost positive that Alex had specifically placed him here so as to keep him under careful observation. He could see the blackboard across the room, no doubt a one-way mirror where several soldiers, perhaps even members of Alpha Company, watched every move he made. So, he would play it safe for now, no sense in ruining his plan by making a stupid mistake and trying to enact it at the wrong time. He worked alone, both Terminators and the _Maxia _were his enemies, although he sided more with the _Maxia_ than the militia. At least the _Maxia_ had pure ideals to make society happy and eliminate religion, which only encouraged wars, instead ingraining science which could bring peace to the world if only the right-wing loons were more open-minded. But no! They had to stick to their God and guns, and they had the Terminator Militia spearheading the whole damn movement! The Terminators represented the old, obsolete society, the one of uneducated idiots who still believed that man was alpha in a relationship, that women were only there to feed, breed, and clean, that any people who were unlike the majority were slaves and were forced to work for little gain.

They were also the bigots that thought that homosexuality was not love, even though gays and lesbians were often in relationships that lasted longer than most heterosexual ones! Love is love, regardless of whoever it is between, so why should someone mistreat another because they preferred the touch of another of the same sex than the touch of the opposite one? It was hypocrisy! Gays and lesbians could not show their affection in public without being tormented, but heterosexuals could do whatever they wanted! Even adding to the hypocrisy was Alex, everyone knew that he was horny for Spyro, yet he still denied homosexual relationships, he was in denial of his own sexuality! If he would only accept the liberal view on things, he could be free and open about his love for Spyro, and nobody would say anything harmful to him or the dragon about it, because they would all understand. He wouldn't need to pretend his love for Spyro didn't exist! Another amusing aspect, the right-wing loons were also the ones that rejected love between a human and an animal. Although the liberals also were harsh on this idea, as long as the animal wasn't harmed, why shouldn't a human be able to mate with it? It didn't make sense, why couldn't they accept the way the world was becoming? Why did they have to provide this needless, senseless rebellion? If only they would have accepted the progressive views of society, this war would have never happened to begin with, and now they were playing the victims! The victims were the _Maxia_, who were only trying to bring peace to society by ridding the world of a menace that sought only blood and violence to defend aged views that defended abuse and violence, as well as unfair treatment, racism, and sexism.

Anything that happened to the Terminator Militia was deserved, and they would get theirs, of this, Chris was certain, and he slept peacefully that night with this idea in mind.

Piermont landed just outside of the bunker. Already the night crew had gathered there, suited up and ready for action. The Commander quickly briefed them on their mission that night and abruptly sent them off before he and Piermont went inside, sneaking into the large room where already the day shift was asleep, and they climbed into bed, falling asleep almost instantly as they dreamed of the battle currently going on.

The Hornet carrying Spyro and the night crew emerged from the vortex above the darkened New York City. The city was entirely pitch black, illuminated only by the glow of the fires and the occasional explosion. The power had long since been knocked out, and in the heat of battle, no one had gotten around to restoring it. The vehicle landed in the middle of the street in the defined safe zone. As it hovered low to the ground, its passengers disembarked, and the vehicle took off once more into the skies, flying away before it was shot down by _Maxia _anti-aircraft somewhere in the city.

The LZ was full of soldiers fighting off _Maxian _infantry who were attacking in waves. "Commander!" one of the Terminator soldiers asked, running up to Alpha Company and ducking as an explosion took out a nearby building, "Sir! We need your help in repelling these troops so we can move on to our destination!"

The night shift brought down the infantry with relative ease, and a major, hailing from Delta Company, dashed up to them, "Alpha Company! It's good to see you guys! Our destination is a max-security prison about seven or eight blocks up the street, but, as you can see, this whole area is crawling with _Maxian _infantry, if you can help us take these bastards down, we should be able to get to the prison soon so we can liberate the POWs being held there."

"What are our prisoners?" Spyro asked.

"Mostly civilians who had been kidnapped during the initial raid on the city, but I think we do have a few soldiers in there. Either way, we need to clear it out and get those people to New Alexandria for safekeeping. That's what the day shift was doing all today, and that's what we've been doing, we've already cleared out five prisons around the city, but we don't know how many more there are."

"Lead the way, Major."

"Yes, sir," and the officer addressed the crowd of grunts, "Listen up! We need to make this smooth, quick, and efficient. Forget about stealth or black operations shit, just get in there, take down any resistance, and free those prisoners! We need to get them to the LZ about four miles southeast by daybreak, so let's get moving!"

"URA!" the crowd replied, and they charged up the street, lead by the night shift.

Enemy count was thick in the paths leading up to their target, but it was largely infantry, already exhausted by the previous day's events, and the squadron of Terminators managed to clear the way to the prison at little cost to their own numbers. By the time they arrived at the prison, it was already a hot zone as other rescue squads had engaged the heavy number of defenders. The prison also looked as if it had sustained a lot of damage by artillery barrages and bombers, as the foot-thick concrete walls were badly damaged, and the skeletal remains of machines of war lay strewn about. Fires burned around the yard, the compound was full of twisted heaps of scrap metal, and a barricade had been set up by they _Maxia_, fashioned from debris and chunks of road and k-rail, topped with barbed wire. There were HMG nests on every floor, and the fortification was crawling with snipers.

As soon as the night crew had arrived, Alpha Company had charged in, not seeking cover as they slaughtered the defenders that were dug in deep within the concrete walls. Despite the heavy shelling that the building was sustaining, it was amazingly structurally sound and resistant to much of the attacks, being a maximum security prison, nobody was surprised, however. In a way nearly identical to the day crew's actions earlier that day, dragons and riders from Beta Company rained hell and fire from the skies while the ground-based crews surrounded the building and moved in. Within an hour, they had managed to fight their way to the front gates of the prison, but they were met with an obstacle. The _Maxia _had barricaded the door, meaning that another mode of entry was needed. Spyro then led the units to the south side of the building, where shelling had left a large breach in the prison yard's walls. They charged into the prison through the breach, using the debris for cover as they made short work of the _Maxia _soldiers stationed here.

As the moon peaked, they breached the actual building, flooding into the cell blocks as they cleared out the remaining soldiers and began liberating the prisoners. Spyro, Cynder, Terrias, and Aria made a rush to the front of the building, neutralizing the MG nests while a small squad that had come with them began to clear away the barricade. By the time the MG nests were neutralized, Spyro and his quartet emerged from the second story and into the lobby, where their squad had cleared up the last of the debris and forced open the doors. Immediately, Terminator units charged into the building, heading to the _Maxia_-occupied cell blocks as they drove the remaining defenders out of the compound.

As the sky began to lighten, the night shift regrouped with the prisoners and the rest of the units sent to break the siege on the compound in the front prison yard.

"Okay!" Spyro began, addressing the crowd, "We have less than two hours before we reach our deadline, that's less than two hours to reach our EVAC point. So this is what we're gonna do! The _Maxia _have a staging yard four or five blocks to our north. We are gonna cripple their staging yard and commandeer a few vehicles so we can get everyone to the LZ before time's up. Without further ado, let's move out!"

"URA!" the crowd cheered, and Terrias and Aria opened the prison gates as the crowd moved out and onto the street. The sprinted their way to the staging yard, evading or eliminating _Maxia _patrols as they quickly made their way to their new destination. As the sun began to rise on the horizon, they arrived, making short work of the soldiers here as the demolitions crews brought down as many machines as they could. Soon, the entire lot was under control, and they climbed into several jeeps and APCs as they busted through the gates, beginning their run through the streets and towards the evacuation point.

Minutes before they reached their deadline, the LZ was in sight, but was under heavy fire from _Maxian _infantry. It was not difficult to bring down last of the defenders, and Spyro soon tossed the green smoke grenade to the ground, signaling for the Hornets to land. The wounded were first loaded on, and as the first wave of Hornets, carrying the wounded, left towards New Alexandria, they held the zone until the next wave had arrived, taking the rest of the passengers. Those left, and the Terminators continued to hold the landing zone until the third and final wave arrived, taking the soldiers away. As New York City grew smaller and smaller, Spyro smiled, exhausted, and he turned to Cynder, "We did well, Cyn."

"Yes we did, love," she said, nuzzling against her mate and falling asleep almost instantly.

"Now it's Alex's turn..." and he too fell asleep.

**-Outside Ponyville, Equestria-**

**-_08 July 2012_-**

**-_0715 Hours_-**

Rainbow Dash slept soundly and peacefully, despite the battle going on a quarter of a mile away. She was in her cloud palace, high up in the sky, and the sounds of the battle raging below went unheard. What awoke her was the sound of jet planes as they sped past. Annoyed, she stepped outside and onto her balcony, watching as fighters and bombers kept flying past her castle. "Great!" she said, "Just great! Why do the stupid dogfights have to happen here?" she groaned as she jumped into the air, flying down to where the aerial battle was going on. She chased the aircraft away, irritated at the interruption. First this ridiculous, worldwide battle, and now dogfights occurring all around Cloudsdale. "Hey!" she roared, "Get out of here! Take the fight somewhere else!" and she slapped the hull of one of the fighters, grumbling as it flew off.

A strange, drone-like noise filled the air, and, surprised, she turned to see five black gunships arrive, their wing-mounted miniguns blazing.

"Whoa!" she roared, quickly speeding away and dodging the streams of bullets as the gunships chased her, commencing an aerial pursuit. She flew as fast as she could, but those machines were incredibly quick and agile, somehow managing to keep up with her speed. She made a hairpin turn and back towards Ponyville, diving and flying beneath the machines. They turned with relative ease, following her as their mounted guns opened fire again, and she found it difficult to avoid the blast. The gunships were strafing left and right, as well as up and down, trying to shoot her out of the sky.

She shot straight up and high into the clouds, hiding within them as she slowed and merely flapped her wings to keep a static glide. Her cyan fur blended in well with the sky, it was only her rainbow-colored mane and tail that might pose a problem. She heard the drone of the _Maxian _gunships, and she held her breath, hoping that they would fly away. After a few minutes, the drone faded away, and the pony, sighing in relief, flew away and back towards her palace, hoping that her actions had moved the dogfights somewhere else.

As she emerged from the cloud, her face adopted a stricken look, and she yelled, "Oh no!"

The dogfights were right on top of her palace, and as the planes were shot out of the sky, she watched as the battle decimated Cloudsdale. She was infuriated now, and finally snapping, she dropped out of the sky like a stone, roaring in anger as she leveled off mere feet off of the ground. A _Maxian _and Terminator tank division were clashing on the crater-laden battlefield, and Rainbow-Dash, wanting only revenge for the destruction of the home that had taken her a week of hard work to shape, joined in the fight, doing everything she could to obliterate the battling tanks, regardless of affiliation. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she could hear the drone of the gunship engines, and she turned just in time to see the black machines reappear. She flew away, the machines following her. She flew faster, and still the machines somehow caught up with her. Flattening herself out to make her more aerodynamic, she went as fast as she could, nearing the speed of sound, and with a colorful explosion and a sonic rainboom, managed to finally increase the shrinking distance between her and the machines. After she had lost them, she turned back, heading to Ponyville, hoping to find one of her friends there so that they could figure out what to do.

As she arrived on the outskirts of Ponyville, she could see that the massive stone wall the Terminators had constructed following the forging of their alliance with Equestria was near destroyed. The _Maxian _tanks were moving quickly, and were already breaching the walls and into Ponyville. It was obvious that the militia was trying desperately to repel the enemy tanks and to defend the town, but things were not looking good. There were hundreds of tanks, and much of the Terminator force here was basic infantry. Adding to that, there was little hope for reinforcements, as the worldwide war had scattered and strained Terminator forces. Deciding she would try to help Equestria's allies as much as possible, she turned her attention to bringing down the rolling tanks. Suddenly, however, pain and an incredible, searing heat surged through her side, and she went down, crash landing on the ramparts of the destroyed wall. Dazed, she looked around, spying where blood was flowing from a wound across her flank. The shell had done little more than scrape against the side of her body, but blood was still flowing, quite profusely, and she panicked, fearing that she would die.

As her vision began to clear, she saw one of the Terminator soldiers divert his attention away from the anti-aircraft gun he was firing, and he climbed out, running to the pony's side and asking, "Are you alright?"

She nodded, and she cried out in disapproval as the man touched her wound.

"Don't worry," he said, "I won't hurt you."

She watched as he began to glow a bright blue, and he touched her injuries. A strange tickling sensation spread itself across her wound, and he said, "Whatever you do, don't itch."

She tried to fight off the feeling, but it was difficult, and right when she thought that she could be unable to keep from scratching, the tickling sensation faded away into immense bliss and comfort.

The glow around him faded away, and he said, "There."

"What did you do?" she asked, astounded, standing and observing her side. The wound was gone, as was the blood.

"I healed you."

"Thank you..."

He nodded as he ran back to the artillery gun, taking his position once more and rejoining the firefight. Without another sound, Rainbow Dash rose into the air, speeding off towards the apple orchard that one of her friends called home, and was seeing an onslaught of _Maxian _tanks approaching.

The sun rose above the world, and the night shift landed just outside of the bunker entrance deep within the mountains west of the city. The guards nodded at them and opened the blast door, allowing the night shift to walk inside from the hot, arid mountain air and into the cool, damp hanger air. They walked across the empty hanger, wandering through several labyrinthine corridors, and to the door leading into the room Alpha Company was sharing. After bypassing the bio scanner, they entered, meeting the day shift who were already awake and preparing for the day.

"Mission success?" Alex asked.

"Yes, sir," Spyro said with a nod, "We're done here, your turn."

"So," Piermont began as he and Alex flew over New Alexandria, waiting for the rest of the day shift to leave the bunker and head out to their next destination, "Where do we head next?"

"I don't know, Pierre, I assume we're just on miscellaneous missions. The whole damn country is seeing this invasion, there's plenty that needs liberated...speak of the devil," and Alex tapped his earpiece, "What's up, Elliot?"

"Alex, I need you to head on over to the 'burbs, we need to clear out civilians held there and try to retake 'em from the _Maxia_."

Alex smiled in victory at his dragon, who only bowed and shook his head, "Perfect timing, Elliot! Give us the city and state, and we'll be over there ASAP."

"Well aren't _you _chirpy today. Anyway, your target is about fifty miles south of DC...or what's left of it. It's a little modern town known as 'Manchester', we have a base there...so you might need to see if any of our southern friends need help."

"On it."

"I know you are, Commander. Elliot, over and out."

"Where to again? Just for confirmation?" Piermont asked..

"Manchester, Virginia, tiny suburb about fifty miles south of what's left of the Necropolis. Everyone hear that?" Alex asked through his earpiece radio.

"Yes, sir," came the replies of Alpha Company.

"Ura!" Piermont yelled in joy, and in a flash of bright blue light, the emerald dragon disappeared.

-**Solitude, Skyrim-**

**-**_**08 July 2012**_**-**

**-**_**0722 Hours**_**-**

"Jarl Ulfric!"

"Yes, Stormblade?"

The _Dovahkiin_ was out of breath, "They have completely surrounded our city, and they're breaching our walls. Our men can't hold them off for much longer."

"We can _not _let them break through our walls! We must hold the city at all cost!"

"Sir," a Stormcloak messenger cried out, running up to them, "Reports from all the Holds of Skyrim, they are breaching the walls and wasting the cities. We've already lost Riften and Winterhold, and they're rolling into Dawnstar and Falkreath as we speak!"

"How are the other capitals?"

"Whiterun and Windhelm are holding them off...but not for long."

"And Markarth?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Damn it! We can _not _let this happen! We need to reinforce the cities that are still under our control, and take back the cities that have fallen!"

"Our military is outmatched, outmanned, and outgunned. Already our forces are stressed to the breaking point, we don't have the men to spare!"

"Where are they even coming from?"

"All over the place, sir. They seem to have a major staging yard in Cyrodiil, in either Bruma, Chorrol, or Cheydinhall, and maybe as far south as the Imperial City."

"Of course, the Imperial capital of Tamriel!"

"But it's not just the Imperials, sir," Dante Stormblade replied, "Reports from our allies all over the world are speaking that this is a worldwide affair, and it seems that the _Maxia_ Regime are behind it all."

"Of course they are."

"Perhaps forging an alliance with the Terminator Militia was a bad idea, sir?" the messenger interrupted, "They seem to be the cause of all of this turmoil."

"They have helped us in more ways than one, an alliance is the least we can do to repay them. Without them, our _coup d'etat _wouldn't have been successful and the Aldmeri Dominion would still rule Skyrim."

"What should we do, Jarl?" Dante asked.

He sighed before he said, "Start issuing orders to the other holds, begin evacuating the citizens and the other Jarls."

"Even in Solitude, sir?"

"Yes, I will not leave, I will die defending my homeland, but there is no sense in endangering the civilians or the other Jarls."

"How will we get them out? The Imperials and the _Maxia_ have the Holds locked tight."

The Jarl of Windhelm thought for a few moments before replying, "Stormblade, how are your relations with the Greybeards?"

"I haven't spoken to them since Alduin's defeat..."

"Perhaps you can get them, and that dragon of theirs, to help us evacuate."

"I will send for Odahviing."

"Good," and the aging Jarl watched as his lieutenant ran off.

-**Canterlot, Equestria**-

-_**08 July 2012**_**-**

**-**_**0731 Hours**_**-**

"Princess Celestia!" a palace guard cried, running in.

"Yes, Guard?" the regal princess replied, staring out at the battle occurring on the outskirts of Ponyville.

"The _Maxia_ are tearing through our defenses and have begun their march up to Canterlot! What should we do?"

"What of the Terminators?"

"They aren't holding them off, there are just too many of them and not enough defenders, worst of all, none of our civilians are trained or experienced in combat, so they can't help in the defense!"

"We need to speed up evacuations, I don't want casualties lost...how many civilians are estimated as slain?"

"None as far as we're concerned, but there are innumerable amounts of bits in damages!"

"Hurry and get the innocents out of here!"

"What of yourself, Princess?"

"We need to leave as well, we can leave the city to the defenders and hope that they can stop the advance, but we can't risk endangering our citizens."

"Where shall we send them, Your Majesty?"

"New Alexandria, as we have been...it's the safest place for them."

"I will alert the other guards, Princess," and the guard left.

"What shall we do, Celestia?" Luna asked, walking up to her bigger sister.

"There is nothing we _can _do, Princess Luna, except do what we've been doing."

"Are we really going to abandon Canterlot and Equestria?"

"We can't risk it, and if the soldiers stationed here are struggling to hold the city, there is too much at stake."

"Not even you and I are staying?"

"Neither of us know how to fight, Luna, and I don't mean to sound stuck-up, but endangering the royal family is as bad as endangering our citizens."

"What will become of us..." and the black pony sounded depressed.

"Nothing, if we do what we're going to do."

Luna then stood beside her sister, looking out the window, "Why? Why attack us? What did we ever do to anybody?"

"I don't believe we did anything..."

"Could it possibly be related to our alliance with the Terminator Militia? Especially considering that what we are seeing marching towards the palace are the oppressive _Maxia _Regime?"

"I hope not...but I guess we can't rule out that very real possibility."

"Let's just hope we can hold the city."

"Even if we can't, I'm sure the Great Commander would do anything he could to ensure that peace is safely restored to Equestria."

"I wish I had the same hopes and expectations, but he's a dog of war."

"Not of his own choice, I know of his origins, and he did _not _choose this path for him."

"It was chosen for him?"

"Yes."

"How?"

And the white princess closed her eyes, "It is a long, tragic story, one of which, we do not have time to tell."

"I hope you are right..."

"As do I...but I am not worried. If we lose the city, I find comfort in the belief that they tried their very best."

"I wish I had as much faith as you."

"You will, once you grow used to them."

"Once more, I hope you are right..."

And the princess only nodded as they continued their stare out the window, watching as the world they knew came down around them, and knowing that there was nothing they could do to stop it.

Around the world, the battled raged on and on...

_To Be Continued..._


	17. Chapter XVI: The Way the World Ends IV

_**Chapter XVI**_**:**

**-''The Way the World Ends, Pt. IV: Bridge Over Burning Waters''-**

**-Manchester, Virginia-**

**-_08 July 2012_-**

**-_0749 Hours_-**

The day crew of Alpha Company emerged over the burning suburb. The _Maxia _were already dug in and had a firm hold in both the suburb as well as the nearby city, but Alex was sent with a mission, and he was intending to complete it successfully. "Piermont! Let's land!"

"Yes, sir!" Piermont roared, and he landed abruptly on the ground, spewing fire at the wave of approaching infantry. Alex climbed off of his beast, revealing his AK47 as he loaded it and began his charge up the street.

"Ura!" he cried, unleashing a spray of fire as several _Maxian _soldiers went down almost immediately.

_Commander, _Piermont thought telepathically at his rider, _I will meet you up the street, I'm going to fly ahead and char some of these bastards_.

_Okay_, the Commander thought back, _Be careful, Piermont_.

_You, too, Alex._

And the dragon flew away.

"Commander," Rudolph began, running up to his CO's side, "Where should we go first?"

"Rudy, I want you heading back and start clearing some of those houses behind us, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Crash, I want you guys to start branching off to surrounding streets. Cheet, Rapid, you and I are together, mate."

"Yes, sir," and the skunk loaded and cocked his AK47s, and Cheet roared.

"As for the rest of you, do whatever the hell you want, just stay out of our fire."

"Yes, sir," they all replied in unison.

"Okay, let's move out!"

As soon as they charged onto the street, _Maxian _soldiers began to flood out of the buildings, rushing towards Alpha Company as Alex and his two companions immediately ran for cover. They eventually leaped behind a destroyed car as the HMG rounds from the _Maxian_ soldiers using the buildings at the end of the street for cover as they fired from the windows. "Commander," Cheet asked, "What the hell are we supposed to do now?"

"Well I dunno, Cheet, what _are _we supposed to do," the Commander asked his friend and companion with a laugh.

"I presume we move up the street and take down those damn HMGs?"

"You are entirely correct, Lieutenant."

"Of bloody course," and the cheetah grumbled.

"Well? Enough chat! Let's move out already!"

"What about those guns?" Rapid asked, "We go out now, we become Swiss cheese, simple as that."

"Then take 'em down, General!" and Alex laughed, "On my word!"

They waited a few moments as the bullets whizzed around them.

"Ready? Covering fire!" and he opened fire from his AK47.

Rapid suddenly leaped up, grabbing his own AK47 as he joined in the firefight, wiping out the _Maxian _soldiers inside the building. Within seconds the hail of gunfire from the soldiers ceased to exist, and signing it was okay, the trio moved out.

It was eerily silent on the streets, and Alex said, "Remember! Watch out for snipers!"

"It's too quiet," Rapid began, "I don't like it..."

"Neither do I, General," Alex replied, "Neither do I...that's why we need to be careful."

"Sir, yes sir," and they crawled towards the building where the gunners had been.

After several minutes of sneaking through the empty, windy streets, Alex stopped abruptly, raising a hand and signing for the others to stop as well.

"What's wrong, Alex?" Cheet asked.

"Shh!" Alex hissed, "Stay quiet!"

"What-?"

But Alex held a finger up to the skunk, as he crawled, slowly, into an alley on the side of the street, and into the brush swaying in the breeze. The two followed him, also ducking inside the safety of the bush. "Okay," Alex whispered, "We have soldiers around here..."

"How do you know?" Rapid whispered back.

"I could see the sun reflecting off of the barrels of their guns, they are right above us."

"Holy shit!" Cheet hissed, "What do we do?"

"Hide here...stay quiet, and get down!"

They immediately went prone as the sound of approaching footsteps rang through the air. They stayed in place, not moving, and watched as three _Maxia _tanks, as well as fifty infantry walked past them, guns raised and ready to fire.

_They're looking for us..._ Alex thought to his teammates, _God I hope the others sense them before they are seen first._

_What do we do? _Rapid asked, one of the tanks and a dozen soldiers had stopped right in front of them while the others kept moving.

_Stay here,stay quiet, they'll get bored and pass eventually_.

_I never was one for patience..._ Rapid began, _Bad memories of us three on missions alone._

_What? _Cheet asked.

_Remember October of 2002?_

_Oh shit, _the cheetah began, _Right, a few days before you were killed. It was us three, hiding and waiting for No-Tongue._

_Precisely, _the skunk began_, My time in death did nothing to get rid of my impatience, but I agree with Alex, wait for them to pass, then move out. We can't take them all right now_.

-**Ponyville, Equestria**-

-_**08 July 2012**_**-**

**-**_**0800 Hours**_**-**

"Applejack!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she swiftly landed amidst the apple orchards. The Apple family themselves were watching as the _Maxian _tanks appeared beyond the horizon, growing ever closer as they rolled down the hill, now less than a mile away.

"Rainbow! What in blazes are you doin' down here?"

"These..._Maxia _morons are everywhere! They destroyed Cloudsdale _and _shot me!"

"Ya'all okay Rainbow Dash?"

"This needs to end! Now!"

"I agree, but there's nothin' we can do 'bout it. The Terminators are tryin' their hardest, and I'll be darned if they don't succeed."

"They won't if the _Maxia_ destroys them!"

"What I'm tryin' to understand is, what's the purpose with attackin' the farm and Ponyville? The hay did _we _ever do to them!?"

"I think it's because we're allies with the Terminators..."

"Now that's just crazy! Just because we sympathize with 'em makes us bad guys? Now that just doesn't make a lick o' sense."

"Look out!" Apple Bloom, Applejack's sister, yelled, "They're here! They're here!"

"Hiya!" Rainbow Dash roared, engaging and attack the tanks as they approached.

From behind the farm, the sound of more tank engines filled the air.

"Oh no! They're tryin' to surround us!" Applejack cried out.

However, when the tanks appeared from behind the trees, the insignia painted on them was not the bull's head of the _Maxia _Regime...it was the Terminator Eagle. "Terminators!" Apple Bloom roared, "We're saved!"

"Not yet we ain't!" Applejack said, and she and Rainbow Dash charged towards the tanks, dodging the bullets and rounds as they struggled to fend off the invasion force. The battle was quick, and soon, the _Maxia _tanks were on the retreat, obviously seeing that the apple orchard and farm was not worth losing lives to take over.

"They're retreating!" Rainbow Dash roared, "Oh yeah! We're bad to the bone!"

"Hey Dash," Applejack began, smiling slyly, "Whaddya say we chase 'em down and give 'em the ol' what for!"

"I'm game, let's kick some _Maxia _butt!" and the two ponies chased after the tanks, half of the defending tanks controlled by the Terminators following them as they ensured the _Maxia _did in fact pull away from the area, and also ensuring the safety of the ponies who were risking their lives to defeat the invading force.

-**San Francisco, California**-

-_**08 July 2012**_**-**

-_**0820**__**Hours**_**-**

"Incoming!" a soldier cried as several troops hit the ground. A plane, massive fireball trailing behind it, flew mere feet overhead before it crashed into a nearby building, causing it to collapse into the street, burying several Terminator tanks and infantry beneath the rubble.

"Shit!" a sergeant roared, "Private Gonzalez! Get your ass over here!"

The young private scrambled out of the way of the falling pieces of building as they slammed into the street and a dust cloud obscured the street. "Sergeant," the radio of the squad leader went off, "We are encountering heavy resistance on the Golden Gate, if we don't get aide over here, we will lose it!"

"Unfortunately, Captain, we're pinned down approximately ten miles south of your position, until we get clear of this, you will have to hold position and wait for our arrival."

"God dammit, Sergeant!"

"We're on our way, sir," and he turned to his troops, "C'mon! Let's head on over to the bridge!"

The sergeant's radio was suddenly full of frantic cries and grim announcements, "We're losing the city!"

"We don't have any chance!"

"Somebody! Anybody! Send help! We're losing men left and right!"

"Sir," Private Gonzalez began, walking up to his CO, "What should we do, sir? The _Maxia _are gaining more ground than we're getting back."

With a grim look, the sergeant replied, "We have no choice...we need to call in Alpha Company, without them, we're losing the city. I understand that they are probably doing more important things at the moment...but we're lost without them."

"Yes, sir."

"I'll make the call, get back on that damn HMG."

"Yes, sir," and the private ran off.

With a heavy sigh, the sergeant called into his radio, "Command, this is First Sergeant Don Callahan from the 104th Infantry Division of Epsilon Company, the _Maxia _are advancing quickly on our position, and if we don't get reinforcements soon, we will lose San Francisco to them, over."

"Sergeant Callahan, we have received your distress call, HQ is locked up tight in Los Angeles, but we will send troops your way immediately, over and out."

"What should we do, sir?" the private asked.

"We keep on fighting."

"Okay!" Alex began, signing to his companions, "Let's move out!"

Laying prone, he crawled out of cover, peeking out around the alley where the tank, now several blocks behind them, turned left on the street heading to the city. They stood up, Alex brushing the dust off of his uniform, "Now ain't that one helluva sight to see..." Rapid began, nodding ahead.

A single American flag, on the flag pole, blew in the breeze, but it was riddled with bullet holes and shredded. All around them, in the dark maroon skies, black parachutes from the _Maxian_ deployments slowly drifted down, there were hundreds, if not thousands of parachutes. The streets were cracked and aflame, twisted metal scraps of destroyed cars, vans, trucks, and APCs littered the area. The modular homes seemed largely intact, save a few busted windows and obvious signs of a hurried evacuation.

"Jesus..." Cheet began, "Kinda fills you with a sense of dread, y'know."

"A clear sign that America has truly fallen..." Alex said, his voice sad and tired.

"God have mercy on our souls."

"It pisses me off..." Alex hissed, "The damn _Maxia_ can't at least try to accept us. Instead, they want..._this_! All of this! How many lives must end before the _Maxia_ end the war!?"

"They won't end the war, Commander," Rapid began, "You know that. If the war is to end, _we _need to be the ones that end it."

"Sometimes I wonder if it would just be easier to surrender...or nuke them."

Both Rapid and Cheet shook their heads, "No," the cheetah began, "It would affect us as well. All we can do is keep up what we've _been _doing. What happens will happen, we just need to keep on trucking until the end, and surrendering...that's what they want us to do. If you surrender now, everything we have done since our founding will be for naught! All of the lives that have been lost since the dawn of the war, all will have ended for nothing. We can't surrender either."

"Well," and Alex took a few steps forward, "We're sitting ducks right now, we need to get off the streets, clear out the suburbs, and then make way to our next destination."

"I wonder when this will end..."

"I don't know, Cheet," the Commander began, reloading and cocking his weapon, "C'mon, we have work to do."

"URA!" Rapid cried.

"_URA_!" Alex and the cheetah replied, and they dashed forward, engaging the _Maxia_ on the street. "Take them down!" the Commander ordered, "They're in the houses!"

Rapid and Cheet, using the destroyed vehicles for cover, fired upon the homes and into the windows, taking down the _Maxia_ within, and gunning down the soldiers as they sped out of the houses. "Tanks!" Cheet cried, and Alex and Rapid saw as two beige tanks quickly turned a corner ahead of them, dusty turrets spinning as the shining barrels took aim on the three soldiers on the street.

"Get off the street!" Alex roared, "Quickly! Into the house! Keep your heads down!"

They dashed out of cover, into the yard of the sage-green house to their left and they leaped over the small, three-foot-tall picket fence, running into the backyard. Around the corner of the street behind the house, two more _Maxian _tanks emerged to their right, and two Terminator tanks arrived from their left. The two machines exchanged fire, and the three members of Alpha Company, slipped inside the back door and into the house. The floors were made of cheap wood, the curtains were lace, and the kitchen floor was littered with cans and boxes of food. They ran into the living room, finding the black leather couch and seat shot up and riddled with bullet holes. The flat screen television inside a cheap entertainment center was broken and shot, and the bay window seat was drenched in the blood of a dead _Maxia _grunt who was leaning against it, amidst hundreds of empty machine gun shells, several empty belts, and several ammo cans. The actual M240 itself was mounted in the busted out window, unused.

"Scavenge the nest, see if you can find any rounds," Alex ordered, "Grab the gun if you can."

His two companions rushed forward, running to the neutralized nest while Alex wandered into the adjacent hallway and bedroom, peeking out through the still-closed blinds. The tanks were just sitting on the street, either oblivious to the Terminator tanks still exchanging fire with the _Maxia_ machines on the opposite of the house, waiting for Alpha Company to emerge, or waiting for the Terminator tanks to roll into their line of sight. "Anything?" Alex called out, letting the curtain drop back as he turned to face the door into the hallway between the living room and the bedroom, listening out for his companions.

Rapid jogged in, "Nothing, they have about half a belt left, but the gun is all fucked up, no use taking it."

"Dammit."

"Are they still out there?"

"Yes, but they're just sitting there, I have no clue what they're waiting for."

Rapid shrugged, "As long as they aren't shooting at us, I'm happy. Our big issue is hoping that they don't decide to encircle us. One of our guys is already a pile of flaming scrap, and the other is smoking. If there are more tanks in the area, and they decide to surround us, bud, we're fucked. All we have is this house and the storm shelter below us, and _that _entrance takes us outside and around to the side of the house again."

"Any explosives in here?"

"Nope, unless the _Maxia _hid 'em someplace. We need to get out of here, and soon."

"Until those tanks blocking our way either leave or are wiped out, we aren't going anywhere."

"What about that road behind us? I couldn't see where the _Maxia _tanks were, but if one of our guys is still standing there, and _not _firing, I assume that they brought down those two tanks."

"Send Cheet out there to check it out...he's the fastest of us, obviously."

"Yes, sir."

"And tell him to be careful!"

"Yes, sir," and the skunk left.

Under his breath, he said to himself, "Great, now we just need to get these fuckers outta here and we can move on with our lives," and he lifted the corner of the curtain again, peering out and staring at the two idling tanks.

Sergeant Callahan moved quickly, his squad behind them as they ran to an intersection where an armor-plated Humvee was waiting to take them to the Golden Gate. "Mount up!" he ordered, "Quickly now!"

Everyone on board, he nodded towards the driver, who had been outside, giving them cover, and he himself climbed in. The driver quickly shut the door, running around to the other side of the vehicle as he climbed in, shifted the vehicle into drive, and sped off down the road. "Sergeant!" he ordered, "Grab that gun!"

Callahan nodded as he undid his seat belt, standing through the opening in the roof and grabbing the 30 caliber machine gun up there.

"Cover us! We're steering into the hot zone!"

"Yes, sir," the sergeant replied as he took aim at the various _Maxian _soldiers in the streets and the buildings, gunning them down with a series of bursts from the machine gun. Meanwhile, the Humvee fishtailed and swerved through the streets, avoiding debris as well as barricades as they rushed to the Golden Gate, looming in the distance. "Incoming! _Maxian _APCs! Gun 'em down, Sergeant!" the driver called.

Callahan spied two APCs sitting alongside the curb, surrounded by _Maxian _infantry, as well as a machine gun nest, and two mortar cannons. "Take 'em out, Sarge!"

With several short bursts, he brought down the mortar and machine gun crews, and he let loose a hail of bullets upon the APCs. Sparks flew from the machines, and he gunned down the soldiers that tried to grab the mounted cannon. After a minute of continuous fire, the first exploded in a ball of flame, and the second exploded almost immediately after.

"Excellent!" the driver said with a laugh, "Keep it up, Sarge! We're five minutes out!"

"Look out!" one of the Humvee's passengers cried out, and a plane crashed into a skyscraper, about fifteen to twenty floors up, immediately ahead of them. Chunks of glass, concrete, and steel fell onto the street, and the tan dust cloud drifted downward, obscuring the view of the street ahead. Sergeant Callahan coughed at the dust and wrapped a bandanna around his mouth and nose, pulling on his goggles as he continued his hail of fire. Out of the dust, like spirits out of a foggy night, the _Maxia _charged at them, some scattering, some running and firing upon them. Callahan made short work of the troops he saw, and soon, they were through the dust and in the heart of the city. They slowed at an intersection as Callahan brought down two _Maxian _tanks that were being used as a barricade. "You got FMJ rounds," the driver began, "You should be able to take 'em out."

The left street of the intersection was blocked by a mound of broken concrete, twisted steel, and broken glass, the remains of a skyscraper that had fallen, blocking the road. The street to their right was blockaded with several large blocks of concrete, topped with barbed wire and containing two M240s which were quickly dispatched. The road ahead was at least a foot higher than the road they were on now, obviously the intersection had collapsed in. Once the tanks were destroyed, the driver turned to face Callahan, "Better brace yourself, Sarge, we're in for a bumpy ride!"

Quickly shifting the large vehicle into drive, the driver pressed the accelerator all the way to the floor as the Humvee, in a cloud of smoke, surged forward, hitting the raised section of road and leaping into the air. It crashed to the ground, bouncing two or three times before roaring forward. He fishtailed the curve, now heading towards the shore. Harshly turning left, he followed the shore, ahead, the Golden Gate bridge, looking the worse for wear, loomed directly ahead. Fireballs went off all around it, a result of the dogfights above it, and the harsh combat on the bridge. The music of _Nebelwerfers_ blended with the harsh roar of Howitzers, and smoke trails arched across the bridge as the _Maxian _armor and artillery fired across the waterway and at the Terminators' machines, who, in turn, exchanged fire.

"Keep your head down, Sarge," the driver warned, "We're entering sniper alley now."

The sergeant fell back into the Humvee, sitting in his seat once again as he closed the hatch. The muffled sound of metal-on-metal accompanied by the crack of sniper rifles, and the tinkle of bullet proof glass, filled the small, surprisingly cramped cab. The Golden Gate Bridge, a brilliant fiery orange, still loomed on the horizon, and it didn't appear that they were drawing any closer to it. Several of the cables suspending the bridge had snapped, and even from here, they could tell that chunks of the actual road and bridge were missing, having fallen into the torrential waters below. Flames fed along the expanse, the skeletal remains of vehicles, both civilian and military, littered the entire expanse, providing flaming pieces of cover for the soldiers fighting on the actual bridge.

"Oh shit!" the driver roared, and he quickly turned the screeching Humvee as it sharply pulled off a left-hand turn. A nearby explosion on the road ahead caused a large chunk of the street as well as several building facades, to sink into the water beneath them. "Not going that way!" the driver called, and he hammered the accelerator down again as they roared up the street until the next open intersection, where he turned right and headed towards the bridge. After seven or eight blocks, he turned right again, heading towards the water, and once he was on the road again, he turned left, continuing towards the bridge, now much closer. It towered over them, and the Humvee turned left again to find the street leading to where the Terminator-owned artillery was positioned just at the base of the bridge.

The sergeant wormed his way to the shotgun seat and he sat down, drumming his fingers on the console as he looked out, searching for any _Maxian _squads that could intercept the vehicle. When he began to notice that this area of the street was amazingly clean and free of debris, he barely noticed the rising sun shining off of thin wire... "IEDs!" he roared, and the driver hammered on the brakes...but it was too late.

The Humvee struck a mine, lifting into the air and spinning twice before crashing back down, upside down and rolling several hundred yards forward, through the field of IEDs, and finally coming to a rest, upside down, in the heart of the street, approximately fifty yards east of the next intersection. It rested upside down, wheels spinning, and the passengers, dazed, clumsily felt around for their seatbelts. The sergeant found it, and depressed the button, he dropped down onto the car roof with a dull thud, and the sound of tinkling, crackling glass filled the air, as his heart beat heavily in his ears, and his vision was blurred. He crawled, slowly, across the overturned vehicle, sore, unaware of the cuts he was getting on his hand, and he managed to crawl out through the busted window, pulling himself onto the street as he turned onto his back and collapsed, staring up at the sky, dazed. One by one, the eleven men crammed into the vehicle pulled themselves out, all it similar condition to Sergeant Callahan, bloodied, beat, sore, and dazed, but otherwise okay.

Only Private Gonzalez and the driver did not emerge from the vehicle, and peering inside the dark clutter of the overturned vehicle, Callahan could see the driver, hanging upside down, blood dripping from his head, a blood smear on the steering wheel, and on the dash and windshield. He appeared lifeless, and Callahan, groaning as he sat up, crawled over to the vehicle, placing his index and middle fingers to the driver's neck, no pulse, he was dead. Searching the vehicle, he found the private, Gonzalez, he wasn't strapped in, and his body laid, sprawled out, face down on the roof of the vehicle in a pile of broken glass. Blood dripped from his cut-up hands and arms, and he too was not moving. Checking his pulse, Callahan concluded that he, too, was dead.

He dug around the carnage for a few more minutes, finding their weapons which were laying every which way and about, and tossing them outside through the broken windows. As he crawled out of the wreckage, he stood up, grabbing his carbine as he ripped a piece of his undershirt off, wrapping it around his bloody, cut-open palms. He found his helmet, shaking it to dislodge glass as he shook his head, shaking out glass that had embedded itself in his disheveled black hair. Once his troops had recovered, he turned to them, saying, "Okay, the bridge isn't far now, let's go the rest of the way on foot, we're needed."

"What about Gonzalez and Wisconsin, sir?"

"Dead," Callahan replied, "C'mon, let's get to the bridge. Move out!"

"This way, Alex!" Rapid called, "Cheet says it's all clear, we can go around those damn tanks!"

"Let's go!" Alex roared, dashing out of the house and to where the surviving tank sat, now surrounded by six others, as well as fifty or so soldiers on foot.

The hatch in the smoking tank was thrown open, and two engineers clambered out, immediately beginning repairs. Reznov appeared, standing just inside the tank.

"Vik!" Alex said with a victorious roar, "Good to see you, my friend!"

"Likewise," the Russian replied, "We can continue on from here by ourselves, Commander, if you and the rest of Alpha Company would like to move on."

"We probably should..." Rapid said, and with a loud roar, Piermont landed beside them. The remainder of the day shift, looking tired but intent, appeared as well. Only Rudolph appeared to have been harmed, he had a shallow cut along his forehead that was bleeding.

"You okay, Lieutenant?" Alex asked.

The reindeer nodded, "I'm fine...just a flesh wound. Shockwave from a grenade."

Alex nodded, "Good, at least you are okay," he then stepped away, tapping his earpiece, "Elliot, Reznov's arrived...do you want us to move on to the next destination, or stay here and help take back the town?"

"Excellent!" Elliot began, "Just in the nick of time! I need you sons of bitches to haul your asses back down to San Francisco, we're in danger of losing the city."

"What? What's going on?"

"From what I've heard, there is heavy resistance in that area, especially the Golden Gate Bridge, I need you to try and get down there to defend the town, we can't lose it!"

Alex nodded, "On our way, sir."

"Hurry your ass up, Commander."

Alex turned to face his comrades, "Mission?" Sonic said expectantly.

Alex nodded, "Yes, we need to head on down to San Francisco, they need our help or they will lose the city."

"Sounds right up our alley!" Sonic roared, pumping his fist into the air.

"Hell yeah!" Tails said cheerily, "Let's kick some _Maxia _ass and show 'em what it means to be 'Merican!"

"URA!" Alpha Company chanted in unison, and the Commander's wing mounted up, taking to the skies as they circled once, Piermont roaring his goodbyes, and with a blast of yellow fire, he vanished in a flash of blue light. The ground-based members of the day shift began their swift sprint towards the street, and in several simultaneous flashes of blue light, they, too, vanished.

An electric blue sphere appeared in the air above San Francisco as Piermont shot out, accompanied by the rest of the Commander's wing. With a roar of announcement, the emerald, Martaanean dragon landed on the roof of an office building, perching on the edge of the skyscraper as he folded his wings and awaited the arrival of the rest of Alpha Company. Several moments later, several more smaller electric blue spheres appeared on the street, and the rest of the day shift shot out of the vortex, still in their swift, supernatural sprint. With another roar, Piermont spread his wings and leaped off of the building, free falling until he was near street level before finally leveling off ten feet above the ground and racing along the maze of streets, heading towards the bridge. The day shift managed to keep up with his speed, despite the fact that he had streamlined his body, enabling a speed of nearly one hundred miles an hour. Both the emerald dragon and his rider were clad in Daedric armor, and Spyro and Cynder, who were flying in figure eights and circles around Piermont's hulking mass, also wore Daedric armor, all sets crafted at the Skyforge when Alpha Company aided the Stormcloak Rebellion in the Battle for Whiterun earlier that year.

First Sergeant Donald James Callahan led his nine soldiers through the eerily empty streets of San Francisco, heading towards the Golden Gate Bridge, now less than a mile away. "We're almost there!" he called back, "Should only be a few minutes!"

A steady stream of 'yes sirs' emerged from the crowd as they continued their careful jog along the streets.

"Our rendezvous point is at the base of the bridge, where we have five of our _Nebelwerfers_ established. Be wary of any _Maxian _troops, I have no idea if they've engaged our guys on the bridge or not, all I know is that we _are _in the middle of a war zone, keep that in mind, folks."

Several moments later, they could begin to hear the unique sounds of the _Nebelwerfers_ firing, and as they turned right onto the next street, they saw the guns, ahead of them by a length less than that of a football field. A distant roar filled their ears, and Callahan raised a hand, stopping his team, "Shh..." he began, "Did you hear that?"

"The hell was that, Sarge?" a PFC asked.

"Don't know, Tuba, sounds like a dragon to me."

The PFC, nicknamed Tuba because of a rather obvious snoring problem he had, seemed worried, and he asked, "Beta Company's here?"

"Either Beta Company, the Commander's Wing, or _Maxian _Riders, I don't know."

"Sergeant Callahan!" emerged a voice from the battery, and a man, about mid to late thirties, wearing a beige uniform ran up to him.

"Captain Holloway!" Callahan said, walking up to his commanding officer, "What's going on with this damn bridge."

The two, friends for several years after meeting in a bar, walked alongside each other towards the battery and the bridge, "Well Don, the whole damn bridge is crawling with _Maxia_, and those damn Howitzers of theirs are driving our infantry and armor further back. We've been given orders by HQ to hold the bridge at all cost...problem is, I think we're fighting an uphill battle here. We're being driven back, and they're advancing on us, only a few feet at a time, but for chrissakes, at this rate, we'll be off the bridge by dusk. We have reinforcements set to arrive at any time, but Command hasn't told us shit about who they're sending, or when they'll get here."

The roar sounded again, sounding much closer. Everyone looked to the skies, searching for the source of the roar, and Callahan and Holloway exchanged glances again, before in a hush whisper, Holloway asked, "What the hell _is _that?"

"I don't know, sir. Been hearing it off and on now."

"Better not be fucking _Maxia_, we're _already _having enough things to worry about than their fucking dragonriders."

The roar sounded again, and now, they could hear the flap of wings as a dark shadow fell upon the artillery battery.

"The _hell!?_" Holloway yelled, and he leaped out of the way as the harsh wind of the flapping wings blew them away. With a loud, earth-shaking rumble, a massive, emerald dragon landed amidst the crowd, causing several of them, those that had never met Alpha Company, to flee. The beast's rider leaped off of the back of his dragon, removing his Daedric helmet as he walked to where Holloway and Callahan where laying on the ground.

"I was told to look for a Captain Derek Holloway?" the boy asked.

"Who's asking?" the captain replied, standing and wiping the dust off of his pants.

The boy thrust out his hand, "Great Commander Alex Vaughn, I was told you would need some help."

"Holy shit!" Callahan began, mouth agape, "You are _the _Great Commander Alex Vaughn?"

"Aye," Alex replied.

"I am First Sergeant Don Callahan, 104th Infantry from Epsilon Company, it's good to finally meet the founder of this great army."

"Please," Alex began, "The pleasure is all mine."

"Alex," Piermont began, "I'm gonna fly around a bit, see if I can find where the others are."

Alex nodded, "Okay, if you encounter any _Maxia_ or _Maxian _emplacements..."

"Yeah, yeah," he said impatiently, "I'll smoke 'em out," and the dragon rose into the skies again, sounding a mighty roar as he flew off towards the direction he had come from, blotting out the sun for a few moments.

"Private First Class Jerry 'Tuba' Hancock," one of Callahan's men said, thrusting out his hand as Alex grabbed it firmly and shook it, "At your service."

"Private Al 'Wesley' Cunningham," the second began, "It's good to finally meet you."

"Corporal Dallas Madison," the third introduced, "And my brother," he began, waving to the young, nineteen-year-old standing beside him, "Private William 'Tex' Madison."

"Good to meet the both of you," Alex nodded.

"Private First Class Jacob 'Calico' Calerizzi," the fifth one said in a strong, Jersey accent, "I'm from Brooklyn, you bastards broke my city, maybe I oughta break your heads next?" and he laughed, "Nah, just kiddin', it's good to finally meet the legendary Great Commander."

"Corporal Danny 'Cobbler' Schumaker," the sixth introduced.

"Corporal Mick 'Tank' Sherman," the seventh, a hulking man with a deep baritone said.

"Private First Class Erik 'Carly' Carlington," the eighth and final one of Callahan's men introduced, "I always imagined you to be some badass guy walking around in sweet fucking armor."

Piermont sounded his roar again, and he landed amidst the crowd again, scattering them. With a roar, Cheet rocketed from seemingly out of nowhere, sliding to a stop beside Alex, and the others joined him. "Good to see your lazy asses finally showed up," Alex said with good humor, "What took you so long?"

"Piss break," Cheet said, and he grinned.

"Why am I not surprised?" Alex said, "Anyway, moving on."

"Here's the status on the bridge," Captain Holloway began, "_Maxia _are dug in pretty tight on there. They're hammering on us with those damn Howitzers, and they're bringing in armor which is driving us back. At this rate, they'll drive us off the bridge by sundown."

"That's why _we're _here," Alex began, "To prevent _that _from happening."

"Good luck."

"Piermont!" Alex said.

"Yeah?" the dragon asked.

Mounting his dragon, Alex said, "Let's go."

"Where we off to?"

"Flame the whole damn expanse, if we can thin out the _Maxian _numbers, maybe our guys can start their advance again."

"I'm game!" and Piermont roared with excitement.

Once he was mounted, Alex replaced his helmet, "Let's go!" he roared, and with the forest dragon sounding his booming voice, he leaped into the air, flying low and fast along as the bridge as the Terminator-controlled section of the suspension bridge gave way to the no-man's land between the two opposing sides. He opened his great maw and spat a large beam of white fire onto the bridge. The _Maxia_ turned tail and began to retreat, but Piermont was much faster than them, and before they had even begun their wild sprint, they were engulfed in his hellishly hot flame. As they reached the end and corkscrewed to make another pass, Alex could see the extent of the damage on the bridge. Much of it was missing, there were sections where the path across was less than one foot. Much of the cables had snapped, and massive chunks of the road were missing, revealing a healthy and largely fatal fall to the roaring water below. On top of that, the foundation of the bridge also appeared to be structurally damaged, and any more blasts, in the right area, could cause the whole thing to go down into the sea.

Bodies from both sides littered the entire expanse, many of them charred, and many were blown to pieces, with individual pieces of the body laying around. Alex didn't know, and didn't _want _to know, how many fingers, toes, legs, or arms that had been amputated by explosions or bullets were laying around. Although there was great damage all over the city, the bridge, as well as about two miles to either side and up to a mile deep inside the city had sustained the brunt of the battle.

After two more passes from Piermont, Alex contacted his dragon and ordered, _C'mon, let's flame their artillery battery now_.

_Way ahead of you, Alex,_ The dragon replied, his mental voice strong and sure, and he opened his great, emerald maw, spewing white fire down upon the Howitzers that had been constructed. The _Maxia_ operating the machines turned and fled, attempting to retreat deeper into the city and escape the vengeful dragon, but Piermont was much more swifter than them, and they didn't stand a chance. After a little less than five minutes since they began their assault, the bridge was mostly vacant, and the terrified _Maxia_ who had managed to escape the Martaanean forest dragon's fiery wrath had fled deep into the city, and probably would not reemerge for some time.

Alex roared in victory, "C'mon!" he said excitedly, "Let's inform Epsilon Company that its safe to continue their operation.

Without a word, Piermont swiftly turn and speedily flew back to the base of the Terminator-occupied side of the bridge.

"Jesus..." Holloway began, watching Piermont and his rider's handiwork, "Remind me never to piss off Alpha Company."

"Or the High Command," Callahan added.

"_Especially _the High Command."

Piermont landed beside them, bowing his head and crouching, allowing his rider to dismount. "Okay," Alex began, removing his helmet. His long hair was matted to his head with sweat, and his face glistened wet beneath the noonday sun, "The bridge is clear, for now," he said, revealing a handkerchief and wiping his eyes and face, "Get your boys on there, I don't think the _Maxia _will pick on you again for _quite _some time."

"Yeah," and Piermont chuckled, "Hopefully, by then, you'll have such a foothold on the city and the bridge that they'll just decide to say 'fuck it' and leave the city."

"Were it so easy," Cheet said, groaning.

"I have my doubts," Holloway said, "But thank you, Alpha Company, for aiding us."

"No problem," Alex began, "Woo! Holy shit, methinks it's time to get something to drink?"

"What do you got in mind?" Piermont said, grinning.

"Raid some of these stores, not like they'll miss their inventory, most of it is probably fucked up anyway."

"You took the words _right _outta my mouth!" Piermont roared in delight.

"Listen," the Commander said, "If you need us, we'll be here for a while longer, don't hesitate to radio us, we'll come and help."

Holloway and Callahan nodded, "Yes, sir," they both said in unison.

The Commander then turned to his dragon and team, "Let's go," replacing his helmet, he remounted his dragon, and they took off, the rest of his wing following close behind, and the ground-based crew immediately tailing him.

"Commander Jazz, sir," a lieutenant said, walking up to the Shade King.

"Speak," the rabbit said, sounding bored.

"The Terminators have managed to force us off of Golden Gate Bridge."

"_What!?_" and he spit out the food he was eating, "Damn it! You can _not _let them take the city!"

"We were doing well...sir," the lieutenant continued, now sounding timid, "But Alpha Company arrived, and Commander Piermont drove us off."

"_Commander _Piermont is too much of an honor. That damned cocksucker of a dragon holds no official rank, 'Great Commander' is merely an honorable title granted to him because he is the Great Commander's dragon."

"Right, sir, my apologies...sir."

"Now. About the bridge..."

"Yes, sir?"

"_Take it back_!"

"On it, sir!" and the lieutenant sped off.

"General Allison!" the rabbit roared.

"Yes, sir?" the five star general asked, entering the room and approaching the rabbit, kneeling.

"Rise, maggot! Now isn't the time for niceties!"

"Yes, sir. My apologies, sir."

"Prepare my beast, the Terminators are taking back San Francisco, we can not let them have the city!"

"Yes, sir, I'll inform the caretakers immediately."

"Well?" Jazz began, when the general didn't leave, "Get on it, dammit!"

"Right, sir," and the general hurried off.

Jazz stood, walking down from the platform where his throne sat as he approached the table that housed the map of the US and the numerous battles occurring as part of his blitzkrieg invasion. Flags marked the major cities, where ongoing battles were currently occurring. Black marked the cities where the _Maxia _were controlling and taking or defending with relative ease, and red marked the ones where the Terminators were holding their own. San Francisco had been replaced with a red flag, and Jazz walked around the map until he was close to California and the western states. His mouth twisted in a grimace of disgust and fury, and the fire in his eyes flared. "You son of a whore," Jazz hissed, referring to the Commander, "You will not win over me _that _easily!"

He leaned over the map, hands against the blue glass, depicting the Pacific Ocean. He smacked the table, causing the blue glass to crack and spiderweb. He lifted his paw, watching as a steady stream of blood oozed from a cut on his hand. Staring in wonder at the blood, he watched as purple sparks surrounded the cut, and it shrank until nothing remained, and he clenched his fist. "Commander...I will make sure that you do not win this battle!"

"Commander!" Alex's earpiece buzzed, "Dragons! Everywhere! Hundreds of them! Argh! Help us!"

Alpha Company had been in a ruined convenience store, scavenging the overturned shelves and spilled goods, searching for any food or drink they could loot. Unfortunately, most of the intact bottles and packages had already been taken, leaving the ones that had busted open or were inedible. "Damn..." Piermont said with a sigh, "My tummy hurts..." and he forced a tear, "I is hungry..."

"Quiet, Piermont!" Alex hissed as he answered the call, "Captain Holloway! What the hell is going on?"

"Commander? Commander! Dragons! Hundreds of them! They came out of nowhere! They're driving us off the bridge!"

"_Shit!_" Alex swore, "Guys! We're losing the bridge again!"

"What?" Rapid said, astounded, "How? I thought..."

"_Maxia _are more balsy than we thought! They've brought their goddamn dragons into this!"

"Son of a bitch!" Piermont roared, and Alex barely had time to mount his beast before the dragon took off, the rest of the day crew following closely behind him.

When they arrived at the bridge a few minutes later...they came upon a dark, grisly sight. Sure enough, hundreds of black dragons circled the skies, slaughtering the assembled Terminator forces. The _Nebelwerfer _batteries had been blasted away by the dragons, and Alex was stunned...he checked for any survivors while Piermont and the rest of his wing took on the dragons. Running into a building beside the bridge, Alex found the corpses of three of the 104th infantry, riddled with bullets and on fire, and he managed to identify them as Dallas, Carly, and Cobbler. Stunned, he walked deeper into the building, finding Wesley dead at the top of the stairs onto the next floor. Alex crouched over him. The man was leaning against the wall, in a pool of blood. His head was kneeling to the side, glassy eyes wide with fear, mouth frozen in an 'O' of surprise. Blood caked his forehead and cheeks, and three nine millimeter bullet holes were in his chest. The Commander stood, exploring deeper into the building. A little further in, laying face down in a pool of blood was Dallas' brother, Tex. On the stairs leading to the roof, Alex found the body of Cobbler, seeming to have been gunned down by an AK47 while he was fleeing up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, Tuba was dead, appearing to have had his throat slit, but around him were four _Maxian _soldiers, whose weapons had been looted.

The Commander looked around on the rooftop, seeing Calico, Tank, Callahan, and Holloway struggling to fight six _Maxian _soldiers. "Hey!" Alex roared, and all ten men turned to face him. Swiftly revealing his dagger, Alex threw it, and it spun, landing between the eyes of one of the soldiers in a spray of blood. The soldier went down, and Sonic and Rapid wasted the remaining troops with their AK47s.

"Jesus!" Holloway, began, "Glad you guys showed up, but I think you are a bit too late...we've already lost most of our guys!"

"Alex!" Piermont roared, and Alex dove out of the way of one of the _Maxia _dragons as it spewed fire down on him. He stood again, and Piermont took to the skies, swiftly slitting the throat of and killing the dragon. The rider, leaping off of his falling beast, hit the roof and rolled to a stop.

"Everybody okay?" the Commander asked.

"Those of us who are left...yes we are," Calico began.

"Commander, we need to get the hell out of here!" Callahan roared, "There's too many!"

"I'm just about to agree with you...especially after seeing all of this..."

"What should we do, Commander?"

"I don't know, Captain Holloway, sir, I don't know..."

Suddenly, Rapid cried, "Alex! Look out!"

The Commander barely had time to react as the fallen _Maxian _officer whose dragon had just been slain stood, revealing a pistol, and firing a single shot. Callahan jumped into the Commander, shoving him aside as his chest was sent flying back in a spray of blood, and dark red seeped from a hole in his chest. He collapsed forward, a look of shock and surprise on his face, "Sergeant! _NO!_" Alex shouted, running to the fallen soldier's side.

The others were immediately upon the _Maxian_ officer, filling him full of bullets and overkilling him. Callahan was on the ground, still looking bewildered, and he was coughing and choking, "D...d...d..."

"Don't speak!" Holloway said, "We'll get you to safety..."

"C...Commander. I...i...is he o...o...o..."

"I'm fine," Alex said, "But you're not."

"Can you heal him?" Holloway asked, seemingly hysterical.

When no one on Alpha Company answered, he roared, "Can you _heal him!?_"

Cheet shook his head, "A little...but our energy is sapped...we've been healing wounds on ourselves since the beginning of this battle. Alex! We need to take him to New Alexandria, they can work on him there."

"I agree."

"What? Are we pulling out?" Piermont asked, astounded, "Without even _fighting_?"

"We don't stand a chance...they're bearing heavily down upon us. I don't think there's anything worth saving here," Rapid said, a grim look on his face, "We only fought here to maintain territory, it's time we let this shithole go. If the _Maxia _want it so bad, oh fucking well, we'll get the night crew to take them on, it's getting late anyway."

"I...I...I...I'm s...s..."

"Don't apologize," Crash said, paw pressed tightly to Callahan's bleeding chest, "He's losing a lot of blood, we need to get him out of here ASAP, like, _NOW_,if we want a chance to save him."

Rapid handed Alex a radio, "It's your call, Commander..."

Alex looked at the radio for a few moments then, sighing heavily, said, "Attention all personnel, evacuate the city. Repeat, evacuate the city. If they want it so bad...it's theirs."

With grim looks all around, Rapid threw a green smoke grenade, and as it exploded and the smoke rose into the sky, they sat there, bandaging Callahan's injuries as they waited for the helicopter to take the remains of the 104th away.

**-High Hrothgar, Skyrim**-

-**_08 July 2012_-**

**-_1400 Hours_-**

Odahviing landed just outside of High Hrothgar on the Throat of the World, and Dante quickly dismounted. "I will wait here," the dragon said, "Be quick."

Dante nodded and dashed inside, throwing open the monastery doors as he roared, "Greybeards, I have need of your services."

A roar sounded, filling the air as the Stormcloaks, who were lost in the fighting against the invading Imperials, looked up. The skies were suddenly full of dragons, at least a hundred of them, all led by a massive, ancient dragon, on which the four Greybeards rode. With another roar, Odahviing emerged from beyond the mountains, landing beside Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak as Dante Stormblade, who was mounted, called out, "Ulfric, the dragons are here to start evacuating citizens."

"Excellent...and what of the other holds?"

Paarthurnax spoke to them then, "Wings of _Dovah_ have been dispatched to each of the capitals, and we are now evacuating citizens...where is it you want us to take them?"

"New Alexandria, Montana."

"I will relay this information to the other _Dovah_."

"Do you need instructions on how to get there?"

Paarthurnax grunted, and thick black smoke poured from his nostrils, "The Akaviri possess powers beyond what you humans know and understand...we don't need help...we know."

"Good..." then Ulfric turned to face the damaged city, where the Stormcloak defenders were desperately trying to hold off the Imperial invaders, "It pains me to leave Skyrim for lands unknown...but it is our only choice. We cannot survive this relentless onslaught, this massacre of innocent civilians. I just hope that the Terminator Militia can defend our country with success...they have never disappointed me in the past...so I hope that they continue this trend."

"They will," Dante said, "They will..."

"Then let us leave here, and let the rats fester and die in this hellhole."

_To Be Continued..._


	18. Chapter XVII: The Way the World Ends V

_**Chapter XVII**_**:**

**-''The Way the World Ends, Pt. V: Burning Bridges''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_08 July 2012_-**

**-_1837 Hours_-**

Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, his lieutenants, and the rest of his rebellion led the citizens and royalty of the holds of Skyrim through the streets of New Alexandria, a little at a time. It was an operation that could very well take most of the night and even the next day, but with the Greybeards agreeing to aide them in the evacuations, things went along rather smoothly. Along with them, citizens from Equestria were beginning to arrive as well, as the country-wide series of battles grew worse and worse.

Not a word passed between them as worlds clashed, and Skyrim's citizens and Equestria's citizens walked alongside each other, all going to the same destination, a large stadium where they awaited orders as to where they were being sent to live for the duration of the war. "Stormlade, can't you feel that darkness..."

"More than you think," the Dovahkiin replied, "It's growing."

"That it is. For once, I fear that we may not win this war."

"We will win it, M'lord, it is only a matter of time before the _Maxia_ and the Imperials tire themselves out..."

Doctors flooded onto the rooftops as the helicopter passed through the electron forcefield, approaching the hospital and sending out its request to land. The request was approved, and the helicopter, as black as night, landed on the helipad. Within seconds after the engine was cut, Alex and the rest of the day crew flooded out of the machine, taking the unconscious Callahan and hurrying him onto the gurney. "Move!" Alex roared, "Move! Move! Move! We need to get this man to the OR!"

"Out of the way!" Piermont roared, "Get!"

The doctors parted in the middle, allowing Alpha Company passage. The day crew all looked exhausted, and their lack of sleep also made them touchy and quick to anger, but still the moronic doctors were pestering them with questions.

"Leave me the hell alone!" Alex hissed, "Just get this man to the OR!"

"What's his name?" one of the doctors asked.

Scowling, Alex shuffled identification papers out of Callahan's vest pocket. They were coated in blood, but he shook them dry, unfolded them, and read, "First Sergeant Donald James Callahan, 104th Infantry Division of Epsilon Company. 778097312."

"Right, sir..." and that doctor stepped aside as _another _one filled his place, asking the same damn question.

"C...C...C..." Callahan began, stirring from unconsciousness, "Commander..."

"Don't speak, Sarge," Alex said, "You'll be okay."

"We need..."

But his voice was drowned out by the doctors, barking orders at each other, and the soldiers around them were barking orders at the doctors, and eventually, he fell into unconsciousness again.

"His heartbeat is weak!" a female doctor shouted, "Is the defibrillator ready? His heart could give out at any moment..."

Another doctor said, "We need to get him on oxygen and Intravenous fluids..."

The next hour seemed to be little more than a few seconds. As the helicopter took off again, the massive crowd of people rushed into the hospital, hurrying to get Callahan to the operating room before it was too late. The quiet hospital was suddenly overcome with the noise of chaos as doctors and nurses tried to figure out what was going on, Alpha Company tried to maintain order amidst the chaos, and curious patients tried to see who the new victim was.

The only one not noticing the chaos outside was Chris, who only remained in bed, sitting upright, staring out the window at the world outside. Now, not only were ponies flooding into town, but fucking knights and lords, right out of the medieval times. He shook his head, unable to understand why all this shit was going on. _Obviously_, the battle was still ensuing, even though he had heard nothing concerning it since the he arrived here. Then again, he _had _slept all day today, and he didn't really hear much of anything. His dreams that day were already puzzling, confusing, even embarrassing. The sight of the ponies must have _really_ disturbed him, because now he was dreaming of sexy goings-on between Alex and several of the 'Mane Six', specifically Rainbow Dash. He always did like a few of the ponies...and he wondered if they were real...concerning that Equestria was obviously real, he had no doubts in his mind that the Mane Six were real, and he secretly hoped so.

The thoughts dominating his mind this evening was a war going on within his own mind...he was torn. The doctors predicted that he would be out of the hospital within two days, and once he _did _get out, he was stuck with a painful decision. Did he return to his home, or at least find something to do around here until he was clear to go back home...or did he set aside the hatchet, ignore the ways of the Terminator Militia, and rejoin Alex's ranks. He was itching to fight again, especially since he had gotten shot...but his itch to fight and kill was based on vengeance for the pain inflicted on him, the bullet woundon his leg _still _hurt like a motherfucker.

What finally stirred him from his thoughts was the frantic yelling and screaming of the nurses outside. "Huh?" he said as he turned to face the door leading outside of his room and into the hallway. There were dozens of doctors and soldiers running past...he could see them through the small window on his door. One of the doctors then opened his door, and several of them flooded into his formerly quiet and peaceful room, moving things aside as they apparently readied the room for another patient. "Shit..." he sighed unhappily, "So much for my peace and quiet."

"You will have to get over it, I'm afraid," the doctor said, "We have a crisis on our hands...we're in the middle of a damn war, so we need all the space we can get for our wounded."

"Yeah...speak of the devil, how goes this shitty war anyway?"

"I'm not at liberty to tell you."

"What? What the fuck? That's bullshit!"

"I'm under orders."

"Orders for what?"

"Only soldiers can know about these details."

"What the...I _AM _a fucking soldier!"

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Hmm...could have fooled me. Then why were you out of uniform...and why did you come in with our refugees from New York City?"

Chris scowled, shaking his head, "I mean...I'm not anymore...but I used to be! I was in fucking Alpha Company!"

"You were?" and the doctor seemed genuinely surprised.

"Yes, I was!"

"Could have fooled me."

"That's bullshit!"

"Even if you _were _you _aren't _anymore, and so I am not at liberty to share the details with you," and the doctor left.

"Fuck this shit," Chris swore, "Stupid right-wing fucktards."

-**Ponyville, Equestria**-

-_**08 July 2012**_**-**

-_**1909 Hours**_**-**

Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who were sleeping beside each other in a bunker running beneath Ponyville, were awakened by the sound of explosions from outside, and the rapid firing of orders from commanders to their subordinates. Rainbow Dash groaned, "Will everybody please be quiet? I'm trying to sleep!"

"Unfortunately, miss," one of the soldiers began, "We are in the middle of a war in case you didn't realize it, and we have orders to defend the town at all cost, so if you have to sacrifice your beauty sleep, oh well."

Rainbow Dash groaned before turning around and trying to go back to sleep.

"Commander," a doctor said, "A minute please?"

Alex sat up, looking around the waiting room where the others were staying, all sleeping wherever they could find a place to. He sneaked around his sleeping troops, exiting the room as the doctor closed the door behind him, and led the Commander through the labyrinthine halls of the hospital and towards his office on the opposite side of the floor. Once in the office, the doctor closed the door.

"Take a seat," he said, waving towards two leather chairs across from his desk.

The Commander sat down and asked, "How is he?"

The doctor sat down and said with a sigh, "He's alive...for now, and he's stable. Lucky for you, the bullet became lodged in his sternum, any lower and it would have gone right into his heart."

"Well, thank you."

"You are welcome," and he thrust out his hand.

Alex shook it, "Call me with any more updates."

"I will," he said, and opened the door for Alex.

Alex was alarmed to see Terrias leaning against the wall across from the office door, head lowered, arms crossed, eyes closed. "How is he?" the servine asked, opening his deep maroon eyes.

"Stable," Alex said, standing beside his friend, "The bullet got stuck in his sternum, barely missed his heart.

"Jesus..."

"Yeah, he got lucky. Anyway, why in the bloody hell are you here! Shouldn't you be out with the night crew?"

"When you spend the morning puking your guts out, sending you out on a mission isn't quite the _best _idea..."

"Oh...sorry to hear that."

"It's okay, I managed to squeeze in a few minutes of sleep, and I feel a little better now. I should be ready to head out tomorrow evening...pending we're still in..." and he struggled to find the words to describe the war, "Situation."

"We probably will be. I don't see this letting up anytime soon. So, anyway, are the others awake?"

"Negative, I'm the only one...couldn't sleep."

"Why not?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, just not tired I guess."

As they began to walk back to the room, Terrias stopped him, "Hey...Alex?"

"Yeah?" the commander asked.

"Can you walk with me for a sec?"

"Sure..." and they turned around.

Once they were out on the street and began walking up the sidewalk, Terrias asked, breaking the silence, "Listen...have you been...y'know..."

"Have I been what?"

"Nightmares...about our little...experience?"

"Yes," he admitted, "But they are much less horrific than the actual experience...and at least I _know _that they aren't real, so I quickly change the dream's direction."

"It's easy for you to become lucid?"

"Not really, I've had other things on my mind, and the shock of the nightmares almost instantly makes me lucid. Kinda funny actually..."

"Other things?" the servine began, "What other things?"

"Well," and Alex thought for a few moments, "This war for one."

"Anything else?"

"No..." Alex lied, then, turning an unamused glance at his friend, "Why do you care?"

Terrias raised his paws in surrender, "Hey, I ain't trying to start anything, I'm just curious."

"I'm guessing you think that our shared experience makes me more comfortable in sharing my deepest secrets with you?"

"No..." the servine lied, "I understand you want your privacy in a situation where there is very little privacy, even in your own mind."

"That's why we all have those impenetrable walls in our mind that nobody can penetrate, to hide our deepest, darkest secrets. Now, aside from that, anything else you want to ask me?"

"Yes..." and Terrias paused in his tracks, "Who is the girl?"

Alex, who had been moving on, stopped abruptly in his tracks, suddenly alarmed, "What? What girl? The hell are you talking about?"

The servine smiled, "I know about your dreams, and the girl...we _all _do."

Alex suddenly felt embarrassed, "Then how do you know it is _me _thinking of these dreams?"

"Well, for one, it is seen through your eyes, your body, your mind, and if that isn't good enough, whenever you wake up, the dream breaks from our experience. You are trying to hide it, but it isn't working. I've known for several months now."

"And the others?" Alex asked shyly.

"I'd assume around the same time, we only talked about it amongst each other since about a month ago...shortly after the Siege of New York actually, when we went back in time."

"What brought it up?" the Commander asked, both embarrassed as well as curious.

"Our first night there...you dreamed about it, we woke from it, and we were curious as to what woke us all up."

"Where was I?"

"Passed out still. It was..." and Terrias smiled, blushing, appearing like a kid who had just been caught looking at a girl he had a secret crush on, "Very...eh...intriguing."

"That's...that's just wonderful. My private dreams are making you horny."

"Well...kinda..."

"Yes..."

"Yeah, they were, but still! It's like looking at..." and he broke his comment, searching for a way to finish the thought, "Free porn."

"O...kay?"

"So, who is she?"

"I...I don't know."

"Piermont thinks that it is a vision of a girl you would soon meet...and she also looks familiar, to all of us, I mean."

"Yeah, I know. Same with me..." and Alex looked up into the sky, "Well, it's getting late, we probably should be heading back..."

"Please, stay with me...I'll buy you breakfast, hmm?"

Alex laughed, "What, you're bribing me to hang out with you? Besides, I thought you were sick!"

Terrias blushed, looking away, "I feel better! Remember? And maybe I am. I'm bored and jealous as hell being the only one who can't sleep. Fuckin' insomnia...some company is all I'm asking."

"Maybe I'll contact Elliot. It's still early, maybe I can send you out on your mission, hmm?"

"No! Hell no!"

Alex laughed and fell silent for a few minutes, thinking. Finally, he said, "Fine, but don't make a habit of this."

Terrias' mood instantly brightened, "Deal...anyway, I'm thinking Krispy Kreme...you?"

"Sure, why the hell not."

"Awesome!" and they began their half hour march up the street and to the nearest store.

-_Six Hours Earlier..._-

"Better not be anything stupid," a dark black dragon said. Along with Cynder, he was corrupted by Malefor before his rider, a newer soldier named Kyle, saved him during the battle that had ultimately cost the evil purple dragon his life.

"Fuck you," Cynder replied.

"Mm," the dragon said, licking his lips, "You would _love _that wouldn't you, Cyn."

"Burn in hell, piece of shit," Spyro hissed.

"Right back at ya, Purple Boy."

"Don't start, Spyro," Cynder replied, "It's not worth it, just leave it be."

"He's getting on my nerves, Cynder."

"He's a sadistic douchebag who loves fucking with you _because _you have such a reaction. Ignore him, and he'll stop."

"Yeah. Take advice from your sister, incestuous Purple Faggot."

Spyro glared at him.

"Beside, if he makes a move towards me, he knows that I can very easily castrate him before he even gets near to doing something to me," Cynder added, sending a sadistic glance at Schakri.

"She likes BDSM," Skorpion whispered to Spyro, "Man oh man is she fun!"

Spyro and the rest of the night crew, minus Terrias who had fallen ill, marched towards the conference center where Elliot awaited them. "The hell is Sergeant Terrias?" Elliot asked.

"Snake is sick," Schakri Mafedelom di Irlymi, or just Skorpion, said, "So I'm acting as second-in-command for this little adventure tonight."

"Okay then...well, the mission I have for you all tonight will not be very easy."

"Nice, I love a challenge," Skorpion said, roaring and letting loose a brilliant blast of white purple fire, "Give me a chance to rape...I-I mean kick...some _Maxian _ass!"

"Yeah, well, there'll be plenty of it for you, Lieutenant. We have San Francisco locked up tight in one helluva warzone. We lost the city earlier today, and now we need to take it back. I'm sending you all on a covert mission to a little island connecting the Golden Gate Bridge with the mainland. You will run into _some_ resistance, but hopefully not much, the island is _largely _in friendly territory. The _Maxia _have captured a local militia and intends to execute them. I need you all to teleport to Alcatraz Island, where we have a boat waiting for you. You need to make your way across the bay, unnoticed from any _Maxian _patrols that are bound to be sniffing around for any Terminators, and get to your destination. Once we drop you on the island, I need you to proceed with all caution, quietly liberate any of the resistance that the _Maxia _have imprisoned, then escort them to safety. After that, you will rendezvous with Epsilon Company, launching a counteroffensive on the Golden Gate Bridge. Take the bridge, and you'll have a gateway into the city. From there, try to move into the city, taking out any armor or artillery, and if you can, locating any staging yards, we need to cripple the _Maxia_'s foothold on San Francisco enough so that we can take the city back tomorrow morning."

"What will we be armed with?" Spyro asked, "I assume our normal arsenal is out of the question?"

"Yes it is," Elliot began, "And I was just getting to that. We have suppressed weapons for you, and enough ammo and explosives to deal quite a bit of damage. Remember! This is all about covert operations! If the _Maxia _get a chance to raise the alarm, and they succeed, not only will you be fucked, but our whole damn battle plan will head down the shitter! Move quickly, but quietly! If there is no chance of rescuing someone..." and Elliot fell silent for a moment, "Leave them...as much as it pains me to say this...the life of one civilian is _not _worth the lives of Alpha Company."

"Understood, sir," Spyro said with a nod.

"Good, Commander Spyro, based on your performance these past few days, I don't doubt that you can pull this off, and this is why I'm assigning you this mission of utmost importance."

"I feel honored, sir."

"Don't get all soft on me, boy. Now! For gear you have midnight blue body armor...eh...'acquired' from a captured _Maxian _laundry truck and thermal scopes and silencers attached to your weapons. You are expected at 0000 hours, so move out!"

"Yes, sir!" the night crew said, saluting, and they left the conference center.

-**Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay: San Francisco, California**-

-_**08 July 2012**_-

-_**2302 Hours**_**-**

The night crew emerged from the teleportation vortex inside one of the buildings of the abandoned prison. Activating their night vision, they quickly made their way to the building's exit, emerging in the old, decrepit prison yard, speeding across the eerie, abandoned landscape and towards the bay. Just as Elliot had told them, there were several canoes waiting for them. They climbed in, quickly paddling out into the violent bay as they advanced towards the distant, burning city. Occasionally, they could see the spotlights and hear the engines of _Maxian _speedboats and helicopters surging back and forth across the dark, pitch-black seas and skies, but other than that, there were very little patrols. Even the patrols they saw rarely came close to them, or at least close enough to spot them, and by the time they touched down on the island, they still had ten minutes to spare before their meeting.

On the island, they hid the canoes, quietly dashing through the dark city towards the rendezvous point, situated in an abandoned building a block northeast of where they touched down. Upon their entry, they were met with five other members of Epsilon Company who introduced themselves as 'Ghoul', 'Demon', 'Archangel', 'Leviathan', and 'Centurion'.

"I hope you are ready for our little party," Archangel, the leader, said in a thickly British accented, deep, hushed voice, almost like "Soap" MacTavish from the _Call of Duty: Modern Warfare _games.

"We're ready," Spyro nodded.

"Right, let's head on out then."

"Over here!" Centurion, the apparent second-in-command whispered in an Australian voice, and he ran towards a door leading out onto the street, slowly opening it as the group ran out onto the dark, debris-littered streets. Everywhere, they could see the flashlights of _Maxian _patrols, searching for any resistance, or any remaining Terminators in the area.

"I thought we were supposed to have little resistance!" Schakri whispered, "Not complaining but..."

Archangel laughed, "Who said that? Wasn't us, and we've been on this bloody island since the _Maxian _dragonriders arrived to obliterate our little camp at the base of the bridge earlier today."

"Our case manager told us," Cynder said.

"Ha! Haven't seen 'em! Where's he?"

"In New Alexandria."

"Well that explains everything doesn't it? He don't know a bloody thing save the shit that our spies have reported to 'em. An' I doubt that half of 'em actually searched the damn isle. We've been under _Maxian _control since the camp was wiped out an' we lost the bridge."

"Didn't the day crew bail you out?" Spyro asked.

"Heh, they tried alright. _Maxia _became a bit too much for 'em and they up and left. Leaving half of their own men here on the island to die."

"You aren't very fond of the Commander are you?"

"Not at all, especially after that little stunt he pulled yesterday. We lost several hundred good men once Alpha Company pulled out. All of a sudden, the _Maxia_, who had been nice and distracted with 'em realized that we all were trying to take the bridge from right under their bloody noses. Next thing I know, two hundred of my men are on the damn bridge, bleedin' out, while the rest of us made like mice and ran like hell through the bloody streets and to this little safehouse here. Anyway, enough chat, we need to get our asses to the bridge. Ready to navigate the minefield?"

"Minefield?" Schakri asked.

"Figure of speech," Spyro said, looking back, "Because this place is crawling with enemy patrols."

"Ah, gotcha."

"Not very bright is he?"

"Who?"

"Your friend."

"I wouldn't call him _that _per say..."

"Hey! Didn't ask you snobby, wood-toothed dipshits for your opinion," Skorpion hissed.

"Quiet!" Cynder hissed, "Before you give us away!"

"I will...but you gotta give me something first, girl."

"I'll give you a swift kick in the balls, how about that?"

"Nah! Not right now, maybe tomorrow morning...I'm thinking more of a kiss...or a blow."

"I'll put a bullet in your walnut-sized brain."

"Sounds painful."

"How about a dick up your arse?" Centurion said.

"Ooh! Sounds delicious..."

"Quiet!" Nala hissed.

"Fine! Jesus..."

The group ran through the streets, taking cover behind a destroyed car as Shadow grabbed his suppressed sniper rifle and peered through the scope up the street. The usually emotion-less look on the black and red hedgehog's face grew dark.

"What do you see?" Simba asked.

"_Maxia_...a whole lot of them."

"Where?"

"Everywhere, up the street, in buildings...they have snipers to either side of the road laying wait in the decimated buildings. Wait..."

"What?"

"I see one of their hostages...no...two of them. Both are on their knees hands on their heads, in the middle of the street. Looks like there are five _Maxia_ there two with carbines against the back of the hostages' heads, the other three seem to be there to spectate...looks like a captain and two of his grunts."

"What are they carrying?" Aria asked.

"The captain has nothing out, but I think I see a P90 at his waist. The grunts both have FALs."

"I see 'em," Centurion said, both he and Archangel were looking through Barrette .50 caliber sniper rifles in the same direction as Shadow.

"As do I," Archangel added.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light in their scopes, and they saw one of the hostages fall forward.

"Damn it!" Shadow hissed, "They got one of the hostages! I'll tag the commander and his grunts, you two get the executioners."

"Yes, sir."

"On three."

"One," Centurion whispered.

"Two," Archangel added.

"Three," Shadow said, and there were several simultaneous shots as the group was eliminated.

"Excellent," Archangel whispered, "They're down. Let's move up the line."

"Wait!" Shadow began, "I see another hostage!"

"What is the resistance?" Archangel asked.

"Looks like only three men this time, I can take them."

"No, all three of us can get one of them, that way we can be sure that none of 'em get away."

"I see dogs," Centurion began, "I hate dogs."

"Damn, he's right," Archangel said, mouth twisted in an angry grimace, "Two dogs."

"I'll get the dogs and the executioner," Shadow suggested, "From my vantage point, I have a clear shot where I can nail all three with a single bullet."

"Do it."

"On three."

"One," Archangel began.

"Two," Centurion added.

"Three," Shadow repeated, and there came the music of three consecutive shots.

"You got 'em," Archangel said, "C'mon, let's unbind him."

They ran up to the crouching man, and while Spyro set to work on removing his binds, the man said, "Thank you."

"There will be plenty of time for gratitude later, sir," Archangel said, "For now, we need to get you to the extraction point across town...once we find more of your friends of course."

For another two hours, they wormed their way through the dark city, eliminating patrols as they rescued captive members of the local resistance movement, and as the clock neared 0245 hours, the extraction point, a vacant lot formerly housing a burned out building across the island, a mile from the nearest _Maxia _patrol, was in their sights. Shortly before three in the morning, they arrived at their destination, and Archangel called in the helicopter to take them away.

"Listen," the soldier began as he addressed the twenty men they had managed to save, "The helicopter will be here within the hour, just hold this lot until it arrives. You should not encounter much resistance, and the rest of us have other work to do before dawn breaks, so we need to leave you here. Is everybody okay?"

"We will be," the first man they had saved said, "Thank you, sir," and he saluted.

"Don't mention it," Archangel said.

"You are welcome," Spyro added with a nod.

"Now," Archangel began, addressing the night crew, "We need to make our way to the bridge. We have much to do, and very little time to do it. This rescue mission took much longer than I had originally planned, and Elliot will be furious, but unfortunately, that is the way it played out. We need to make our way to a _Maxian _carpool lot that I saw on our way over here. We can apprehend one of their vehicles and hope that it is either full of fuel, or there is a petrol station nearby that still operates. Let's move out, gents."

An hour later, they arrived at the bridge where several members of Epsilon Company were waiting for them in an abandoned building in the shadow of the bridge. "Flash!" emerged a harsh voice from the gaping darkness of the building.

"Thunder!" Archangel answered, and five men appeared, clothed in the black body armor usually used by the _Maxia _special ops forces.

"Y'know, perhaps it would be best if we _didn't _use the old flash/thunder routine?" Spyro began, "It's not uncommon with soldiers, and is common knowledge for anyone who has ever played a WWII-based video game. Considering the majority of the _Maxia _are United States military, it is very easy for some _Maxia _bastard to bypass it."

"That is beside the point," Archangel began, "All that matters is that we identify each other."

"Major Davis," one of Epsilon's men began.

"It's Archangel," he replied, "But yes, we are the ones you were scheduled to meet."

"You are late, Archangel."

"We got a little...tied up."

"Regardless, we need to assault the bridge, and quickly. Much of the night is over already, and we still have to take back the bridge, as well as bring down their guns on the opposite side."

"Or we could just blow the damn thing," Schakri said grimly, "Not like the fucker will be missed."

"Negative, it is critical that we maintain the bridge. If we blow it, we won't be able to cross into the city."

"We don't _need _the city! Just contact Alex, I'm sure he'd be _more _than willing to unleash the Ring onto it."

Spyro and Cynder glared with mild amusement at the male black dragon who was looking at his reflection in his razor-sharp tail-blade.

"Let's stop wasting precious time and get on it," Archangel said, "Spyro! Cynder! I need you two to cover our arses from the sky, flame anything and anyone if you can. We can only abandon stealth now, we don't have enough time to take things easy."

"So we're just going to go in barking mad!" Cynder roared, "We'll be lucky if we survive! We have no idea how many they have on and around it!"

"There's nothing left to do, General Cynder!"

"We're living on borrowed time now."

"Hey, jump on into the middle of a motherfucking warzone, guns ablazin'? Fuck yeah! I'll join in on the festivities!" Schakri roared in joy and bloodlust.

"I guess we have no choice..." Spyro said with a sigh.

"Surely you don't _agree _with them!" Cynder exclaimed, astounded and disbelieving.

"I know it isn't the smartest choice..." the purple dragon said, looking sadly at his mate, "But there is nothing we can do about it. We were given a mission, and regardless of the risk, it needs to be completed. Alex and the others are expecting the bridge neutralized by the time they get our here, we haven't even begun our assault, and every minute we waste arguing is another minute out of the already too-little remaining time we have to assault the bridge, take the bridge, and neutralize the guns."

"He is right, General," Archangel said, "Normally I wouldn't take these risks...but time is of the essence. We will stay back here while you flame the expanse, when it's clear, signal for us somehow and we'll come in, to give you extra support while you escort our demolitions crew across the bridge and to their guns."

"The sun is rising," the man who had addressed Archangel by his name said, "We need to move out right now!"

"Yes, sir," Spyro said with a firm nod, and he arose into the air, circling into the skies.

"I don't like this..." Cynder replied, "But nobody listens to me," and she rose into the air, circling a few times with her mate before the two small dragons rocketed towards the opposite side of the bridge. After a few moments of silence, two brilliant beams of fire blasted down onto the surface of the bridge, sweeping over the expanse. Almost immediately they heard the rapid fire of _Maxian _machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons.

After several minutes, silence fell over the world, and for a moment, the group feared that the two dragons had fallen. Suddenly, however, Spyro's earth blast, fused with Cynder's fear breath, shot into the air, exploding together in a brilliant, beautiful, ring of fire.

"That's the sign!" Archangel roared, "Time to move out!"

"Do you have any idea who the girl could even be?" Terrias asked, stirring creamer into his cup of coffee.

"I don't know," Alex said, spinning an empty bottle of Mountain Dew on the table, "All I know is that she's someone I'm gonna meet."

Terrias, looking up from his drink, then asked, "So how do you know that you haven't met her?"and he took a drink.

"I...I don't know. I would like to think that I'd know if a girl I had met was in a dream. I don't see this girl around, so I obviously met her yet."

"You would _like _to think."

"You know what I meant."

Terrias shrugged, "True...it's just that I would like to know as much as you would."

"That's...not creepy or anything."

"You know me, Alex. Give me a puzzle, I can't stop until I figure it out."

"Good point, I guess."

"Even if _you _are the one who is destined to mate with her...well...the fact that we _all _have experienced this dream...it's odd, and you are right, it is much to vivid and detailed, to realistic, to pass off as simply a dream. Recurring dreams are also not common...if they are the _exact _same. This is the same dream over and over again, damn near every night, ever since the Battle of Installation 07. Sometimes the dream is mixed up a bit, y'know, maybe extended or shortened, but it ALWAYS ends in the exact same note..."

And they both recited in perfect unison, "_If...if you will have me, I...I'll always stay by your side, even...even into the face of death...if you will have me...I will_."

"I don't understand," Alex said, stretching out in his seat as he laid back, "This damn thing...I swear I'm gonna go nuts before I finally figure it out."

"Don't worry...I have a feeling that your date with destiny is coming soon."

"How can you be so sure?"

Terrias shrugged, "I don't know. I just...I just do. I just feel it."

"I'll give you that...but damn, this is pure torture, man."

"Hey, if there is _any _truth to this dream, you are gonna have some fun once she enters your life."

After several moments of silence, Alex asked, "What about Sarah?"

"What about her?"

"How will she react?"

Terrias shrugged again, "Dunno, that's between you and her. If destiny brings you and this mystery female together, it really won't matter will it? Either you're with her, and she understands, or she leaves you and breaks the engagement because you cheated on her."

"Thanks, Terrias, real encouraging," and Alex rubbed his temples, "Oi...I've never been so lost in my life."

"Sorry...I didn't mean to sound so mean..."

"No, don't apologize, it's all right. My problem, you're right."

"One other thing I've noticed about your dream."

"What is it?"

"It ain't like Cynder."

"Yeah, I know, it makes me a goddamn furry."

"No, not like that."

"Then how else isn't it like Cynder."

"I have a feeling you won't be sharing her with anyone either."

"What?"

"I dunno, just a feeling..."

"You mean that I'll have her all to myself."

"Well...yeah."

"Hm..." and he looked down, then he grinned, looking back up, embarrassed, "Damn it, Terrias."

"Hehe, I'm gonna start callin' you Woody."

"You do, I'll kick your ass."

"Okay! Okay! I surrender."

"You get horny easily, Commander, maybe what Cynder says is right..."

"Don't start, Terrias."

"What? I'm only just saying..."

"Anyway," and Alex stood, stretching, "Methinks it's about time to head back home, we'll be expected to meet with the night crew in a couple of hours...and _you _should be taking your imaginary illness..."

"It ain't imaginary!"

"Bullshit...anyway, you should be taking your illness to at least _try _and get some sleep."

"Yeah...you're right..."

Alex extended a hand.

"What? Gonna treat me like your ladyfriend now?"

"Shut up, man."

Terrias playfully rolled his eyes and grabbed Alex's outstretched hand. The Commander pulled him up and the two stretched again, Terrias throwing down a twenty on the counter as they walked out of the building, heading up the dark road and back to the bunker where they were staying. Throughout the trip, nothing passed between them, and the first rays of pink sunlight illuminated the dark blue sky.

"Y'know," Terrias began, looking up, "Maybe I should call Elliot and decide where he wants me...I'm feeling much better now..."

"No," Alex said, "It's not worth it..."

Suddenly, Alex's radio went off.

"Speak of the devil," the Commander said, "What's up, General?"

"I hope I ain't intruding on anything."

"No, sir...just breakfast with Terrias."

"So the garter snake is feeling better now is he? Good! Sergeant, get your ass over to San Francisco! Pronto! Drag Alex along with you."

"Why? The hell is going on?" the servine asked.

"I'll tell you what the hell is going on, your team has run into a bit of a spat."

"On it," both said in unison, and they dashed to the bunker, contacting their dragons to meet them halfway.

The sun was rising over the skyline as the attack continued on the bridge. The _Maxia _were more dug in than anticipated, and the scattered remains of Epsilon and Alpha Company were finding themselves being quickly overwhelmed by the superior forces of the _Maxia_.

"The hell are we supposed to do!" Spike exclaimed, "We can't hold them off! There's far too many of them!"

"I know," Spyro said, sounding exhausted, "But we need to keep pressing on, the day shift is expecting us to get this done so they can attack in the morning."

"With all due respect, Commander, I don't care what the day shift wants! If they want to keep the city, then let them endanger themselves to do it. We're fighting an uphill battle, Spyro, and we don't stand a chance the way things are right now."

"He's right," Aria said, "There's too much to deal with here, we kill one, and five more seem to appear in his place!"

"Still..."

"Commander Spyro!" Archangel said, pushing his way through the huddled forces and to where Spyro crouched at the head of the crowd. "Our bloody demolitions crew just got wiped out by a damn mortar, I need you to call in for reinforcements."

"_What_!?" and Spyro was astounded, "Our demolitions guys are gone?"

"Yes, and if you don't report to HQ, so will we."

"Shit...Alright, making the call now."

"An' tell 'em to hurry their asses up, we're encountering heavy fire here...like I needed to tell you that."

"Mercury to HQ, encountering heavy fire on the Golden Gate Bridge, requesting you send aide, over."

"We hear you loud and clear, Mercury, we'll patch you in to Eagle's Nest, over."

Elliot's voice then came over the line, "Eagle's Nest to Mercury, sending reinforcements..." then, "Still managed to get yourself into trouble didn't you, Commander?"

"What should I say, Elliot...the people love me."

"Yeah, they'd love to see your head on a pike...as well as the rest of Alpha Company's."

"Good point."

"Yeah, whatever, Eagle's Nest, over and out."

"Well?" Archangel said, voice expectant.

"They're sending men our way."

"Good, now for the waiting game..." and a mortar exploded nearby, "Shit! I hope they don't drag their lazy arses."

Alex and Terrias, both on their respective dragons, emerged from the teleportation vortex above Alcatraz Island as they lowered over the bay, flying quickly, enough to send the salty spray of seawater splashing on them. With a booming roar of arrival, Piermont landed on the ground, allowing Alex to dismount before he, accompanied by Terrias' beast, arose into the air and charged onto the bridge, opening their great maws as they loose a blast of dragonfire.

"'Bout damn time!" Archangel roared, running to where Alex, in full Daedric riding armor, dove for cover behind a massive block of concrete.

"Apologies...I was sleeping."

"Good for you, now get your lazy ass up and help us take this damn bridge."

"I don't like your tone, Major."

"I don't expect you to, because, frankly, I don't much care for you at the moment either."

"The hell did _I _do!"

"You left my men on the bridge to die last night, I'm still a little upset about that."

"Archangel!" Spyro roared, "Now isn't the time to settle some petty dispute, we have real trouble on our hands!"

The soldier glared at the Commander for several more seconds before finally turning away and saying, "Fine, we will finish this later."

Alex, sitting into a crouching position, said, "Yeah...good to see you, too."

"Ignore him," Spyro said, kneeling beside him, "He's a little butthurt about the day shift abandoning him yesterday."

Alex laughed, "We didn't _abandon _anybody, _Maxian _dragonriders flamed our position on the bridge, and the squad leader of the 104th Infantry Division was gunned down, we had to get him to New Alexandria."

"How is he?"

"Alive...for now...but we have other issues at hand it seems."

"Yeah..."

Just then, Cynder landed between them, running to and pouncing Alex, hugging and kissing him several times, "Jesus, Alex!"

She then climbed off, giving the surprised Commander a smile of embarrassment, "I've...never been happier to see you. Please try to talk some sense into my mate," and here she glared angrily at Spyro, who recoiled, "He's trying to get us killed."

"Really? How now? That doesn't sound like him!"

"We were assigned a mission, and all _I _was trying to do was to complete it," Spyro interrupted.

"What's going on?" Alex asked.

"It's a suicide mission!" Cynder exclaimed.

"What is?"

"This! We have to clear out the bridge, the _Maxian _guns, and everything else before daybreak so you guys could come down here and take back the city...but we were running short on time, and Archangel decided that he wanted to abandon stealth to assault the bridge..."

"That seems...reckless."

"I agree, and _Spyro _was in agreement!"

Alex seemed genuinely stunned, "Really, Spyro?"

"Well...yeah..."

"Why? You could have gotten yourself and everyone else killed!"

"Hey, I was only trying to complete our mission..."

"If you are running short on time, you should have consulted either me or Elliot first! We can delay our invasion so you could do this, and do it _right_! The hell are you thinking? Abandoning stealth to hurry through a mission? The military isn't like that!"

"I _know_!" Spyro roared in fury, "But I was following orders."

"You were taking reckless and high-risk measures for your own self-comfort!"

"That's a lie!"

"Both of you!" Terrias roared, "Quiet! Now, Arian just informed me that the _Maxia_ are once more advancing onto the bridge, and they're bringing in their dragonriders again.

"Shit!" Alex hissed.

"That's not the worse part," Terrias said grimly, and he finished relaying information given to him by his dragon, "He also said that they have amassed an army of tanks...hundreds of them, and they are going to start sending them over the bridge to waste our base on the island."

"What does that leave us to do?" Spyro asked, suddenly alarmed, "We don't stand a chance! There's nothing we _can _do!"

"Wrong," Alex said with a sigh, "There is one thing."

"What is it?" and Spyro clearly seemed on edge and hysterical.

"The only thing we _can _do," Terrias said grimly, "We blow the bridge."

"Impossible!" Spyro roared, and Archangel nodded in agreement, "We can't do that! There is a lot relying on our keeping the damn thing _intact_! We can't just blow it sky high!"

"We can, and will," Alex said.

"With all do respect, Commander, you have clearly lost your mind. I agree with Commander Spyro."

"Well, that's all fine and dandy then! But Commander Spyro is _my _subordinate, and I am ordering all of you to blow this damn thing up!"

"How? Our demolitions crew was wiped out by a _Maxian _mortar crew!"

"I can do it..." Terrias said, "Give me the explosives...I can set them."

"That's suicide!" Spyro roared.

"No, I'm the only one here, not tied up with something else, that is trained with explosives. Archangel, give me the satchel charges, I'll set them and rig them to blow."

"You are marching into _Maxia _territory alone!"

"No," and Terrias grinned reassuringly, "I'm not. They might be on top of the bridge...but they aren't under it. I will set the charges for ten minutes, it gives me enough time to plant them and get back here before they blow."

"What should we do about our men on the bridge?" Archangel asked.

"Pray that their radios are in working order, and tell them to get off the bridge ASAP."

"Should we tell them what is going on?"

"Yes, if we don't give them a reason, they might seem their sudden evacuation as something with which time can be stretched out, or they can take their time anyway. Tell them we're blowing the bridge, they'll hurry their asses off, no questions asked."

"He's right," Alex said with a nod, "Archangel, take your men and the night crew, and start evacuating our guys from the island. I've about had it with this goddamn city. This time, it's for real."

Hesitantly, Archangel nodded, and after several more seconds, Spyro did as well.

"Good, now, let's get this over with."

Once everyone else was gone, Terrias quickly, but carefully, rushed to the opposite side of the bridge and advanced about an eighth of the way up. There, behind a concrete barricade, he found the remains of the demolitions crew, as well as their explosives, still, amazingly, undetonated and untouched. He quickly swept up the bag of explosives, diving for cover behind the barricade as the bullets from _Maxian _M240s went off above his head. Peering out, he fired his Frinesi 12-gauge at the approaching soldiers as he crawled his way to the nearby stairwell leading to the underside of the bridge. As bullets bounced around him, ricocheting off of the aluminum staircase in sparks, he dove down the stairs, slamming his shoulder into the cage below. Standing, he ran beneath the heavy concrete of the street, and into the maze of catwalks.

There were a few _Maxian _soldiers down on the catwalks, but not enough to hold Terrias back. Slaughtering anyone he found, he sprinted through the maze of catwalks, leaping over massive gaps and landing with a somersault, rolling to his feet as he continued his onslaught in his advance to the other side of the bridge. After several minutes, he finally arrived at the base of the stairwell leading up to the surface again, this time leading onto the ground of the _Maxia_-occupied side. Gunning down any infantry that ran down the steps, he quickly planted the block of C4 onto the street before beginning his mad-dash back along the expanse, planting more explosives every fifty feet. Soldiers fired upon him from the enemy side, but with a few well-thrown grenades, he once more continued his advance. An explosion occurred nearby, and he cried out, falling back as a massive, fifty-foot piece of the bridge fell down and into the roaring water a hundred feet below. "Shit!" he roared. The only way over the gap was to walk along a small, one foot wide rail that connected the two pieces. With a rapid prayer, he ran to the rail, pressing his body against the side of the rail as he carefully slid across and over the gap. The wind was fierce, blowing his trench coat around, and the cloud of smoke he had created was clearing, as the _Maxia_ bullets grew closer and closer to him. As he lifted his right foot, his trench coat blew onto the rail, and he nearly slipped to his death. Breathing heavily, he recovered and hurried across, pausing half-way to carefully plant another bomb. Now on the other side, he collapsed with a sigh. Then quickly stood and dashed towards the stairs leading onto the island-side surface. As he planted the final bomb, he checked his watch and began to panic once he realized that he had less than a minute to dash the final hundred and fifty feet, through the twisting and turning maze of catwalks, and towards his exit.

With no time to lose, he sprinted as fast as he could, putting his stamina to the max as he dashed up the stairs and onto the surface where he emerged. Behind him, he heard a dull thud, and the bridge violently shook as the first bomb went off. Feeling the heat of the blast he cried out as he ran as fast as he could towards the island. One by one, his bombs went off, gaining more ground on him than he could put between them. Once he felt the violent shaking and twisting of the bridge beneath his feet...it was about to collapse, he jumped forward, barely landing on the safe side as he rolled down the slope, finally coming to a stop as the final bomb went off and the bridge fell into the sea, sending glass, pieces of concrete, and other debris raining down on him. He crawled into fetal position, hiding his face in his coat as the flaming debris rained down on him. After several minutes, and once all fell silent, he slowly stood, dazed, deafened by the explosion. Ears ringing he stumbled his way through the thick smoke that obscured his view. He thought he could hear a distant cry, and his hearing finally snapped back into place as he saw Alex, Spyro, and Cynder running to him.

"Terrias!" Alex roared, running to his friend's side. The servine was bleeding from the ears, mouth, and nose, and he looked lost, as if he had no idea where he was or what was going on. "Terrias! Are you okay? Say something!"

"Aiyyem fym," the servine slurred.

"What?"

"I'm fine..." he said, shaking his head, "Ow...note to self, never do that again!"

"You were cutting it close, weren't you, Sergeant?" Alex said with a laugh.

"Just a wee bit..."

"Well, would you look at that!" Archangel said, shaking his head, "What we've spent the last day and a half, as well as innumerable amount of lives, trying to save just fell into the bloody drink."

Terrias turned and admired his handiwork. Where the bridge was, only two, hundred-foot stubs, one on either side of the bridge leading to the bank, remained. The rest had fallen into the sea, and now fire and smoke covered the water.

"Talk about your burning bridges," Shadow said with an amused grunt, the faint ghost of a smile on his otherwise unhappy face.

"You did well, Snake," Schakri said, slapping Terrias on the back, "You did well."

"Well done, Sergeant," Simba said with a nod, "Now...sleep?"

"Aye," Alex said with a laugh, "You all earned your rest."

"Except for Snake, lazy fucker wasn't even here tonight," Schakri replied, picking his teeth with his tail blade.

"Nonsense!" Alex said, "Blowing bridges is the hardest work any of yo lazy asses pulled off tonight."

"I think Cynder and I deserve it the most," Spyro groaned, "We pulled off a 24 hour day!"

"Hey, you weren't tired yesterday when you wanted to come with us," Alex said, grinning.

"Yeah, well that was yesterday, after being up half of yesterday, and all of last night, I'm tired as hell, and I bet Cynder can agree."

He looked back at the black dragoness who only nodded slowly.

With a final look at what was left of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alex boarded his dragon, and the duo, trailed by Spyro and Cynder and the rest of the night crew, vanished in a flash of blue light.

Chris awoke with a start. He rubbed his eyes, opening the curtains and letting the early morning sunlight pour into the room. The streets below were still full, only now, they held the usual residents of the city, struggling to maintain their normal routine. He grimaced as he saw the men and women walk by. As per usual, he had nothing else to do except to ponder what he wanted to do with his life. At least his leg didn't hurt anymore. As the hour stretched on, he thought over everything, all of his experiences with the militia, and compared them with his own beliefs. What did he do? Did he set aside his own believes and rejoin those who he once considered friends? Or did he continue living, without having to face the conflicts in belief...but unable to really defend himself or his family?

The choice was hard, but finally, with a sigh, he made his decision, and for the first time since the beginning of the battle, he felt at peace, and he fell asleep once more, his sleep dreamless.

* * * * *

Alex and the rest of the day crew stood outside of the bunker as they stretched in the early morning sun, awaiting orders from Elliot. "So," Rudolph asked, "What did we miss?"

"Nothing new, Rudy," Alex replied, "All they did was blow the Golden Gate Bridge."

The reindeer seemed stunned, as did the rest of the day crew.

Alex sighed and said, "Listen, we really had no choice. We had all but lost the city, and we needed time to pull our base out...unfortunately, the only way to buy us the time we needed..."

"Was to destroy the bridge," and the reindeer sighed, "Oh well...good thing I've seen it as many times as I would like to for a lifetime."

Alex shrugged, "Oh well."

"Commander," Elliot said over the radio.

"Alex here, what's up, Elliot?"

"Heard about the bridge...wish I could say that I'll miss that thing, but luckily, I don't give a pity fuck."

"Yeah, I hear ya."

"Anyway, you are back on evac duty, bud."

"Where to now?"

"Bring your suntan lotion and your swimming trunks, you're going to Miami."

"Lovely."

"Surprisingly, the city hasn't been hit _too _hard...but given Archangel's bitching, don't trust my words."

"Archangel gave you a bit of a tongue-lashing did he?"

"Oh yeah."

Alex laughed.

"Yeah, laugh it up, but I suggest you get your ass over there before any more time passes. I don't want another failure like San Francisco."

"Yes, sir," Alex said with a sigh, "Over and out," he then turned to his troops, "Alright, you heard 'em, let's get on over there."

With a united cry of "URA!" from his troops, the Commander's Wing rose into the air and took off, and the ground-based crew followed behind them.

_To Be Continued..._


	19. Chapter XVIII: The Way the World Ends VI

_**Chapter XVIII**_**:**

**-''The Way the World Ends, Pt. VI: Deliverance''-**

**-Ponyville, Equestria-**

**-_09 July 2012_-**

**-_1027 Hours_-**

Rainbow Dash sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her body was sore from sleeping on the hard ground, especially where she had been shot, and she scratched the spot, silently wishing that she had chosen to sleep on her usual cloud, she wasn't an earth pony, she was a Pegasus, she belonged in the air, not on the ground. She emerged from out of the bunker and into the wartorn landscape that had become of Ponyville. She was angry, of all things, these _Maxia _idiots had to come to her home, and for no reason at all, start shooting up the place. It didn't make sense! She wished that she could personally drive them off, but she knew that she couldn't, not alone, and she didn't need the sore spot where she had been shot to remind her. She sighed unhappily before jumping into the air, spreading her wings, and speeding to where Twilight Sparkle lived.

This deep into Ponyville, everything was mostly intact, it seemed the _Maxia _really didn't care about this area, which didn't surprise Rainbow Dash in the slightest, if ever there was something that she would target if she was part of some evil army hellbent on total control, they would attack the source of power, they would march their way through Ponyville, which served no real use to them, and try to take Canterlot. If they took control of Canterlot, they took control of all of Equestria, and it saved manpower, ammunition, and fuel. The Pegasus landed outside of the library that served as Twilight's home, and she knocked on the door, "Hey! Twilight! Open up!"

The cyan Pegasus could hear the peephole slide open, and she rolled her eyes, "It's me, Twilight, not these idiots marching through town."

Next came the sound of a door unbolting, and Twilight threw the door open, allowing the pony entry. Twilight then abruptly closed the door with her horn, re-latching it as she led Rainbow Dash to where all of the other ponies sat. "Rainbow Dash! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! You're okay! Oh I was so, so worried! Twilight said not to worry, but I can't help it because I _was_ worried, and I know it may seem ridiculous to worry but my tail was shaking and that usually only happens if something bad is about to happen and..."

"Pinkie," Rainbow Dash said with a laugh, hugging the pink, hyperactive pony, "It's good to see you, too."

"So...um...how is...uh...everypony out there?" Fluttershy asked, the yellow Pegasus trembling in fear.

"Same ol', same ol'."

"Are them _Maxia _guys still attackin' the town?" Applejack asked.

"Unfortunately, yeah."

"It just doesn't make sense," Twilight said, pacing, "I don't see any reason for them to be here, I mean, did we do something wrong?"

"Maybe they're just looking to have some fun! Maybe I can throw a party for them if they promise not to hurt me! Then we can all have fun and then they can go home and then we won't have to worry about them anymore!"

"It's not that easy, Pinkie Pie," Applejack said, "They're here 'cause they want somethin'. I dunno what it is but..."

"Well I for one think that all of this is incredibly ridiculous!" Rarity, a white unicorn with a purple mane complained, "I don't recall us doing anything to them to cause them to do..._this_!"

"Um...maybe they're mad about Installation 07?" Fluttershy said, "I mean...um...because they did want Spike..."

"Yeah, but Spike ain't with us no more, Fluttershy, remember?" Applejack said, "The little dragon went with Alex back to the States."

"Yeah...I miss him..." Twilight said sadly.

"We'll see him again, Twilight," Rainbow Dash comforted, "I know we will, and when we do, he can thrill us with all of his war stories and tales of valor."

"I just hope he's okay," Applejack said, "I mean, if the _Maxia _are here...well...Celestia knows where else they could be."

"Well everypony, all we can do is just sit and wait," Twilight said, "The battle will be over before we know it, and then everything can go back to normal."

"But what if it doesn't, Twilight?" Applejack asked, "What if this battle continues until all of Equestria is no more?"

"Have some hope, guys!" but Twilight still seemed sad, and Rainbow Dash pulled her to the side once the other ponies began to talk amongst themselves.

"What's wrong, Twilight?" she asked.

"Nothing, Rainbow Dash, nothing at all."

"C'mon! Even _I _know that this isn't true...what's bothering you?"

"It's nothing, Rainbow Dash, at least, nothing that _you_ need to worry about."

"It's about Spike, isn't it?"

Twilight sighed, but nodded, "Yes, it is."

"He's fine, I'm sure."

"How can we be though? I mean, look at all of this! I heard from Princess Celestia that this was going on all over the world...not just in Equestria. What if Spike is in danger? I just don't want him to get hurt..."

"Twilight..."

"I can't stop worrying about him...I just...I can't."

"I understand, I know you two have been through a lot...and you aren't used to being here without him..."

"It's not just that, Rainbow Dash."

"Well, what else is it?"

Here Twilight stopped talking, and she looked away, blushing, "It doesn't matter," before she walked away.

"Hey!" and Rainbow Dash speedily flew in front of her, blocking her retreat, "What's wrong? What's up between you two that I don't know about?"

"It's nothing, Rainbow Dash."

"Will you stop saying 'it's nothing'? I know that's a lie!"

"Fine! I...I..."

"You what?"

"I love him..."

"Oh...well that's understandable! He's like family to us, too..."

"No...I mean, I _love _him."

"Oh..." then her face suddenly became twisted in a look of shock and dawning realization, "_Oh_, you love _love _him."

"Yes..."

"How long have you had _this _little realization?"

"Since...well...since the whole event with his kidnapping...I never thought I'd think of him more than just a little brother but...well...surprise..."

"I...I didn't think you...actually _loved _him."

"I know, it sounds ridiculous, but..."

"Hey, I'm not sticking you for it, you both are reaching _that age_."

"Anyway, what about you and _your _secret crush?"

"What secret crush?"

"The boy you always dream about..."

"Oh..." and she blushed, "Hehe...yeah...but that's just a dream! It's not like I can control it."

"Who knows, maybe it's a sign of something about to blossom."

"I dunno, maybe..."

"Oh...and Dash?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I...ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How...how would you feel if I...left Ponyville."

"Really? Where are you going? And when would you be back?"

"No, I mean, _leave _Ponyvile..."

"You mean go back to Canterlot...?"

Twilight fell silent.

"Twilight? Why would you leave us? Did we do something..."

"No, no...not leaving to Canterlot either...farther away."

"_What_!? Where would you go?"

But Twilight said nothing more, only walked away.

"Twilight? _Twilight_!" and Rainbow Dash chased after her friend.

Alex and the rest of the day crew emerged from the teleportation vortex in the heart of Miami, where already citizens were being evacuated by Omega and Lambda Companies. Elliot was right, it looked like very little of the war had found its way to the city, but fires burned on and on in the distance, and there were a few parts of the city in flames. Although very little of city had seen damage from the world, it was obvious that the peace wasn't going to last for much longer. Already, they could hear the drone of _Maxian _tanks several hours out from where they were.

"I don't like the sounds of that," Piermont said, sounding worried, "If we can hear tanks that are that far out from where we are...well, I'm sure you know what we're facing against."

"Don't remind me..." and memories of the Hermann-Reid 1st Armored Division's attack on New Alexandria surged through his mind. A tank division of nearly four thousand tanks, plus countless infantry and artillery batteries.

"Ayup, we're fucked," Piermont said sarcastically.

"Not necessarily," Alex said, "We aren't here to defend the city, we're here to escort the civilians to safety, and let some other poor saps take on the actual city."

"You think Elliot will send us here at a later time...or the night crew?"

"Hard telling, but he obviously knows more than us. And if those tanks are indeed part of a division synonymous with the fucking Hermann-Reid...well, even a hard-ass like _that _wouldn't put Alpha Company against them. He wouldn't risk endangering the High Command...or the Mutant Division."

"Well at least _you _can find solace in that statement. Elliot plays by his own rules..."

"Yeah, and we let him."

"You didn't let me finish, Alex. Elliot plays by his own rules, sure we let him, true, but I think that he would throw us into the line of fire to take them on, because we _are _so fucking hard to kill...he probably expects an army of Juggernauts to easily take on a tank division, instead of a fucking militia...or Task Force 141."

"Pierre, you're too obsessed with _Modern Warfare 2_."

"Hey, it's a good game."

"ActiVision overdoes it with the Call of Duty games I think. I mean, the old WWII games were good, World at War's Russian campaign was badass...fuck the American campaign...Modern Warfare 2 was the high point in the series, then the whole damn thing just took one big-ass dump. Black Ops sucked balls, except for the Zombies, MW3 sucked balls, fucking carbon copy of MW2, and now you have Black Ops 2. But I will play MW2 and earlier...and Halo of course...wait...why in the bloody hell are we talking about video games in a time like this?"

Piermont laughed.

"Anyway, c'mon, let's land over there."

Piermont landed in the middle of the street, and immediately, panicking civilians were running up to them, "Please!" one man said, "Take us somewhere safe! Please!"

"That's why we're here," and Piermont growled, sending a large cluster of civilians that had tried to climb onto him scattering.

There was the sound of an electrical zap, and the rest of Alpha Company's day shift surged passed the Commander, coming to a sudden stop in the street around the Commander. "Where do we start, Alex?" Cheet asked, looking around everywhere, "A lot of places to go."

"Start anywhere, let's just hurry before those tanks arrive."

"Yes, sir," the others said before they rushed off in different directions. Eventually, only Alex, Piermont, and Rudolph remained.

"Well?" Alex said, turning to them, "What are we waiting for?"

"Sorry, sir," Rudolph said and he hurried off.

"Even me?" Piermont said.

"We need to spread out if we're gonna cover everybody."

"Whose gonna help you cart your share of people to safety?"

"I'll just walk 'em."

"Pfft," and Piermont spread his wings revealing his full, thirteen foot wingspan as he flapped them twice, showing off, "Walking is for losers, and it is like _sooo _one hundred years ago."

Alex glared at his dragon, "And flying is _sooo _overrated."

"Bah! Humduck!"

"Just...go, Piermont."

"D'aww...okay," and the dragon flew off.

"Now...where to start..." and then he sent a telepathic note to everyone in the day shift, _Listen, everyone, meet back here where we landed in four hours_.

Chris tossed on his leather jacket, flipping up the collar as he walked out of the hospital and out onto street level. In order to carry out his plan, he needed to find an official from Alpha Company...or find somebody who could give him a wait to contact them. The first place he wanted to try was Club Camelot. After waiting at a bus stop in the eighty degree heat, a cab slowed to a stop, and he climbed in.

"Where to?" the cab driver, sounding bored, asked.

"The Military District."

"Okay, going to join the militia?"

"Kinda."

They arrived at the gate to the Military District of New Alexandria, "That'll be $11.47."

Chris gave her a twenty, "Keep the change," he said, and as she drove off, he turned to face the gate to his future. With a sigh, he walked to the guardhouse.

Evacuations went surprisingly well, and surprisingly quickly. After four hours of difficult work, Alpha Company regrouped, having completed their mission, and Alex contacted Elliot, "We're done here."

"Good," the general said, "I need you guys to head on to Chicago and do some more evacuations there."

"Damn, never heard of 'just take the rest of the day off, Alex, we got it from here'?"

Elliot laughed, "Oh, Commander, you crack me up sometimes."

Alex rolled his eyes, mimicking Elliot's chatter with his hand, and Rudolph chuckled as Cheet shook his head.

"Now," the unknowing general continued, "_GET TO WORK!_"

"Roger," Alex said, "Over and out."

"Damn," Rudolph said, "I would have much rather just been able to go home and head to bed. My energy is sapped completely."

"Yeah, I hear ya, Rudy," Alex replied with a sigh, "Let's just get this over with," and he mounted his dragon, replacing his Daedric helmet.

"I'm sorry, sir, but if you have no papers, I can't let you in," the guardsman said, "You'll have to leave."

"This is ridiculous!" Chris roared.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I will have to ask you to leave before I escort you away myself."

As Chris turned away, he saw Spyro on the other side of the gate, walking away from Club Camelot.

"Hey!" Chris called, shoving the guardsman aside as he pressed himself against the gate, "Spyro!"

The purple dragon looked up, "Oh, hey, Chris."

"Can I talk to you for a bit?"

Spyro looked around before walking over to the gate. The guardsman made a move to intervene, but Spyro shook his head, and the guard backed down. "Can I help you?" the purple dragon asked, sounding irritated.

"Walk with me?"

Spyro thought about it for a few moments before sighing as he shook his head, rising into the air as he flew over the wall and landed beside Chris. "What do you want?" Spyro asked.

"I...have a request..."

"You are _not _in a position to be making requests. Last I checked, I was a quote, 'hypocritical religious zealot'?"

"I didn't exactly..."

"Close enough...just...spit it out so I can get on with my life, I haven't slept in over twenty four hours, and I'm needed on the battlefield again tonight."

"I wanted to ask if I can...rejoin your ranks..."

Spyro seemed caught off guard, but alert for any signs of deceit. "I thought you didn't like us because we were religious, right-wing, Conservative nuts?"

"Okay, okay, so I fucked up...but please, I've got nothing else to do right now, and I want revenge on these bastards for what they did to my home and family."

"I'll have to talk to the Commander about it, I'll let you know as I can, but don't expect a reply before tomorrow at the earliest."

"Why tomorrow? Why not now?"

"Well, _I _don't know, Chris! Did you _not _notice this goddamn war going on?"

"Duh, I'm not retarded."

"Alex is in action right now, he leads the day shift of Alpha Company. I'm the commander of the night shift, in action tonight. I only get an hour at most to confer with him between shifts, and frankly, we usually have more important matters of discussion then the reinstatement of some sociopathic bastard with an overinflated ego who went apeshit on us for our religious views before going AWOL."

"Like I said, I fucked up, but I want back in."

"It isn't that easy, Chris."

"Just tell me, can you help me or not?"

"Perhaps, but like I said, I need to talk to Alex about this, and right now, we're both busy, so don't expect a reply anytime soon, but we'll see."

"I guess that's better than nothing..."

"Damn straight, now, if you will excuse me, I best be going now, I need all the time I can to recoup before tonight."

"If you get an answer, I'll be...um..."

Spyro placed his head in his paw, "God give me patience with this annoying boy..." then, to Chris, "Okay, hop on, I'll take you back home with me, but try not to fuck with us, please?"

Chris seemed excited but nodded, "I won't."

"Good."

Chris climbed onto the purple dragon's back, and Spyro rose into the air, heading towards the bunker where Alpha Company was camped.

Alpha Company emerged in Chicago to find that the war had yet to reach anywhere around this city. They could hear the drone of approaching tanks, however, and so they made haste to evacuate the citizens before the arrival of the _Maxia_. Much like the evacuation of Miami, the citizens were amazingly compliant, and within three hours, along with the aide of Theta and Sigma Companies, the city was empty. Almost as soon as the final Hornet took off, carrying the citizens somewhere else, Alex's radio went off, and one of Sigma Company's captains roared out, "_Maxia_! Everywhere!"

"Where?" Alex asked, but his call was met with white noise, "Shit!" he swore.

"What? What's going on?" Piermont asked.

"_Maxia_..."

"Where?"

"Here."

Alex mounted his dragon, replacing his helmet as the forest dragon leaped into the air, spreading his wings and shooting vertically into the air. Once he was high enough that the air began to get cold and thin, he spun around, scanning the surroundings for the location of the _Maxia_. "Commander," he said, "I found them," and he dropped out of the sky, leveling off mere feet above the street as he roared for the ground-based troops of Alpha Company to follow him.

As the sun began to sink, they arrived at the easternmost edge of Chicago, and Alex, his heart sinking, said, "Those aren't a normal _Maxia_ tank division"

"What?" Cheet asked, "The hell do you mean?"

"Piermont, do you see what I mean?"

"Unfortunately," and he stared in unhappiness at the emblem on the banner rising above the command tank.

"What? What is it? Unlike you, we down here don't have the gift of a bird's eye view."

"Hermann-Reid..." Rudolph said, his voice depressed, hovering beside them.

"Piermont! We need to engage the Hermann-Reid and try to repel them!"

As the sun began to sink, the night crew emerged from the bunker, preparing for their mission. "Now listen," Spyro said, addressing Chris, "Do us a favor, watch the place while we're gone. If Alex isn't back by tonight...which I don't see why he won't be, although this shit is unpredictable, help yourself to any of the food we have in there. I would hope that the aspiring soldier can take care of himself?"

"Not like it's the first time I've ever house-sat before. Yes, I can take care of myself."

"Good, we'll be back tomorrow morning," and Spyro left, closing the blast door behind him and sealing it shut.

"Sure you trust him alone in there?" Cynder asked.

"We have no choice."

"I guess..."

"Let's go."

Once everyone was assembled outside the bunker, Schakri asked, "So, Purple Boy, ready for tonight's bit o' action?"

"I'm always ready."

"Good, and Snake, good to see you are back with us. I missed you last night."

"Oh, well," Terrias began, "I missed you, too, Skorpion."

"Yeah, I missed you so much that I masturbated to thoughts of you and I making some sweet, sweet love together."

"Enough," Cynder began, "You're going to emotionally scar the poor thing."

"Do _you _want to make sweet, sweet love to me, Cyn?"

"No," Cynder said frowning, "No matter how many times you ask me, I will not."

"What? I only asked you once..." and he grinned mischievously, "Or do you just want to play hard-to-get."

"Leave her alone, Skorpion," Terrias said.

"Okay, Snake, captain, my captain, oh man of my dreams."

Elliot called them then, "Okay, so Alex and the others are tied up in Chicago, dealing with the Hermann-Reid...normally I'd send you in to help them...but I have a much more important mission for you."

"I don't like the sound of that...is this one 'important' like yesterday's was 'important'?" Spyro asked, smiling grimly.

"Not at all..."

"Wonderful!"

"This was is even more so."

"God dammit!"

"Yeah...but you'll like it, I guarantee you."

"Lay it on me."

"Well okay then, since you asked nicely. I'm sending you out to Las Vegas, Nevada for an evacuation mission, I _was _saving it for the day crew...but not only are they tied up right now, this little bit makes this mission vital."

"What is it, enough tiptoeing around it, just spit it out already, you _know _I hate suspense."

"Right...well, word is that the Shade King, Commander Jazz Jackrabbit himself is leading the division sent to waste Vegas. Not only will you be saving those civilians, but you have a chance to eliminate that crazed, anarchist bastard and end the war _now_."

"On it."

"Did I hear right?" Simba asked, "A chance to eliminate Jazz?"

"You heard right," Spyro nodded, unable to hide the wide grin on his face.

"URA!" Terrias roared, "Finally! I can get revenge on that sorry bastard for what he did to me in Connorsville!"

"Easy there, Sarge," Simba continued, "Remember what Jazz even _did _to you in Connorsville. You can't make that same mistake, I don't think Alex will risk his own life and soul to bail you out if you tapdance into that same situation again, and none of us will let him if he does try to. So either way, you aren't getting a third chance at life."

"I know," Terrias replied grimly, involuntarily scratching the raised scars from where he had been slashed by Jazz, using Alex's poisoned blades.

The night crew arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada, thrust in total chaos as the citizens and tourists began to panic at the distant sight of a _Maxian _armored division, slowly crawling across the desert, heading to the city. "Arian, drop me off in front of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. _Wanting to appear as a guest star on Pawn Stars...or a cameo rather, my beloved Rider?_

Terrias grinned, "Nah, just a good place to start trying to gain control over these hysterical townspeople."

_Your wish is my command. Be careful, Terrias_. Once the Martaanean forest dragon had landed, Terrias dismounted, his Skyforge Steel riding armor clanking as he landed.

He turned, affectionately scratching his Daedric armor-clad dragon on the snout. The dragon closed his eyes in ecstasy and purred, and the servine said, "I will."

Arian, with a loud roar, took to the skies, flying off, and Terrias removed his horned helmet, removing his Frinesi from the loop of leather at his waist as he fired a shot into the sky. The crowd stiffened and fell silent.

"Listen up!" Terrias roared, "I need you all to follow me to the extraction point, we're gonna get you out of here before the _Maxia _show up, understand?" the crowd, still unmoving, said nothing, and Terrias roared again, "_UNDERSTAND_?"

Statements of agreement emerged from the panic-stricken crowd as Terrias led them up the street and to a lot where several green smoke grenades lazily released their load into the air. In the lot, a number of Hornets idled, waiting to take the citizens away. Terrias stayed in place and guided the citizens as his massive group thinned out, boarding the vehicles and taking off into the rapidly darkening skies, heading west.

"Sergeant," Spyro said, approaching him, "Well done, Terrias."

"Thanks, Spyro, where to now?"

"Let's head back to where we landed and investigate the strip, see if any stubborn businessmen decided they want to sink with their ships. What about the residential districts?"

Spyro laughed, "A residential district in Las Vegas...the infamous Sin City, but yeah, Simba's leading a chunk of 'em, and Kovu's leading another in the evacuations of the suburbs and the residential areas. We are responsible for clearing out the businesses."

"Sounds simple enough."

"Perhaps, but that's what we said yesterday, and look at what happen? Our declaration came and bit us in the fuckin' ass."

Suddenly, their radios buzzed, and a private from one of the other companies aiding them in the evacuations came on, "The _Maxia _are here!"

"What? Already!?" Spyro hissed.

"Dammit!" Terrias swore.

"Listen, Terrias," Spyro began, "I'm gonna go lead them away from the city, you finish up here."

As the purple dragon turned to flee, Terrias grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him back, "Wait! What am I supposed to do!?"

Spyro tore himself from Terrias' grasp, "Just search every nook and cranny of every building on main street, it shouldn't take long, especially with everyone else helping you."

"And where are you going again?"

"To distract the _Maxia _and lead them away from the city."

"What about Jazz?"

"What about him?"

"What if you run into him?"

"Then I'll try to stay in his crosshairs so he stays tied up with me. I don't think you'll have much of a problem with him. Remember, he's after big game, like the Commander or his second-in-command, his protege...sorry, former protege, is low man on the totem pole compared to me. He'll want me, and probably Cynder as well, before he goes after you. You should have more than enough time to clear out the city before he sets his sights here. Now, I really must go," and he turned to flee again.

"Wait!"

Biting his lip to refrain from speaking, Spyro paused and turned again to face the servine, "What, Sergeant Terrias?" he spat, sounding thoroughly irritated.

"Be careful, Spyro."

"You, too," he said before he turned and ran off. Flapping his wings a few times before leaping into the air and flapping away, heading southeast. Terrias watched him go and stood in place for a few moments after he disappeared before beginning his sprint to the strip.

The servine eventually arrived, finding that small groups of people, usually two or three, were being dragged out of the building, and Terrias took it upon himself to march into Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. As he barged in, the camera crew appeared to be preparing to end their recording when all eyes turned on their sudden guest.

"Holy shit..." Rick Harrison said, "Sergeant Terrias of the Terminator Militia...in the flesh. I didn't know you were real..."

"Listen!" Terrias roared, "The _Maxia _are advancing on the city, we need to get the hell out of here before they arrive!"

"_Maxia_? Here? Now?"

"Yes! Worse part is, this particular tank division that's marching towards the city? Yeah, it's being spearheaded by the Shade King, Commander Jazz Jackrabbit himself!"

The camera crew now was quickly packing up, and Rick turned to them, saying, "Stop, we don't have enough time for that right now. Get everything and get moving. Corey! Get everybody outside! Now!"

"What?" the man himself said, rushing from the back room, "What's going on?"

"Get everybody outside, quickly."

"Attention! Everybody, get out to the parking lot," Terrias said, "You all are coming with me."

"Whoa...Sergeant Terrias..."

"Yeah, yeah, there will be enough time for autographs later, for now, I need everyone to hurry up, the _Maxia _will be here any minute now."

"_Maxia_?" Corey said, suddenly alarmed.

"Yes, the _Maxia_, with Jazz himself leading them."

"Oh shit!"

"Hurry up! _Now_!"

Once everyone was safely out of the building, Terrias saw the other buildings had already been cleared and he began to lead them to the extraction point as the _Maxian _armor began to fire upon the city. "KEEP YOUR HEADS _DOWN_!" Terrias roared.

Once at the extraction point, he hurried everyone into the Hornets, watching as they took off before he ran back to the strip, heading to join the fight. "Sergeant!" a voice rang out, and Spyro landed beside the servine.

"What's going on?"

"They didn't fall for it...is everyone out?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Well done," and they watched the approaching _Maxia _for a few seconds, both out of breath, before Spyro said, "We need to establish a base camp. Our guys are scattered all over the damn city, we don't stand a chance the way we are right now. We need to get organized if we hope to repel those tanks...especially to kill Jazz."

They quickly glanced around, searching for a prime spot to set up camp...and then both of their glances fell upon one building in particular.

"The _Mirage!_" they said in unison.

"C'mon, Sarge," Spyro began, "Let's go!"

Arian landed between them, and as Terrias mounted up, Spyro rose into the air, and both of them flew towards the building, relaying their objective to the others via telepathy. Although they were first to set off to the building, they were the last to arrive, and as they landed on the roof of the building, a voice rang through the air. "Kinda put us in a hard spot!" Cynder exclaimed, "We weren't able to get everybody out! We just left them in the dust!"

"_What_!?" Spyro began, heart sinking, and he watched as the _Maxia_, with the command tank leading, strolled into the heart of the large, gathered crowd of civilians. Although the infantry all aimed their weapons at the innocents, nobody fired, and all of the tanks, save the command tank, shut off. As the command tank moved into towards forward, through the gathered crowd of civilians, the hatch opened, and Jazz poked his head out, megaphone in hand. He was dressed in his usual special ops uniform, except now he had a black velvet cape that blew in the faint wind as well.

"_Jazz_!" Terrias hissed.

As he began to mount his dragon, Spyro stopped him, "Whoa! Whoa! What the hell are you doing?"

"Jazz is down there!"

"I know, and we're trying to keep him away from the evacuations."

"I don't give a damn! I'm gonna end him, once and for all!"

"Have you lost your fucking mind? Did you forget what he did to you the _LAST_ time you went in to fight him?"

Terrias closed his eyes as he remembered his brutal experience with the business end of Jazz's sword. "I know...I remember," without another word, Terrias mounted his dragon and flew off, heading towards Jazz.

"Great!" Crash began sarcastically, "We've become the freaking night crew now..."

From their perch on the roof of a skyscraper, Alex, peering through his binoculars, said, "Crash, don't complain."

"We were only supposed to fight until six!"

"I'm well aware."

"It's fucking five o' clock in the morning!"

"Yeah? And your point is?"

"We're _STILL HERE_!"

"No shit, Sherlock."

"So what? We going to pull a twenty four hour shift?"

"What's wrong with that? There will be plenty of sleep when we're dead."

"Yeah, and we'll be just that if we don't rest."

"Bah! Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Back in Miami."

"Aw, boohoo! Did I ever tell you just how much you bitch and moan?"

Crash frowned, "I'm well aware, but I'm the only intelligent one here, apparently..."

Alex glared with a murderous glimmer in his eye, "Don't you even _start _there!"

"Incoming!" Piermont roared, and they narrowly avoided an RPG.

"Shit!" Alex hissed, "C'mon! Let's get down there and push them back!"

"Where?"

"Anywhere! We have a base in Navy Pier, keep them away from there!"

"Sir, General Richardson confirmed Terminator presence in Las Vegas, including some of the High Command and Alpha Company."

"Good," Jazz said with a twisted smile, tapping his earpiece, "Let's exterminate the Terminators."

With a voice of thunder, Terrias boomed from the sky, "_JAZZ!_"

Startled, Jazz looked up to see an infuriated Terrias fly low. As the command tank parked in the center of town, the gathered civilians fled as the Terminators and _Maxia_ exchanged fire.

"Now!" Jazz called into the megaphone, halting the exchange of fire, "Citizens of Las Vegas! Do you really submit to the Terminators? They are responsible for this war in more ways than one, and they are nothing more than right-wing nuts, forcing their gods and demons on us. I was a Terminator once, long ago. It was the biggest mistake of my life."

Suddenly, a woman pushed through the crowd, confronting Jazz, "You lying _Maxia_ bastard! You are nothing but a corrupt brute!"

Growling, Jazz withdrew his AK47, emptying an entire clip into the spazzing woman who fell forward, laying still in a growing pool of her own blood.

"Anyone else insult me or my mission? No? Good!"

"_DIE!_" Terrias screamed as he dove into Jazz, throwing him off the command tank. The gathered _Maxia_, civilians, and Terminators stood in shock as the two fought.

Piermont flew through the labyrinth of streets, opening his great maw to spew white fire upon the sea of tanks rolling up the street. He avoided their fire through complicated barrel rolls, loop-the-loops, and corkscrews, managing to easily pull off counterattacks that decimated the seemingly endless army of tanks.

"I don't understand..." Sonic said through the radio, "How in the hell could the Hermann-Reid have rebuilt themselves so quickly?"

"Here's a better question," Alex began, "What's stopping them? They have damn near unlimited resources, and though faith in Jazz is not very high, there are still a lot of citizens that hold steadfast in their belief in the _Maxia_'s mission."

"How though? I thought we were the silent majority!"

"I believe that Conservatives and Liberals are probably split an even 50/50, perhaps more of the latter than the former I'm afraid."

"That's just fantastic. How can we conquer an army with unlimited resources?"

"Simple, keep burning through those resources. Remember, every _Maxian _soldier slain is another of their supply diminished. Eventually, they'll run out of supporters."

"God, so we're playing chess then. Take everyone out, leave the king, the player with only the king can't do jack squat."

"Precisely."

Sonic sighed, "I guess that's the best plan then..."

"It's all we got."

"So, you are still alive, Sergeant Terrias? I would be lying if I said I wasn't surprised."

"You _will_ die!"

"Ah, Terrias. Comic relief is all you are."

"I _WILL _kill you!"

"Challenge accepted!" Jazz revealed his swords as Terrias resorted to his fists, throwing punches as he dodged the swings of the Shade King's blades.

"Terrias, kudos for lasting this long. Unfortunately, you are a creature of habit, and you have made the same fatal mistake as last time."

Terrias stumbled as Jazz evaded his punch. Using his mistake, the rabbit grabbed Terrias shoulder, jamming his sword into the servine's chest. In a spray of blood, the flesh-covered steel pierced through Terrias' back. With a tough twist, Jazz pulled his sword out of Terrias' stomach, and he fell back.

Holding his blade to the kneeling Terrias' throat, Jazz whispered, "End of the line."

Suddenly, the sound of sliding steel filled the air, and Jazz's face adopted a stricken look. Looking down, he saw a bloody blade sticking out from his own chest, and a sadistic voice from behind said, "Oh hi! _Maxia_ motherfucker!"

Jazz, head lowered, grinned as he twisted, punching Schakri aside. The black dragon, lip bleeding, smiled, "Oh, you're on! Spyro! Take care of Snake, I got this."

Spyro nodded and rushed to Terrias' side.

Jazz laughed, "Oh look! Another wimp decides he wants to take on me!"

Terrias, choking and coughing up blood, said, "Laugh it up, Fuzzball."

With supernatural speed, Schakri slashed and stabbed with his razor-sharp claws and tail, pulling off skilled moves that anyone had only seen from Spyro's dark, corrupted form.

Jazz, recovering quickly, slashed at Schakri, but he effortlessly dodged, jumping into the air and pile driving into the rabbit. Recovering, Schakri opened his maw and spat his shadow breath at the beast, who only dodged and moved in to attack.

Then, much to everyone's surprise, Schakri opened the palm of his paw, and the sharp blade struck his palm, bouncing off and leaving him unscathed.

"What?" Jazz said, astounded.

Chuckling, Schakri said, "Bunny, silver doesn't do shit to us."

With a swift slap, Jazz's sword went flying across the arena. Jazz, recovering went to throw a punch, but Schakri only caught it, twisting his hand backwards.

Jazz moved in to grab Schakri's paw, but a swift roundhouse kick caused his tail-blade to sever Jazz's hand in a spray of blood. The rabbit cried out, falling black, and Schakri, twirling his bloody blade, sensually wiped it on his tongue. "Hm...tastes a bit like pussy."

Growling, Jazz moved in to strike again, but Schakri dodged, leaping into the air and landing on a street lamp. Jazz looked up, and Schakri waved his tail blade in a 'no-no' gesture.

"_Argh_! Come on down here and fight you stupid son of a bitch!"

"Sure, you asked for it!"

As Schakri glided down, opening his mouth to spew his fear breath, Jazz picked up an RPG and fired a rocket into Schakri's chest. The impact of the explosion sent the black dragon spiraling into a nearby building.

Gasping for breath, Jazz used his telekinesis to throw Spyro aside, and, telekinetically drawing his blade to him, raised the blade above his head, about to bring it down on Terrias. Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of light, and Terrias, in his dark form, grabbed Jazz's blade, ripping it from his hand.

Climbing out of the rubble, Schakri, surrounded by the light blue healing glow, shook his head, saying, "Ow..." and then he saw Terrias. His jaw dropped, "Holy shit! Snake _IS _badass!"

Terrias, remembering his battle at the compound, opened his mouth and spewed his Dark breath.

Jazz covered his face at the attack, and Terrias began to use his Judgment attack, now powered by his furious change and the violent thoughts and memories shooting through his head. Aria stepped back, terrified, and Cynder, once she saw Schakri, ran up to him, caring for his injuries.

Jazz stood, about to retreat, when Terrias' Dark breath fired again. He repeatedly unleashed it, even as his Judgment attack was about to be carried out.

"Okay! Okay!" Jazz said, shielding his face, "Fine! We have more important matters anyway. Able Company! Pull out!"

As the _Maxia_ pulled out, Terrias' glow faded and his color returned as he collapsed, unconscious. "Terrias!" Aria cried, running to her mate and holding him. As he slowly awoke, Aria whispered, "Are you okay?"

He nodded slowly.

"What...? So that is how powerful you are in that form..." Spyro said, Cynder and Schakri beside him.

Terrias nodded, "Yes...and I don't have any control over it..."

"Hm..." Cynder began, thinking, then, "Anyways, we need to kill them, remember, Alex ordered us to take no prisoners."

"No," Terrias said, weakly shaking his head.

"What...why not?" Schakri said, "Stab 'em in the back."

"There's no honor."

"Honor? What the fuck are you going on about?" Spyro said, astounded, "Why be honorable to those bastards?"

"He is a leader, no matter how evil the leader, they should die honorably."

"I think his dark form...or that Judgment attack...is destroying his damn brain cells..."

"Spyro..." Cynder warned.

"There is no honor in war," Aria said.

"Actually...there _IS_ honor in war," Schakri said, "But, there is a time and place for that shit, and this ain't it. But, whatever, if Snake thinks Jazz should die honorably, then that's his damn choice, he's the one with the grudge. Jazz didn't kill me, couldn't even scathe me, I'd laugh my ass off if he tried, then I'd teabag is motherfucking corpse once I carved him, regardless of how 'honorable' it is...well, maybe not, he'd enjoy my spear too much.."

"Anyways," Cynder said, "Let's follow him, wherever he goes, we can forewarn our troops and gain the advantage."

While the Terminator grunts finished evacuations, the night crew left in pursuit of Jazz.

_To Be Continued..._


	20. Chapter XIX: The Way the World Ends VII

_**Chapter XIX**_**:**

**-''The Way the World Ends, Pt. VII: Homefront''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_10 July 2012_-**

**-_1616 Hours_-**

Chris walked around, bored. There was nothing to do in the bunker, and neither the day or night crews had returned. Spyro and his team had been gone since the previous night, and Alex had apparently been gone since two days earlier. Why they were forcing Alex to undergo a forty-eight hour day, especially in whatever battle or mission he was tied up in was very stupid. If there was one thing he knew about the Terminator Militia, it was that they didn't usually make stupid decisions, he just hoped that Alex and the rest of the day crew were being allowed rest...and the night crew as well, since they hadn't returned either. Once more searching through the massive pantry, a warehouse of stored food, a prepper's dream, he tried to find something to do to occupy his time, and food somehow worked, amazingly. It just sucked that the food here was dried and designed for long-term storage, and like MREs, they didn't taste very good. With a throaty growl, he gave up and resumed his usual mode of activity since he had first been locked in here...pacing and pondering the world and his life.

Alex struggled not to fall asleep...

For two days, they had been fighting the Hermann-Reid in Chicago, and still they weren't letting up, although he noticed that they were encountering less resistance than normal, he was exhausted, all of the day crew were, they had already pulled of a thirty-six hour shift, and _that _was too much for even _him._ Unfortunately, the way things looked, they were pulling through to a forty-eight hour shift. Once he had gotten over the initial exhaustion stage, which, constantly moving and thinking had helped him through it, he had began to settle into a state that he could only describe as dull and numb. He felt nothing, thought nothing, said nothing, he was just like a robot. Although he was no longer tired, he didn't think, and it seemed already as if most of his body had shut down to allow rest, everything except for his motor functions. The others were the same way, and this had done well...for awhile. Now, the battle was calming down a little, they were experiencing more downtime, and more waiting games instead of immediate action, and the sudden break in constant activity let his exhaustion catch up to him.

He awoke with a start, checking his watch, he had slept a whole five minutes, which could explained the odd feeling he was experiencing. Everything was numb and pins and needles were throughout his stiff body, but his mind felt more alert than ever...for now. Amazing what so much as a few minutes of sleep did to improve how he felt. He looked around him. The day crew were in an old skyscraper, an office building, about fifteen or twenty stories up, huddled together in the middle of the floor, surrounded on all sides by cubicles that made them impossible to see from the outside, and very difficult to find for curious soldiers looking to explore the dark buildings. In fact, they would see the explorers before the explorers found them...unless said explorers were wielding thermal scopes and cameras. Even then, the ambient temperature was the same as that for their bodies, so it would still be fairly difficult, and very unlikely, to be seen from those also. He sat up, stretching. Everyone else was asleep, even Sonic, who had been elected as guard. Alex didn't care, they needed sleep...they _deserved_ sleep, and he heard nothing outside; no gunshots, no explosions, no machines of war. It was extremely quiet, and he felt completely safe here, this would do for a short rest. To ensure that his sleep remained uninterrupted, he removed his Bluetooth headset, shutting it off before throwing it into a box. Everyone else had done so as well, and like him, they had shut theirs off. He had only opted to leave his on so Elliot could contact them if needed, but the bastard wouldn't even let them come back to New Alexandria for rest, so Alex didn't care if Elliot needed them or not. The general would see the error of his decision, leaving Alpha Company awake, forbidding sleep, was a bad idea, and Alex was the leader of this army anyway, not Elliot. If he saw that his troops needed rest, he was going to give them rest, and he wouldn't let anyone hinder his decision. So, satisfied that his headset was shut off, he curled back up against Piermont's soft, scaly mass, and he soon fell asleep once more.

The night shift continued their relentless pursuit of Able Company through the desert, keeping enough distance between them so that Jazz couldn't find them, but not so much that they would lose sight of the Shade King and his division. They still had no clue where Jazz was headed, except for Spyro...he had an idea, he just hoped that it didn't come to fruition. The _last _thing they needed was a direct attack on New Alexandria at a time like this, but Jazz was highly intelligent, and he probably knew this. As much as the purple dragon hoped that his fears would come to naught, he was pretty sure that he knew exactly where Jazz was headed, and the direction they were traveling only proved to confirm his suspicions. Finally, Spyro saw fit to tell the others, "Um...guys?"

"Yeah?" Terrias began.

"I think I know where he is going..."

"Let me guess," Cynder began sarcastically, "New Alexandria?"

"Of course!" Schakri said, "If he had any brains...which he does...that's where he would head off to, while the rest of us are scattered and tied up everywhere else."

"So you guys think so, too..." Spyro said, voice grim.

"Of course, you think we are retarded?" Schakri snorted, "We're as bright...or dumb...as you are, Commander. From a tactician's standpoint, an attack on the capital while the army is scattered all over the place is a surefire plan, it's not he _might _go to New Alexandria, it's he _IS _going to New Alexandria."

"But," Terrias said, "That's a double-edged sword...not only are _we _scattered all over the place, but so is he."

"True," Cynder said, but everyone that matters to him, the best of the best, are with him...everyone that matters to _US _are scattered all over the damn country. That's the beauty of his strategy. Send out all the grunts to distract the difficult enemies, then take your very best and put them on your team while you march to attack the capital directly. If we don't find a way to unite everybody, and soon, like before they get to Montana even, New Alexandria is fucked, and there won't even be much of a struggle."

"Don't we have until they get to New Alexandria, at the northern border of Montana? Why are we worried about assembling everybody before they get to the southern border? There's still a whole state, Jazz has to cross," Schakri asked.

"Because," Simba began, "We need time to prepare for his attack, the time it would take to prepare for him is about the same time it would take for them to reach from the southern border of Montana to New Alexandria's outskirts."

"So, we're fucked then..." Schakri said, "Great...just great. Fan-fucking-tastic. Superb! _Reeeeee_markable_!_"

"Not exactly," Aria interrupted, "We have a chance...a slim one true, but we still have a chance."

"We just need to move quickly," Kovu said, "But that means splitting us up as well so we can get to Chicago to catch the Commander and the day crew, pending they're still there...or we can find them. As far as I'm concerned, they're M.I.A."

"Ask Elliot," Cynder began, "He knows I'm sure."

"Tried," Terrias said with a sigh, "Can't get through to him."

"Let's hope he knows what's up," Aria replied grimly.

"He does," Cynder replied, "We told him we were following Jazz in a northeast-bound retreat back in Vegas. I bet you anything Elliot knows _exactly_ what's going on. He's been around longer than we have, and been in the military longer than we have as well. He's probably not answering because..."

"He's preparing..." Spyro finished.

"Yeah...exactly," Cynder agreed with a nod.

"What about Jazz?" Schakri asked.

"What about him?" Spyro asked.

"Do you think he's expecting resistance?"

"I'm sure he is," Cynder said.

"Damn. Because if he wasn't, we could slam him head on, y'know, he'd be a bit more lax if he didn't think he was encountering heavy resistance."

Cynder laughed, "Yeah right! Jazz knows only neutral and W.O.T, he doesn't know any of the in-between speeds."

"It's not that he doesn't know anything else..." Terrias replied grimly, "It's that this is all he cares about. To him, the _Maxia _are little more than expendable pawns. He could care less how many of his numbers die, just so long as his long-term objective is complete, he proved _THAT _to me during the Siege of NYC, when he gunned down all of those Russians."

"Still don't know why he did that..." Spyro interrupted.

"Loose ends," Cynder answered, "They were all loose ends...that's why he did it. If they survived, they could speak against him if the truth came out...which, according to Alex, it basically did."

"One Russian realizes what Jazz was doing, and, in retaliation, he slaughters all of them, then blows up Grand Central Station to destroy the evidence of his betrayal," Terrias continued, embittered.

"Yes, so that the others don't realize that they were deceived and report the truth of the attack on the Kremlin."

"How horrible..." Aria replied sadly, "They were played like a card...I kinda feel bad for them."

"Jazz is a fucking genius when it comes to warfare...but he is also a madman, a terrorist, and an anarchist, I guess you can't have one without the others, eh?" Schakri said, a grim smile on his face.

"Of course not! No sane man with a soul can think up all of the atrocities of war and how to undermine and shorthand his opponents! It's evil, that's all it is, and someone with a shred of morality can't imagine those things," Spyro said.

"So what do we do?" Cynder asked.

"Keep doing what we are doing, and pray that God stacks the deck in our favor."

The day crew awoke almost at the exact same time as they readied themselves for the day, leaving the building to resume the fight that had halted the previous day. However, Alex realized that there were noticeably less opposition, and from his perch on Piermont's back, he could see more and more of the tanks turning around and heading back. Calling out to his troops, he exclaimed, _The _Maxia _are retreating!_

"C'mon!" Piermont roared, "Let's finish this so we can head back home!"

"Ura!" Alex cried, and his call was answered by the same battle cry from every other Terminator soldier in the city. After another hour of chasing down the retreating forces and flaming them, the Hermann-Reid fully pulled out of Chicago, and at the reassurance from the other companies that they could hold the city on their own, the day crew finally left Chicago. "Elliot," Alex began, "Next time, let us come back home."

"I never stopped you, Commander," the general replied, "You chose to stay on your own, I didn't order you to engage the Hermann-Reid, or to stay there. I at least hope you got some rest."

"Of course we did."

"Good, because now I have some bad news for you."

"Shit, what is it?"

"It's Able Company and Jazz's forces..."

"What about them?"

"The night crew have been following them since they left Vegas, and we all believed that they're heading here."

"To New Alexandria?"

"Aye."

"We're on our way."

"Hurry, they are already almost here...in fact..." and the radio suddenly went out.

"Elliot?" Alex called into his radio, "Elliot! Dammit, General! Speak to me!"

Only white noise.

"Son of a bitch!"

"What's wrong?" Piermont asked.

"We lost contact with Elliot, and the _Maxia _are attacking New Alexandria.

"_What!?_" and the dragon became much more aerodynamic as he prepared to teleport.

"Oi!" Sonic began through Alex's earpiece, "What the hell is going on, Alex?"

"The _Maxia _are attacking New Alexandria!"

"What-?"

Suddenly, a loud roar emerged from above them, and as Piermont looked up to see where it came from, a massive, black dragon drop from the skies, pile driving into the forest dragon as both he and his rider went down.

"_Alex_!" Crash called.

_Crash_, Alex thought telepathically, _Take the others and head to the city, you won't get anywhere with this bastard following you_.

_What will you do?_

_I'm going to distract him, don't worry, as soon as I get the chance, I'll leave him in the dust and get back to you. For now, go! Head back to New Alexandria, I'll be with you shortly._

_You're asking us to leave you here, alone?_

_Yes! Now go! Go! Go goddammit!_

"Yes, sir..." Crash said with a nod, and he tapped his earpiece, "Listen up, the Commander is going to hold off our pursuers. He wants the rest of us to head on back to New Alexandria, we can regroup later."

In several flashes of light, the day crew disappeared, and Crash looked back at where Piermont had fallen, where both dragon and rider were engaged in vicious hand-to-hand combat before nodding to his dragon, who vanished in a flash of blue light.

"Good luck..." his voice whispered on the wind.

The night crew's hearts sank once they emerged over the mountains and saw Able Company advancing quickly on the distant New Alexandria, only ten miles away. "Spyro, we need to warn Elliot!" Cynder called, sounding worried.

"I agree," Spyro replied with a firm nod, "Terrias, you and Aria fly ahead and inform the city on what's going on. If we're lucky, he's already moved the city underground."

"Do you think he's seen this coming?" Terrias asked.

"Yes, he isn't stupid. Of course Jazz would attack the city while Alpha Company is scattered through the damn country. Half of the time, we're the ones who repel them during their normal invasions, usually us and Gamma Company...sometimes even Beta."

"So he's seen this coming..."

"Yes, but I don't know where he is on securing the city and all of its residents' safety. Tell him the _Maxia _are a little over nine miles out, and tell him to contact the day crew and bring them back home."

"Yes, sir," Terrias said with a nod, and he flew forward as he and Arian vanished in a flash of light.

"What do we do, mate?" Schakri asked.

"Let's start flaming their ass-end."

"Ooh-fuckin'-RAAH!" Schakri roared, folding his wings as he drop out of the sky, leveling off his speedy descent ten feet off the ground as he opened his mouth and spat fire on the rear of Able Company.

"Cynder, take everybody and start raining hell on their heart and front, Skorpion and I have the rear."

"Yes, love," and she too flew ahead, the rest of the night crew following her as the ground-based troops, emerged from their teleportation a mile ahead of the front lines of the advancing invasion force, bracing themselves to engage.

Terrias and Aria emerged over the alarmingly empty city, ordering their dragons to fly fast and low through the maze of streets on their advance to the command center where Elliot was conducting business. The streets were empty, and all of the signs of a thorough and well-ordered, but speedy evacuation existed, including homes whose front doors were still wide open, buildings who were vacant, but still unlocked, and vehicles with doors thrown open and lights on left abandoned in the streets, some still running even. _Looks like our suspicions were confirmed_, Terrias thought out to his mate.

_Good, I knew Elliot wouldn't let us down_.

_C'mon, let's quickly head to the bunker and make sure that it is empty._

_Right behind you, sexy._

They emerged from their teleportation vortexes directly above the entrance to the hangar in the mountains that led to the bunker, a good sign. As they landed, they sped to the entrance of the bunker, unlocking the door as they entered. Chris was laying, sprawled out on the couch, watching satellite television, a bowl of granola in his hand, "'Bout time you bastards showed up," he said, sounding bored, "I was getting lonely."

"Now isn't the time for games or smart-ass remarks, Chris."

"Yeah, whatever."

"You, come with me."

"Where we going?"

"To defend the damn city, that's what."

"New Alexandria's under attack?"

"Yes."

"Awesome."

"Not awesome," Aria interrupted.

"Come with me, you wanted to fight, here's your chance."

"Sweet."

"You're my subordinate, now get ready, we need to get on out to the southern ramparts to get a lead start on those bastards."

"Yes, sir," and he jumped up, throwing on a uniform and grabbing a carbine as he followed Terrias to his dragon, waiting patiently outside.

"You are taking the troublesome child with you?" Arian said, sounding in disbelief.

"Sure, why the hell not. He wants to fight, here's his chance..." then, in a private thought to the dragon, _Besides, I want to test his loyalty to the militia._

_Ah, smart move, Terrias_.

_I'd hope so._

_Commanders Alex and Spyro would both be as proud as I am._

And Terrias blushed at the compliment.

"Die you bastard!" Cynder roared, using her tail-blade to slash the throat of a _Maxian _officer. With a loud roar and a flash of light, Terrias appeared in the sky above them, leaping off of the back of his dragon as he swiftly outstretched his arms, impaling the throats of two soldiers with his daggers.

"Holy crap, what an entrance!" Schakri said with a laugh, "You like the fuckin' _Matrix_, Snake."

Just then, a soldier charged at them, sword outstretched in a banzai charge. Spyro leaped out of the way, slashing the throat of the soldier with his claws, but the blade still struck a target, finding itself embedded within the obsidian-black, thick-scaled chest of Schakri. The black dragon went down for a moment, growling as he pulled the bloody blade from his torso, watching his blood ooze from the wound. He gritted his fangs in anger, losing control as he swiftly slaughtered all of the surrounding soldiers with gruesome brutality. "Jesus, Skorpion! _Stop_!" Terrias roared.

"Fuck you, Snake! I'm doing perfectly fine!"

"You just got fucking stabbed! You're bleeding out!" Spyro exclaimed.

"Bah!" Schakri said, hissing as he stretched, tearing the wound open even more, "Tis only a flesh wound! Now heal me up so I can kick the rest of these _Maxia_-queers' dick-loving asses!"

Terrias healed him up, and Schakri laughed maniacally as he continued his murderous onslaught. Spyro shook his head in disbelief and annoyance, "Unbelievable..." he said.

"Well, what a soldier," the servine said, astounded.

Spyro, annoyed, then said, "He thinks he's a badass, which he isn't."

"I think he's cool..." the servine said, cringing when Spyro glared angrily at him. "What?" he asked, raising his hands in question.

"He called you 'Snake'."

"I _am _a snake...your point is-?"

"He uses it as a _derogatory _name, an insult."

"Regardless, I still think he's cool," and Terrias followed Schakri, wanting to help him.

Spyro shook his head again, "Great, am I the _only _intelligent person here?" he said before following the servine.

"Burn in hell!" Alex roared, slashing at the Daedric-armor clad rider of the dragon that was currently occupying Piermont's attention.

"You first, _Commander_," the rider replied, "Commander Jazz is paying good money to have your head upon his mantle."

"Well he can come get it himself rather than send his grunts to do it for him!" Alex said, sliding between the legs of his opponent as he kicked him in the back, causing him to stumble. The rider, now on his knees, looked up as Alex crossed his swords across his neck. In a swift slash, he separated them again, and the rider's head fell back as his body fell forward, and a pool of blood quickly gathered around the Commander's feet.

There was a mournful roar from behind him, and the rider's dragon flew off, flying straight into the air before turning and flying straight into the ground, effectively suiciding. However, it didn't die, and Piermont slit the wounded beast's throat, issuing the _coup de grace_. "Now what?" the forest dragon asked.

"Now, we need to get our asses to New Alexandria!"

"Chris! Take out that damn APC!" Terrias ordered.

Chris, Terrias, Schakri, and Spyro were all pinned down in the battlefield, surrounded on all sides by enemies, managing to avoid the fire by ducking in the crater, and apparently, the _Maxia _were too afraid to approach the crater and eliminate the soldiers seeking shelter within. The only thing balsy enough to try and kill them was the APC that Terrias had just ordered Chris to neutralize.

"Have you lost your mind!?" the boy complained, "That's suicide!"

"No it's not! I'm going to draw his fire while you take out that HMG."

"Fuck that idea!"

"It's an order,"

"Fuck your orders!"

Spyro gave a mocking glance at Terrias.

"What?" the servine asked, annoyed at his subordinate's incompetence.

"The deal was that he would be under your care if you decided to enlist him...regret it yet?"

"Starting to..."

"Terrias!" Aria called over the radio, "Get over to the southern ramparts, I need your help here."

The servine answered almost immediately, "I'm on my way. Chris, good news, luck's on your damn side today, we're wanted back on the southern ramparts."

"Thank Christ," he said, "Your idea was bullshit."

Spyro laughed.

"Quiet, Spy," Terrias groaned, eyes narrowed.

"It's hilarious! It's just like getting a damn Pokemon in a trade! They don't listen worth shit!"

"Silence!" and he bared his teeth in anger.

"Okay! Okay, you win, Terrias," and he wiped a tear from his eye, struggling not to laugh again, "Just get back to your mate."

"Do you and Schakri have things here?"

"Of course!"

"Good."

Arian roared as he surrounded the crater in a ring of fire, landing within as Terrias and Chris mounted before leaping into the air and flying quickly towards the city, vanishing in a flash of light.

Alex and Piermont emerged over New Alexandria, finding themselves immediately fired upon. "Jesus!" Piermont roared, barrel-rolling hard and nearly getting struck with an RPG.

"Holy crap!" Alex roared, barely managing to cling to Piermont's neck spine and remaining mounted.

"Sorry, Alex," Piermont said shyly, "Fuckin' rocket was coming right at me! I must have emerged right on it! Hey! I see Spyro and Skorpion!"

"Where are they?"

"Looks like they're...oh no..."

"What?"

"Hold on, Alex! We're coming in hot!" and Piermont dropped from the sky, flaming the APC as well as all of the surrounding tanks as he landed amidst the flames, "You two all right?" he asked the two shocked dragons.

"Fine...damn glad _you _showed up, Pierre!" Schakri said, "Right in the nick of time, too. Timing couldn't have been _any _better."

"_INCOMING!_" Alex roared, and both of them jumped into the crater as a mortar exploded nearby. "Son of a _bitch_!" he hissed.

"The hell are we gonna do, now?" Piermont asked.

"Well, well, well!" came a sinister voice from behind them, making the four of them cringe, "What a surprise! Three of four, already packaged and ready to go!"

"Jazz!" Alex began, but he was swiftly pistol-whipped across the face by the butt of Jazz's revolver, and he went down. The rabbit revealed his twin swords, and as the three went to fight against him, he forced one blade through Piermont's throat, and the dragon went down. Spyro and Schakri, much smaller and quicker than both Piermont and Alex, dodged the slower rabbit's blows with ease. Using their sleek, small height to their advantage, they let loose several counters to Jazz's attacks, but the rabbit still didn't go down. In a manner similar to Piermont's fall, he, with supernatural reflexes, forced the blade forward, impaling Spyro on it. The purple dragon, now breathless, slid off of the blade, and Jazz grabbed Schakri by the horns, smashing his head into the destroyed hull of the APC before throwing the dazed dragon into the crater as well.

"Okay," Jazz said, wide, malicious grin on his face, turning to face the six men who emerged from behind the flames, seeming to appear out of nowhere. "Round up these pathetic worms and take them to my compound!"

"Yes, sir," one of the soldiers said, and they all walked forward, grabbing Alex by his collar, and Spyro, Schakri, and Piermont by the horns as they dragged them across the battlefield and to where a stealth chopper lay in wait, idling.

"Jesus..." Terrias said, shaking his head, "Let's keep it up, people!"

Around him, on the ramparts, grunts from Epsilon Company fired upon the _Maxia_...all except for Chris.

"Chris!" Terrias roared, "Grab that bazooka and help us!"

"You aren't my boss!" the boy roared, grabbing a dropped AK47 as he walked across the ramparts, firing down on the infantry.

"What a dick..." Aria sighed, shaking her head.

"I don't give a damn anymore. If he's killed, it's his own damn fault, not mine. Not like anyone here will miss him. He's already pissed Alex off, and Spyro wiped his hands...or paws...clean of the situation. Chris is only here because I agreed to take up the responsibility."

Aria shook her head and chuckled, "Stupid mistake, hon."

"Yeah, I don't need to be reminded, lover."

"Your misfortune is my enjoyment," Aria said slyly.

"Oh, think so?" and Terrias grinned, "Meet me by the pool at 0000 Hours sharp the night after this war is over."

"Oh honey," and she kissed him, "It's a date. The shit I'm gonna do to you..." and she clicked her tongue.

"Yummy..." and they kissed again before rejoining the battle.

Alex slowly awoke, he couldn't seen where he was, and everything looked dark. His whole body was sore, and he tried to move his arms, but found that he had his wrists tied behind his back, and he was tied to a chair with wire ties.

"What?" he began, "What is this!? Hello? Spyro? Piermont? Skorpion? _ANYBODY_?"

"At ease, Commander," came the voice of Jazz from the darkness.

"You better not hurt my friends! I'll rip off your thick skull if you do."

"Oh, don't worry, they are fine...for now. Now, I have a few questions..."

"Fuck you! You aren't getting anything from me!"

Alex suddenly felt every hair on his body stand, and he heard an electrical zap as pain tore through his entire body, and he roared out in pain.

"Now, if you comply, you won't have any more of _that _uncomfortable feeling...and maybe I'll consider loosening the leash a bit, hmm? Sound good?"

Alex groaned in pain.

"I'll take that as a yes. Now, question one, where is the control bunker for the Ring?"

_To Be Continued..._


	21. Chapter XX: The Way the World Ends VIII

_**Chapter XX**_**:**

**-''The Way the World Ends, Pt. VIII: Tribulation''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_11 July 2012_-**

**-_0747 Hours_-**

"Terrias!" Cynder yelled, shoving her way through the crowd, "Have you seen my mate? I can't find him!" she sounded panic-stricken, deeply worried, and talked quickly.

"I can't say I have, I'm sure he's fine."

"I don't know...I can't feel him, I'm really worried."

"Call him."

"I tried! Nothing!" and she hugged the surprised servine tightly, "I can't help but fear that he's in some kind of trouble!"

"Do you know where he last reported from?"

"Yes, but Aria already went down there to look for me...nothing."

"Hmm...come to think about it, I haven't seen Alex, Piermont, or Skorpion either, and Skorpion was stationed with him. Maybe he's with them? If so, I'm sure he's fine."

"I sure hope so...I can't get in contact with _them _either."

"Don't worry, Cynder, we'll find your mate."

"Please do, I'm really worried about him...the last time I lost contact with him...well, he was found in bombed-out town center in Champaign..."

"I doubt it's _that _bad."

"I hope you're right," and the dragoness sighed before walking away, still unhappy.

"Cynder?" the servine began.

"Yeah?" and he surprised both himself and her by kissing her, "Don't worry, we'll find them...both of them."

Cynder, blushing, nodded, "Okay...thank you."

"You're welcome," and she ran off.

"The hell was that for?" Aria asked, appearing beside him.

He jumped, "Oh...uh..."

"Sure looked like you planted one on her lips there for a moment..."

"I did...but not out of love, I was trying to comfort her."

She at first seemed skeptical, then relaxed once she realized that he was telling the truth, and she said, "It worked I think," then she kissed him violently, enough to smack his teeth against his lips as she tangled her tongue in his. When she broke it, she grinned shyly, blushing, "But _I'm _the better kisser around here."

"Yeah..." and he blushed, "You are."

"Now, enough flirting with other women, we have a job to do."

"Yes, ma'am."

-**Ponyville, Equestria**-

Rainbow Dash awoke from a dream...the dream that she had almost every night, and as usual, she woke up, feeling a little damper 'down there' than normal. She looked around shyly, searching for anypony who could notice her. They were all asleep, and she decided to risk touching herself, blushing when she felt heat surge through her body from the point of contact at her gentle touch. It felt amazingly good, but she didn't risk anything else, if she was still at home, she would continue touching herself until heat exploded from her rapidly pulsing body, then enjoy every minute of the high. Not here, here she was surrounded by her friends, and she was too worried that they would notice.

She tried to go back to sleep, but found that she couldn't. After at least half an hour, the heat in her loins finally receded as her arousal diminished. The way she was, if she would have done her normal routine, she could have finished in less than a couple of minutes, and then any sign of her arousal would have disappeared almost instantaneously. Not here, and it sucked that she couldn't relieve the tension. She chose to ignore the feeling, and once it was gone, she tried to sleep again. Unfortunately, she still failed, and she surrendered, standing and stretching.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Twilight asked, surprising the pony.

"Uh...what? No...no."

"Are you okay, Rainbow?"

"Me? Oh yeah! I'm fine, I'm fine..."

"You dreamed of him again, didn't you..."

"Uh..." and she finally submitted, "What's the point? Yeah...I did."

"I know the feeling, especially when you wake up after it..."

"Really? How?"

But the unicorn blushed, "It doesn't matter."

"C'mon! I told you about him, why can't you tell me about it?"

"You don't even know him."

"Point is? I still...oh...I get it now."

"Yeah," and she blushed again, "But it doesn't matter."

"It's okay, I completely understand. There's nothing to be afraid of, Twilight, it's only natural."

"Oh, and do you follow that same philosophy?"

"Uh...no...not really."

"Exactly. I know there's nothing to be afraid or shy about, but that still doesn't stop the intense...intimacy...of it."

"I know..."

"Anyway, changing the subject now..."

"So, when you said you wanted to leave...what did you mean?"

Twilight at first seemed hesitant to speak, but looking back at the other ponies, she sighed and said, "Walk with me."

As they walked through the amazingly empty city, Twilight at first was hesitant to speak, what when she did, she said, "As you know, I've been thinking a lot about Spike..."

"Yeah, I know."

"Well, I've already consulted Princess Celestia on it, and she said it was okay, but I haven't told you guys yet because...well...I didn't know how you would react."

"What is it, Twilight? You can tell me anything."

"I know, you are loyal, which is why I feel comfortable telling you...I'm thinking about leaving...to New Alexandria...to be with Spike."

"You mean...join the militia?"

She nodded, "Yep. I don't know how long I'd be gone, or when I'd even be back. I don't even know if I'm going to follow through with the plan, I'm just thinking about it."

Rainbow Dash nodded, looking up at the stars, and said, "I'm with you on whatever decision you choose. If you want to go, I respect your decision, whichever one you choose."

"You do?"

"Of course I do! You're my friend! Why wouldn't I?"

Twilight smiled, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders, "Thank you for understanding."

Rainbow Dash nodded, and as they began to head back, she paused abruptly in her tracks, a look of shock on her face.

"Rainbow? What's wrong?" Twilight asked.

Suddenly, images surged through her mind, almost painful, like a thousand spikes, and she suddenly, without thinking said, "He's there!"

"What? Who's there? What's going on?"

Breathing heavily, Rainbow Dash collapsed, "He is..."

"Who is?"

"The boy..."

Twilight cocked her head with dawning realization... "Oh..."

"Take me with you, Twilight, if you go."

Although she wanted to protest, the look in Rainbow Dash's eyes told her that the Pegasus wasn't lying, and was, in fact, conferring a very private request to her. With the look she had, how could she deny the request? "Okay, I will."

Rainbow Dash smiled happily, "Thank you..." and she laughed, "I will meet him there! I will meet him there!"

-**Undisclosed Location-**

Alex gasped for breath as another electric zap surged through his body. "Answer me!" Jazz roared.

"I won't tell you anything!"

And he cried as he was zapped again. "What is with you? Always doing things the _hard _way?"

"Fuck you! Go to hell!"

"Already been there, and back, my 'friend'."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you don't need to fuckin' repeat yourself."

He was zapped once again, and he bit his lip.

"If you want _anything _from me, I suggest you stop shocking me."

"You aren't really in a position to order me around, Commander, and you lost the pleasure the day you murdered me."

"I didn't murder you, you betrayed me, and I..."

"You killed me."

"Regardless, keep shocking me, I won't even _consider _giving you anything. Besides, you'll just kill me anyway whether I do or not, what's the point?"

"I have three others that can replace you, I think I can expend one."

"Three? What?"

"Why, Commander Spyro, Commander Piermont, and Captain Schakri Marfedelom di Irlymi of course!"

"What? You have them _all_?"

"Of course! I always take more prizes than needed...just in case."

"Damn you, Jazz! Why can't you just leave us the hell alone!"

"Give me what I want, and I will. You want this war to end? Give me what I want."

"You will only destroy New Alexandria!"

"But Equestria, Skyrim, Swizzle Firma, everybody else will remain safe."

"You are a monster, a madman!"

"Notice how throughout history, the madmen actually achieved where others failed. Without madmen, America would not have stealth bombers, or the space program, or the nuclear bomb. You wouldn't even have modern medicine, gravity would not be known, science will be primitive...would you surrender all of this to rid our history of madmen? They are as important to the evolution of humanity and society as anything else. Jesus Christ would not have been crucified and sacrificed himself to save humans from eternal damnation, the Roman Empire, a pioneer of many modern ideas, would not have been built. The lightbulb would have never been invented, electricity never discovered, you wouldn't have planes, humans wouldn't fly, even your friends! This is the 'base world', the world to which all worlds connect."

"The hell are you talking about?"

"Commander, listen, and listen closely. This world, this universe, is like the base of a pillar, a foundation, if you will. Like Stephen King has seen, in the center of the base world is a tower, the physical embodiment of time and space. From the tower, you have endless chains of universes, all like pearls on a necklace. Every universe, real or imagined, is an individual pearl on the chain. Imagined worlds are less strong and structurally sound than so-called 'real' worlds. They break down, the necklace breaks, and the pearls fall to the floor and are scattered. The base universe, which is the floor, absorbs the shards of the falling worlds, like droplets of mercury being attracted to one another to form a puddle, which is why you watched as the Skylands formed before your very eyes. Everyone here, everyone in your army, even myself, spawn from another universe that has fallen, a pearl that has broken from the necklace and fallen to the ground."

"You are a madman! It isn't true!"

"It isn't? Think about it, Alex, it all makes sense if you think about it. Journey into the depths of your mind, hell, journey into the depths of _my _mind, if you think you can survive the horrors that lie within."

As much as he didn't believe it, he somehow knew that it was the truth. But could it be possible that other worlds were...normal?

"To answer your question, yes. Other worlds _are _normal...and innocent," and although he couldn't see it, Alex could sense that Jazz was smirking, every Terminator knew that Alex didn't believe in innocence, and the rabbit was obviously mocking him.

Alex only grunted in reply.

"Imagine, Commander! Picture it! I've been to the worlds of all of your friends after you killed me in cold blood. Simba and Nala live a Disney-trademarked happily ever after, Kiara is the daughter of them, and Kovu is her 'husband'. They aren't mates, they are married, same with Simba and Nala. Young Crash is a mindless idiot who always finds himself in comic misadventures with a clumsy, evil scientist who is always defeated without him even realizing it. I was a space soldier, fighting a turtle, the _Tortoise and the Hare_, only in the form of a futuristic video game. Cheet was one of the brothers of Tally, who lived in a Nickelodeon world. Rudolph is all cheery and Christmas-y with happily ever after endings. Rapid is the pet skunk of Numbah Three, member of the _Kids Next Door_, who fight adults in an ongoing war, much like this one, only with...less killing."

"Enough..." Alex said weakly, but images of Jazz's memories continued flooding through his mind, depicting the truths of all of his comrades.

"Spyro and Cynder live happily ever after, but their relationship remains unconfirmed. Terrias and Aria do not exist, except in the mind of a young boy, all of this, all you see, your life, is a story written by a sociopathic, autistic man, who uses this as as escape from the harsh reality of the real world. Piermont is another figment of this boy's imagination, in his own original stories. Even _you, _Alex! You are the idealized version of this man! In each original world, there is no sex, no language, no violence, everything is cheesy and childlike, and here's a surprise for you, _My Little Pony_ is for little girls!"

"Shut up! Leave me alone!"

"Fine, here's something for you, Commander...the girl!"

"What?" and Alex seemed alarmed.

"Ah, got your attention didn't I?"

"How do you know about her?"

"I know her identity!"

"Bullshit!"

"I do."

"Then tell me who she is."

"Why should I? You won't answer my questions."

Alex groaned, "Will I meet her?"

"I will tell you that it is a vision, and she is real. In fact, I think she is thinking about _you_, right now."

"Are we really destined to..."

"Yes, you are. You two are such a happy couple, a cute one, too, even if a bit...unusual."

Alex struggled not to cry, "When will I meet her?"

"Aha! That's for _me _to know, and _you _to find out. Another little teaser for you, Alex, you two begin your relationship with you neglecting her, even if she pines for you. You don't care, you ignore her, and then the spirit of one of your fallen friends decides to help you win her heart back."

"What?"

"You didn't know? I thought you predicted all of these things! But yes, one of your friends, your closest ones, will die, very soon as well."

"Terrias..."

"No, he stays alive, but two others go in his place."

"What? _Two_!?"

Jazz chuckled again, "Yes, two."

"No! _Impossible_!"

Jazz laughed now, "Maybe I'll grant you more details...if you cooperate."

"The girl...my...mate..."

"Yes, you're mate. She really loves you," and Jazz said this in a mocking tone, as if talking to a little baby, "She dreams about you every night, Alex! She knows that you two will meet, but the dreams are making _her _insane as well. Everything you are going through, dealing with the visions, is multiplied in her, she is not mutated, she doesn't know a thing about visions, but she _knows_ about _you_. She knows your destinies cross and melt together. You were jealous about Spyro and Cynder's love life? Well, she is as eager for sex as they are. She answers your every command, she is ready for sex whenever you are, in fact, her sex drive is even a tad bit higher than yours. She wakes up, every day, and although she is still alone, she feels your presence, she feels the line tethering you two together, and she masturbates, with you in her mind. Enough hints now."

Alex was in tears, "When will we meet?"

"I won't tell you, you aren't worthy to know!"

"Why...why are you telling me this?"

"To answer many of your long-standing questions. If that doesn't sweeten the pot for you to share your information, here's more. I will not be the one who ends your army."

"_What_!?" now Alex was alert for deceit, "Why should I believe you _now_? You want to end us! If you know you never will, why are you still trying?"

"Because I am merely setting the stage for your downfall, as was Necro, and No-Tongue, and your own brother!"

"No..."

"Yes, I still wake, hoping that I can change my destiny, but my time on earth grows short," and for a moment he sounded truly fearful when he said this, "So I want to achieve as much as I can before my fate is met."

"You are going to die in this war," and Alex smiled, laughing, "I find that hard to believe."

"It's true," and the tone in the unseen rabbit's voice told Alex that he was unhappy at this truth, but accepting, "One of your own takes my life in an act of vengeance for past wrongs...but my legacy continues on, even as the _Maxia_ retreat to their sties, waiting for the next savior."

"Maybe...maybe I can prevent your demise..."

"And why would you want to?"

"We can help each other...I can forgive your wrongdoings, you can return to the militia, all amnesty gone!"

Jazz grunted, "Now we know that can never be, so I won't even consider your offer. I have seen the past and the future, I know what is to become of me. My fate is written in stone, it cannot be changed, there is no sense in trying, Commander."

"I can change it! All you need to do is say, 'yes', and all of a sudden, my troops _don't _kill you!"

"You can't change what is written, Alex, even _you _should know that. There is a reason for everything that occurs, Commander. You taught me this, and like Spyro, you taught me faith, but I denied the truth, and became the Shade King, what I am now. God has my fate already written in stone, it is too late to change the imminent conclusion to my story," and he fell silent.

"I can help you! Just give me a chance!"

"I am suddenly not in the mood for questions. Fester in the darkness like the rat you are, Commander, I will return once you decide to answer my questions."

"Wait! Don't leave, Corporal! I can help you, dammit! _I CAN HELP YOU!_"

Alex heard the door slam, and he swore beneath his breath. There was something else that Jazz had said before he left...Alex didn't know if he was imagining it, or maybe he misinterpreted what was said, but to him, it almost sounded like Jazz...like he had said, "I'm sorry". So Jazz really was starting to see the error of his ways...unless that was because he knew his fate was impending. If he was right...maybe this was his attempt to seek forgiveness for his wrongdoings, so that he wouldn't return to Hell, which probably wasn't as glorious as he said it was. Alex fell asleep, thinking over Jazz's words, and the last thing he said before he surrendered to sleep, was, "Jazz...I can help you...I can save you."

"Chris! I need you to man that damn gun!" Terrias roared, "The _Maxia _are almost upon us!"

Able Company had arrived at the perimeter walls, their invasion not slowing, and now, reinforcements from other regions were arriving to aide in the offensive. The _Maxia_'s bombers were targeting the forcefield, dropping their load onto the actual generator, attempting to overheat it and cause the system of malfunction. They knew, because this was the same tactic the militia had used during the assault on the Necropolis. They were short on men who actually knew how to use the anti-aircraft turrets, but Alex had taught Chris how to man them, and the boy was too arrogant to follow orders, instead walking around, gunning down infantry with a stolen M240.

"Damn him!" Terrias roared, now thoroughly annoyed, "Chris! Chris! Get on the damn AA gun!"

"With all due respect, Sergeant, you can fuck off."

The servine growled, and he stepped towards Chris, punching the arrogant smile off of the boy's face as he went flying backwards. The boy hurriedly picked himself up, stunned, "You bastard!" and he growled as he charged forward, sword drawn, preparing to thrust it through the servine. Terrias reacted quickly, kicking the boy in the stomach and causing him to fall back, dropping his weapon. He pounced on him, delivering constant blows, even as Aria and Cynder attempted to separated them. Finally, they succeeded, but Terrias was still fuming, breathing heavily, thoroughly pissed off, and Chris was terrified.

"Boy," Cynder began, "I suggest you listen to his instructions and man that gun, or I'll sic him on you again."

Chris abruptly nodded and ran off, heading to the gun as he quickly climbed in and joined in the firefight. Terrias struggled to break free, but Cynder and Aria held him hard.

"Settle down! Settle down!" the dragoness roared. Finally, Terrias stopped. "It's not worth it," Cynder whispered, her voice firm and angry, "He's a dick, don't start something that can be made worse than it already is. Ignore him, if he dies, it isn't your fault, he didn't listen to orders, and I, as well as everyone else here, will back you up, but _only _if you settle the fuck down."

"Fine," Terrias hissed, and he tore his arm from their grasp, readjusting his coat.

"They're breaching the walls!" Sonic yelled through the radio, "Don't let them through!"

There were several loud, simultaneous explosions, and Aria watched in horror as the walls to either side of them collapsed into piles of rubble. "We're in trouble," she said.

"No shit!" Rapid replied, embittered, "The hell are we going to do? Both Spyro and Alex are AWOL. Who is left to take over...Cynder!"

"No..." the dragoness, "I can't do it...I don't know how."

"Then who else..." and suddenly, all of Alpha Company's eyes turned to Terrias.

"What?" the servine said, confused.

"You!" Rapid began excitedly, "Alex trained you for command?"

"No...just as a soldier..."

"Why not give it to Simba? He's one of the founding members after all. So is Nala, she might be qualified as well," Cynder suggested.

Both lions shook their heads, and Nala said, "We can't do that...we don't really know how...why don't you think we're in the High Command?"

"Sonic?"

"I'm a little busy at the moment, Cynder," Sonic said, speeding past as he rushed across the ramparts, leaping into the gap.

"Terrias..." Rapid began, "My money is still on you, bud. You're fresh out of apprenticeship."

"So that automatically means that I'm qualified to lead this army?"

"I'm sure Alex would want you to lead if the others in the chain of command were missing, and one of them wasn't in a state to lead."

"I...I can't..."

"You are our only hope," Cynder said, "He's taught you in the same light as Spyro, even if he didn't call it teaching in the ways of leadership...I've seen how he instructs you, he's intending for you to become part of the High Command, I'm pretty sure."

"No...I...I can't! I'm not like Alex!"

"True, but you are a natural-born soldier, we can't say that about anyone else here," Crash said.

"How? I'm one of his newest members!"

"Yes, but you have been trained in the light of a soldier since your birth," Spike said, "You were forced to learn how to survive on your own, how to lead, how to defend your property and territory...this is the framework of a soldier."

"I...I..." but he couldn't argue, they were right. With a heavy sigh, he said, "Fine."

"Admit it," Cynder began in a reassuring voice, "You aren't excited to lead us to victory?"

"I just hope I can..."

"Don't have that attitude! If you think you can do it! You can!"

Rainbow Dash looked outside the library window, thinking about what Twilight had said. She was willing to leave Equestria behind to be with Spike...obviously, there was something more to her relationship than she let on, and Rainbow Dash felt special, as well as cursed, to know what it was. She was amazed that none of the other ponies had noticed the change in atmosphere around her. Sure she represented loyalty, and was truly fine with her friend's decision...but how would the others take it? Would they be as accepting of Twilight's decision as she was? Then the Pegasus shuddered as she remembered how she completely lost it that morning...what did that mean? She had already forgotten why she had lost control.

"What's up, Rainbow Dash?" Applejack said, suddenly appearing beside her.

"Huh? What?"

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Now I know that's a lie. Something's up, and not just with you, with Twilight also."

"There's nothing wrong with us."

"Something's different between you two, I dunno what it is, but I am worried. Somehow, the other ponies don't notice it, but I sure do."

"Applejack..." Twilight began, "Is everything okay?" and she appeared beside them.

"I should be asking you the same question, Sugarcube, something's wrong with you and Dash."

"What are you talking about?" and Twilight began to grow nervous, "We're perfectly fine."

"Now I know that's a lie, what's wrong."

Twilight and Rainbow Dash exchanged unsure glances, and the unicorn asked, "What should we do?"

"It's up to you."

Twilight sighed, "Come with us for a few moments."

They stepped outside, and Applejack asked, "So what's goin' on with you two that you don't want to tell anypony about?"

Twilight then broke the silence, "We're leaving, Dash and myself."

"What? Why? Where will y'all be going?"

"New Alexandria," Rainbow Dash answered, "We're both thinking about joining. They saved my life, and both Twilight and myself have...personal reasons...for wanting to leave."

"Well if yer goin', I'm goin' with you. I owe the Terminators a lot for savin' the farm, I can never repay 'em...and I wanna learn how to defend my home if we're attacked again, given how unpredictable these guys are, we might just be."

"Okay, you can come with us," Twilight said, "Just please don't tell the others, they don't know what's going on, and I intend to keep it that way."

"Well, if y'all _do _go, how will you explain yer sudden leavin'? Or are ya just gonna sneak out and not tell anypony?"

"I was going to tell them right as I was about to leave...I've already talked to Princess Celestia, and she understands why I'm going...I'm sure she also sees Rainbow's reason for wanting to leave as well."

"Yeah..." the Pegasus replied.

"So then what's the personal reasons?"

Twilight and Rainbow Dash exchanged anxious glances again, then Twilight said, "I miss Spike..."

"Oh...well that's understandable, he's like a little brother to ya."

"Well...kinda..."

"What do you mean?"

"It...doesn't matter."

"O...kay? So what about you, Rainbow Dash?"

"I have a...friend...I need to meet."

"Really? Who?"

Unable to keep the secret, Rainbow Dash finally told her everything, about the dreams, about the thoughts that had gone through her mind, everything.

Once she was finished with her story, Applejack looked at her, appearing sympathetic, "Now Rainbow Dash...what's wrong with telling us this story?"

"I don't know...it's just...kinda intimate."

"That makes sense, so when are we leavin'?"

"I don't know," Twilight began, "Probably as soon as things settle down around here."

Without another word, they returned to the library, where once more, they locked themselves inside, waiting for the war to end.


	22. Chapter XXI: The Way the World Ends IX

_**Chapter XXI**_**:**

**-''The Way the World Ends, Pt. IX: Contingency''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_11 July 2012_-**

**-_2020 Hours_-**

The attack on the city continued as the Terminators were forced to retreat to the Military District, the last remaining safe haven. Currently, Alpha Company was in the briefing room, waiting for Elliot to arrive and try to give them an idea as to how to repel the _Maxia _and survive the battle. After several minutes, the general stormed into the room, usually neat clothes now disheveled, and he looked more exhausted than anyone had ever seen him before. Everyone, save Alpha Company, saluted, and Elliot said, "At ease gents. We have ourselves a very serious situation, Alex, Spyro, Skorpion, and Piermont are still missing, and Sergeant Terrias is pretty much at his limit. The _Maxia _are advancing quickly, and there seems to be no way to stop them."

"The hell should we do?" Tank asked, "We're surrounded on all sides by those bastards, and they keep on moving forward, regardless of how many of their troops we take down..."

"Beta Company is working on rebuilding our walls," Cynder began, "And we managed to isolate ourselves from the _Maxia _by putting a ring of fire around us, but we still need to figure out what to do with the soldiers already inside the city," and she looked around, "Where's Terrias?"

The servine stood on the balcony of Club Camelot, looking out over the city. No thoughts went through his mind. He was exhausted, he could feel his insomnia getting the best of him now, and he was starting to fall ill again. Already he saw through a haze of red, and he was unsteady on his feet. He shook his head, and his vision flashed before his eyes, reeling like a slot machine.

..."_So, Sergeant Terrias has decided to go AWOL hasn't he? how humorous!_"...

He collapsed forward, grunting as a sharp edge on the balcony ripped a chunk flesh out of his hand. Bleeding onto the deck, he stood again. Coming back to reality, he checked his watch, seeing that it was 2030 hours. Remembering the meeting that Elliot had scheduled for 2000 hours, he called Arian to him, and as the dragon landed on the deck, the servine climbed onto his beast's back.

..."_YOU CAN'T KILL ME!_"...

And Terrias blinked the vision away, breathing deeply as he struggled to overcome his sudden stomach ache and nausea.

"Are you okay?" the dragon asked, "You don't seem all right. If you don't feel well, I can inform the others that you aren't fit to attend."

"I'm fine," the servine replied, "Let's just get to the meeting."

"Don't stall so long to tell somebody that you end up like last time, if something's wrong, we need to tell someone...before you die."

"I'm not going to die, I'm just feeling a little queasy, that's all."

"I'm picking up images and strange thoughts from you..."

"It's nothing, honest."

"I hope so...don't vomit," Spreading his great wings, the dragon leaped into the air, flying deeper into the military district as he flew towards the command center.

Alex began to doze off, he was still strapped down to the chair. As he massaged his wrists, he noticed that the ties were loose...and he suddenly had an idea flash into his mind. It had been an unknown amount of time since Jazz had left, and Alex's thoughts since then had been occupied by all that the rabbit had said. He began to pull his wrists away from the chair until the wire ties caught, and he kept doing this, twisting his wrists and the ties until he felt them loosen even more. After an hour of this, he managed to slide his hand to the thumb out. Clenching his hand into a fist, with the thumb on the inside, he fully pulled his hand free, immediately setting to work on snapping the other tie. Once both hands were free, he massaged his wrist again, healing the burns as he set to work on untying his legs. Now fully free, he ran, crouching down, to the door, standing to the side and peering out through the window, but it was covered in cardboard, spray painted black. The Commander ripped the box tape and cardboard from the door, blinded by the brightness of the hallway lights.

Once his vision returned, he tried the door, locked. Swearing, he felt around the floor, finding a dropped paperclip. Bending it, he tried to pick the lock on the door, but it was designed to lock from the outside, not in, and there was no failsafe on the door to prevent locking somebody inside. Looking around through the window to ensure that there were no guards, Alex stepped back, kicking the handle until it broke off. Now into the locking mechanism, he managed to bust the lock, opening the door slowly as he crawled out. The lights suddenly shut off, alarming him, but when he checked the clock on the wall, it was exactly midnight. He sneaked through the hallway, staying against the wall and out of the center of the hall.

His first objective was to locate his comrades, if Jazz was right, then they were here as well. He just needed to figure out where 'here' was and where his friends were being held, more than likely in a similar manner to him. He stopped abruptly as he heard footsteps, then ran for cover inside a janitorial closet as two guards, armed with flashlights, chatting and laughing walked by. Peeking out to ensure they were gone, he watched as they turned a corner, and he ran out again, heading the opposite direction. He had left the outside handle on the door to his cell, and replaced the cardboard, as well as shutting the door, to the untrained eye, it appeared locked up tight, as long as Jazz didn't return to interrogate him, he was in the clear, his only challenge right now was navigating this maze of halls and rooms to find his friends, and escape the compound, unnoticed by guards.

He continued his sprint, finding himself heading to a food court, full of people. He activated his invisibility, sprinting through the cafeteria, emerging on the other side. For over an hour, he tried to find his companions, touching the floor as he extended his mind, scanning the area for any sign of them. When he spotted a glimmer, he singled on the signal, identifying it as Piermont, who was on the same floor he was currently on. Alex navigated the maze, finally finding the room. He quickly picked the lock, slowly entering. "I still ain't telling you shit, so you can just come kiss my ass," the dragon replied.

"Piermont, it's me."

"A...Alex? You're okay!"

"Quiet! You'll give me away!" and the Commander ran to his dragon, in his human form as usual, tied to a chair in a similar manner to what he was.

He quickly set the dragon free, and Piermont said, "Glad to see you're okay...we need to find the others."

"Any idea where they are?"

"No clue."

"Well, let's get started then..." and they ran out, heading into the hallway as they resumed their search for the other two of their troops.

"The _Maxia _are scattered throughout the city," Cynder began, "We know that much. The wall of fire we put up to keep them out has also succeeded in trapping them inside our walls...so how in the hell are we going to get them out?"

"I have a solution," Terrias began, entering the conference room.

"About time you showed up, Sergeant," Elliot said, "You're late."

The servine shrugged, "I'm here aren't I? Better late than never."

"Whatever, what's your _genius _plan?"

"You said they are all over the city, no?"

"Yeah," Cynder replied, "Your point?"

"If they are trapped in the city, then why don't we drive them to some concentrated area and massacre them?"

"What?"

"Yeah," the servine continued, "There are a number of vacant areas around the city, all we need to do is drive them all to one particular place, maybe a park or some shit, some big open area, then we can get our bombers in there to bomb the hell out of them, or get our dragonriders to flame their asses."

"That just might work actually," Elliot said, "Good idea, Sarge. Any plan on how to trick them into gathering together? They're pushing _us _back, and it doesn't matter how much damage we do, they keep pushing forward."

"Take enough of them down, especially with their reinforcements separated by a wall of dragonfire, and they'll go on the retreat, we just need to shepherd them to a large, open area and make them think that they are doing the right thing."

"Yeah, well, there's a big difference between sheep and the _Maxia_," Cynder replied.

"It's still the same basic idea. Shepherds herd their sheep, we, as soldiers, herd the _Maxia_. What we need to do is start advancing. If we can intimidate them enough, as we push forward, they will push back, that's the key."

"Or we endanger our men and end up costing the militia innumerable amount of lives," Elliot interrupted, embittered, "It won't work."

"It will," Terrias encouraged, walking around the room, "We just need to stretch the rules a bit..."

"I'm not endangering anymore men than I find necessary, Sergeant. You might be Alpha Company, but I hold rank over you, and I'm ordering that this won't work."

Terrias smirked, "If we want to drive them back, we need to think outside of the box. The militia has been mutated, our numbers are much stronger than average soldiers, they can survive much more than they used to, General, and with all due respect, I'm pulling my status as protege over your rank."

"What? You can't do that!"

"Actually," Cynder began, "He can. Technically speaking, the Commander's protege is a temporary member of the High Command, and even if he was a private, as the protege of the Great Commander, he would still hold rank over you. That's how we run. Even if it wasn't like that, I'm going to pull rank over you and side with Terrias. His idea might just work, and his points are valid."

"So we are going to try and enact this plan?" Terrias asked expectantly.

"Yes," and Cynder nodded.

"I think this is a stupid choice, but hey. I've been proven wrong before, so I will let you do this."

"As if you had much of a choice?" Aria said, and she chuckled.

"Silence, Sergeant."

"Well," Cynder began, "You heard him! Start heading down to stand off with the _Maxia_, push them back to, let's say North Park."

Rainbow Dash looked out through the window of the library's loft, watching as the Terminator troops stationed in Equestria marched through the city. The _Maxia _were nowhere in sight, and the pony hoped that the battle had finally ended, and that the _Maxia _had decided to retreat, leaving Equestria to go back to whatever terrible place they had crawled from.

"Anything?" Twilight asked, stepping beside her.

"Nope, maybe the war is over? I don't see them anymore."

"No...but I did receive a message from Princess Celestia..."

"Without Spike?"

"Yeah, a messenger from Canterlot came down to pass the message on to me."

"What's going on?"

"Well, she and Princess Luna are safe in New Alexandria, and she wants us...all of us...to head down there."

"What? Isn't New Alexandria hot in a battle zone right now? That's what the guards were saying."

"Wherever they are keeping the Princess, it's safe. She did say to go to the Military District, they have all kinds of bunkers and subterranean bases that line the area. If we come in through there, we can join the rest of the refugees and avoid the war that is going on on the surface."

"Sounds risky."

"Either way, Rainbow, it is safer there than here. At least we have, you know, like two feet thick concrete walls dividing us from the enemy, as well as up to one hundred feet of dirt and earth?"

"Me? In a small concrete box deep underground? I don't think so!"

"They aren't small, they are actually quite luxurious from what I've heard...and besides if you are wanting to join the Terminator Militia...well, you might want to get used to living deep underground."

"Do you really think they'll put me underground?"

"If it is to ensure the safety of their troops, they will do anything."

"That's just fantastic."

"Deciding now you _don't _want to join?"

"No, I still want to join...I have a mission I need to complete, I'm just not looking forward to being restrained."

"Not only that, but the military is very leveled. You have very specific ranks and expectations, and they are strict about maintaining those standards. You can't just go off on your own and do your own thing, you are expected to follow orders to a 'T', to address your superiors and subordinates properly and professionally, and they are very stiff on these expectations."

"I already don't like the idea...but I have no choice, something is drawing me to this army, and I will join, I just will not like having to get used to the stiffness of it all."

"If Spike can do it, I'm sure you can, too."

"I _know _I can, I just have to get used to it."

"Well, now's the best time to start. Now, c'mon, we need to talk to the other ponies and start on our way."

"Hold here!" Alex whispered, and he held up a hand. Piermont stopped, pressing himself against the wall as Alex peeked out into the 'T' intersection. "Okay, let's go!" and the two continued their chase.

"So what's the plan?"

"Find them, then get the hell out of here and back to New Alexandria."

"What about Jazz?"

"What about him?"

"He's here isn't he? We can finish him now so we don't have to worry about him!"

As Piermont said this, Alex was once more reminded of Jazz's admission about his own fate, he shook his head. "No, not anymore. I'm assuming he went back to join the battle."

"You think New Alexandria is still there?"

"I'm sure it is. We've been through worse times."

The dragon sighed, "Good point."

"We're almost there, stay quiet!"

The approached an open door, peering inside as they saw Spyro, tied to a chair and beneath a single lamp. His head was down, blood poured from a cut on his forehead, and two _Maxian _soldiers were in front of him, barking questions. They listened for a few minutes.

"Where is the control center for the ring!" one of the men said in a burly voice.

"I...don't...know..." Spyro said, his voice weak, small, timid.

"Don't lie to me!" the burly man hissed.

The other man spoke then, walking around the chair as he placed a cigar in his mouth, striking a light and puffing on his lit cigar before extinguishing the flame and shaking the match. His voice was very clear, and he spoke slowly, kindly, friendly, "Now, Commander, I understand that you are only following orders, and that you are loyal to your friends. I promise that no harm will become of them if you answer our tiny question. I will even make sure that you and your mate are given very comfortable accommodations in our headquarters. You can do whatever you wish together, and you will have servants that follow your every will, all we need is for you to answer our questions."

"Fuck...you..." the dragon breathed, "I know what you're doing..._Good Cop, Bad Cop _won't work on me...I can't be broken."

"Perhaps you would like Alex to be with you as well?"

"We're not gay for each other...and I won't answer your questions..."

The burly man then roared, "If you refuse to answer our questions, I will do whatever I can to ensure that you never see your friends ever again!"

The 'good cop' spoke again, "Ted, go get the Commander."

Grunting at the purple dragon, the 'bad cop', Ted, turned around and walked towards the door. Alex and Piermont abruptly backed away, hiding behind the door as he walked out, heading back in the direction of Alex's room. The Commander crawled out of hiding, quickly, but quietly, rushing to the man as he grabbed him from behind, breaking the neck of the man before he could speak or yell. He then dragged the body into another one of the interrogation rooms, empty and dark, and hid it behind a teacher's desk he found in the corner.

Back with his dragon, the Commander nodded, and they listened on.

"Now Commander Spyro, you are making things much harder than they need to be. What can we give you that will talk you into sharing information?"

"There is nothing you can give me...I'm loyal only to Alex, and to God."

He stood up, now talking much faster, it was obvious he was reaching the limit of his patience, but he still maintained, or struggled to maintain, the 'good cop' persona. "Commander Jazz can give you anything you desire...anything! Our resources are unlimited, and whatever your wish is our command, we only ask for your cooperation in return. Why are you refusing to help us?"

"Hmm..." and Spyro's voice adopted a mocking tone, "Untie these binds, let me and my friends free, and show to the door, and then I'll _think _about answering your questions."

He then leaned over the chair, looking into Spyro's eyes, "Things could have been so much easier if you would have only listened," he whispered.

He briefly yelled out in alarm as his eyes widened. He was suddenly pulled back, a knife buried in his stomach, and he fell to the side. Alex was standing behind him, and the Commander reached down, revealing his dagger as he cleaned it on the soldier's clothes, and Piermont untied the purple dragon. "Guys! You're okay!"

"We're fine," Alex whispered, "Keep your voice down, we need to find Schakri and get the hell out of here."

"Alex," Spyro began, "I didn't tell them anything...I swear!"

"I believe you, Spyro," The Commander replied softly, "The only one I'm worrying about is Schakri, he plays by his own rules."

"Do you think he would tell them anything?"

"I'm pretty damn sure he would if he _really_ wanted to," Piermont said.

Several Hornets flew over the burning city as the militia flooded the streets, attacking the _Maxian _forces _en masse_. "Keep it up!" Cynder called through the radio communications link, "We're starting to drive them back."

"Let's shepherd 'em!" Simba ordered, and he, along with the other lions, Cheet, and Keisha chased after the enemy soldiers, pouncing on and killing several of them. They came upon one soldier, a grenade in hand, ready to drop it if attack. Simba stepped forward while the others moved on, and he roared. The man, trembling, wet himself before he turned tail and ran, only to be pounced on and ripped apart by the lion, who kicked the primed grenade into a nearby cluster of _Maxian _soldiers.

"I'm ready to kick some _Maxian_ ass!" Sonic shouted as he leaped out of a nearby, two story building, jumping over Simba and speeding up the streets once he landed, a bright blue blur. He collapsed into his ball form, spinning as he leaped into the air, locking on to several _Maxian _soldiers and homing in on them.

One by one, the clusters of soldiers and armor began to turn around, heading back. Another contingent of Terminator troops appeared, as if from nowhere, attacking on the retreating _Maxia_, causing them to turn and head towards the park, as they were shepherded to their fate.

They wandered the endless halls of the _Maxian_ compound, exhausted, but knowing that they needed to find their fourth companion so they could head back. Alex, Piermont, and Spyro remained quiet, saying nothing, not wanting to alert guards, and they took desperate measures to keep from crossing paths with any of the patrols. They had no idea where Schakri was, and Alex couldn't even pick up on the dragon. Finally, they heard a familiar laugh, as maniacal as ever. Quickly running towards the source of the sound, the three of them peeked into the room as they saw Schakri, suspended in the air by chains connecting his limbs to the ceiling and floor. His torso was towards them, and was covered in cuts and bleeding wounds. Five soldiers were around him, all of them questioning him, slashing with knives they held when he didn't answer the question. He said nothing, only insulted them and their tactics, laughing whenever they wounded him.

"Jesus..." Piermont whispered, "He's like the fucking laughing dead."

"He's a sadist," Spyro began, "He loves pain."

"Ooh! How sexy!" the black dragon roared, "Your tactics are making me _mucho caliento_.!"

For show, he allowed himself to fall out, bringing on cries of disgust from the soldiers administering the torture.

"What's wrong? Don't like it?" and he pissed on them, further bringing on cries of disgust as they continued his torture. "Still don't like it? Keep on cutting and see what happens," they continued their torture, desperately trying to get him to crack, but he only laughed, and after another swift slash against his abdomen, he came, his seed splashing onto the torturers who jumped back, preparing to kill him. "Told ya torture turns me on!" and he laughed, bucking as his throbbing self continued to spew its load onto the torturers.

The three sneaked in, ambushing and killing the torturers as they quietly snapped their necks.

"You guys showed up!" Schakri said, "Damn, I was just starting to enjoy myself, too." Spyro grimaced as he looked at the ground around him, stepping over the puddle of the black dragon's bodily fluids.

"What's wrong, Spearow? Haven't seen a little piss or jizz before?"

"Disgusting..." the purple dragon replied, "Ugh..."

"It's only natural, besides, I thought you like that shit? You sucked off the Commander didn't you?"

"Can we _please _stop bringing that up?" Alex said, "Now isn't the time and place, now c'mon!" He held Schakri as the other two broke the chains, and the Commander sat the heavy dragon down on the ground. The black dragon proceeded to lick himself clean before marching alongside them.

"Where to now?" Spyro asked.

"We need to get out of here," Alex said.

"Any idea on how to do that?"

"I saw a map on my way to find Piermont...and I have an idea."

"Where do we go?"

"We're near a port, and there is an airstrip nearby, as well as a helipad. I don't think there are any planes here. If we can make our way across the compound, maybe we can be lucky enough to catch a helicopter back to New Alexandria."

"It's an idea...but..." Spyro began, before he was interrupted as a loud klaxon went off, and a voice came over the intercom system, "We've had a breach in Cell Block 4D, all personnel are to lock down the base and apprehend the prisoners before they can escape."

"Oh shit..." Piermont swore.

"C'mon, we need to get the hell out of here!" Alex exclaimed, "We are ill-suited to fight off the entire goddamn compound!"

"Nonsense! I can kick their asses!" Skorpion roared, laughing.

"They went this way!" a voice yelled behind them.

"C'mon!" Alex exclaimed, running forward, "We need to get out of this building!"

"I hope you memorized a way out?" Spyro asked.

"Nope."

"Of bloody course," Schakri said, "Party on, Garth!"

"What?"

"We're just winging it now, aren't we?"

"Ayup."

"Over there!" one of the guards yelled, and bullets whizzed around them.

As the sprinted through the maze of corridors, evading the guards as they tried to find the exit, they soon found themselves trapped in the quarters wing of the building. "We need weapons if we're gonna make it out of here alive," Alex said.

"What's your plan?" Spyro asked.

"I need you guys to distract them while I deal with this," and Alex hit the ground, prying off the keypad from a large blast door...the armory. While the dragons flamed the attacking troops, Alex worked on hacking the keypad, and finally, he succeeded as red light in the card reader turned green, and with a pneumatic hiss, the blast door opened. "Inside! _NOW!_" the Commander roared, and the four escaped prisoners rushed inside, quickly suiting up as the enemy troops blocked their exist.

"What now?" Spyro asked.

Alex grabbed several satchel charges as he planted them on the wall, rigging up the detonator. "Move!" Alex shouted, "Take cover!"

They did, and an explosion rocked the building as smoke poured from the breach, filling the armory and blinding everyone inside. The Terminators escaped through the breach, finding themselves at the end of a large hall, to their immediate right was a window leading outside. Alex looked out, they were still an easy eight stories above the ground, but he spied a television cable rigged right above the window, stretching across campus to a three story guard house, with another cable connecting with the ground.

"I've got an idea..." Alex began.

"Now would be a good time to share," Skorpion said.

Using the butt of his stolen Uzi, he busted out the window, taking off one of his gloves as he jumped out, wrapping the glove around the line and he slid down. The other four followed suit, using whatever they could. All four of them leaped off of the zipline, rolling to a stop on the roof of the building. Alex then went to the other cable, sliding down this one and onto the runway. All four prisoners on the ground, and the sound of the siren being the only noise they heard, they sprinted across the dark runway, covered in storage crates, as spotlights scanned the entire expanse, searching for them. Alex jumped onto a tall chain link fence, scaling it as he leaped over the barbed wire, landing on the other side and continuing his dash.

Behind them, _Maxian _soldiers followed them, and the captured Terminators could hear the soldiers yelling, as well as German Shepherds barking. "They've got dogs!" Spyro hissed, "We need to stay ahead of them."

They finally emerged at the end of the runway, stretching out over the roaring sea. At the far end was a helipad, and they immediately ran onto this, climbing into an empty helicopter as Alex took the controls, Spyro manned the guns, and Piermont and Schakri went along for the ride. The chopper rose into the air, but the guards had caught up to them, and several jumped into the air, grabbing onto the rails as they pulled themselves up, intending to intercept the escape. Schakri opened the door, kicking them off, and the chopper turned as Alex fired four rockets into the compound, sending it up in flames.

"Let them chew on _that _for a little while," the Commander said, turning the chopper again as they flew away.

A Hornet emerged from the teleportation vortex above the burning New Alexandria. Inside, the six ponies looked out over the new landscape, awestruck to see foreign scenery. "Ooh! Look at all of those flames!" Pinkie Pie said cheerily, "I love it, love it, LOVE IT! It's so pretty!"

"Pinkie Pie, this isn't something to cheer about," Twilight said, "They're in the middle of a battle right now."

"Gosh Twilight," Applejack began, "Are you sure the Princess wanted us here? She usually doesn't take people close to dangerous areas."

"That's what the messenger said."

"What did this messenger look like?" the pilot asked.

"He was a soldier, dressed in Terminator clothes, and he said that he had orders from Canterlot," Twilight answered.

A funny look suddenly appeared on the pilot's face. "Did this messenger say he had just left Canterlot?"

"Kinda, yeah, why?"

"Oh shit..." the pilot began, "Uh...we lost Canterlot two and a half days ago."

"Wait...what? You mean..."

"We shouldn't have come here, this is a trap!" as soon as the pilot said this, an explosion tore through the Hornet as it began to lose altitude, one of its engines aflame. "Brace yourselves!" he shouted, "We're going down!"

"Cynder," Elliot began over the comm link, "We have a bit of a problem."

"What's wrong. Things can _not _go wrong!"

"Well...they kind of are...the _Maxia _are getting smart, and they aren't being shepherded anymore, they're holding steady, and have turned artillery strikes on our guys, we're trouble."

"Uh...what should we do?"

"I don't know, call that bastard servine and ask him what to do, this was his bright idea."

"Kinda busy, Elliot, why don't you?"

"Because he isn't answering. I've tried, been trying for over an hour now."

"I'll go hunt for him," and Cynder slowed her glide, turning around as she flew back in the direction from which she came.

Terrias and Arian flew over the landscape, and although his radio had gone off, Terrias was spacing out, lost deep in thought. Several times, his dragon had tried to bring him back to earth, but his attempts at getting through ultimately failed. Finally, Cynder called him, and he awoke from his trance with a start, ignoring the persistent questions from his dragon as he answered Cynder.

"About time! Where are you, your plan isn't working as well as hoped. Got a contingency plan?"

"No, this _was _my contingency plan..."

"Well, you better work out the bugs, because we have a lot riding on you, including both mine and your own words."

"Yes, yes, everything will work out, just give it time."

Cynder sighed, "Okay then...just stay near your radio. You scared the shit out of Elliot when you didn't answer him."

"He called?"

"Terrias...are you feeling all right?"

"I'm fine," and his dragon gave him a victorious grin. _Shut up,_ Terrias thought at his beast.

"Okay then...if something _is _wrong, don't be so stupid and wait until the last minute to get help."

"I won't. Trust me, I don't want to go back there."

A roar sounded through the air, and Cynder looked, her eyes watering as she saw Spyro flying towards them. "_SPYRO_!" she roared in joy, flying towards him as she pounced upon him, knocking him unsteady. She wrapped her body around his, kissing him tightly, and the two landed. "You're okay!" she said, nuzzling and kissing her mate.

"I'm fine," Spyro smiled, looking tired.

"Where have you been?" she asked frantically.

"Long story, I'll tell you later."

"Where are the others?"

"Landing a chopper."

Another roar sounded, and Cynder watched as Alex, clad in full Daedric armor, appeared, mounted on Piermont, the two hovered beside the mated pair of dragons, and Schakri flew in circles around Piermont, "Let's kick some ass!" the small black dragon cried happily, "I'll fuck up these _Maxia _boys! Bastards thought they could restrain _Schakri Marfedelom di Irlymi_! _Nobody _plays dominant over me except for Charra! I'll show them who's the Alpha Male in these parts!"

"So Elliot," Alex said through his earpiece, "What did I miss?"

_To Be Continued..._


	23. Chapter XXII: The Way the World Ends X

_**Chapter XXII**_**:**

**-''The Way the World Ends, Pt. X: Doomsday''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_12 July 2012_-**

**-_1959 Hours_-**

Rainbow Dash crawled out of the wreckage, stretching as the other ponies and the pilot climbed out soon after. Somehow, all seven had managed to survive the crash, but now they were standing just inside a wall of dragonfire...not the _Fiernes Curtain _either, but one that had recently been put up around the wartorn city.

"Follow me," the pilot said, running forward as the ponies followed him.

"Where are we going?" the Pegasus asked.

"To find safety for you guys. We're here, the Hornet's destroyed, and you can't leave this area, else the fire behind us will bake you to a crisp, all we can do is move forward and hope that we don't encounter any _Maxia _on our way."

They suddenly heard a roar, and looking up, all seven watched as an emerald-green dragon, clad in red-on-black armor flew overhead. "Whoa!" Applejack exclaimed, "Who in the hay is _that_?"

"Looks to me like Commander Piermont and Commander Vaughn."

"Who?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Two of the High Command, the highest rank group in the entire army, they are the supreme leaders."

"Cool! I know what I'm shooting for once I join."

"Wait, you are thinking about joining?" Fluttershy asked, giving the cyan Pegasus a worried look.

"Uh..."

"You are leaving us?" Rarity asked, "Heavens! Why ever would you do that? Did we do something wrong?"

"No! No, it's nothing against you guys...I just have a...personal mission."

"So you need to join the Terminator Militia to complete it?"

"Yes, I do."

"Will you return to Equestria?"

"Of course I would, once I achieve what I need to do here."

"Shoot for the top of the top."

"No, something that shouldn't take too long, honest."

"_How _long?

"Um...maybe a couple of weeks, surely not longer than a month."

"Well...okay then..."

"Guys..." Twilight began, "Rainbow Dash...isn't the only one."

"What? You, too, Twilight?" Pinkie Pie asked, struggling not to cry, "What did we do to hurt your feelings that would make you want to leave us."

"Nothing, girls! Nothing, I'm just...like Rainbow Dash, I have a personal reason for joining..."

"What is it?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'd rather not say."

"Same here," Applejack said, "But not for any seriously personal reason, just 'cause I want to learn how to protect my family and the farm if we're ever attacked again."

"When will you three leave?" Fluttershy asked, sounding unhappy.

"As soon as the battle is over," Twilight answered.

"Oh...well, be careful you three..."

"Thanks, Fluttershy, we will."

"Alex!" Cynder yelled, flying up to Alex and kissing him briefly, "I missed you!"

"Same here..." Alex said, smiling as he replaced his helmet.

"Hey...what about me?" Schakri asked.

Cynder flew down to him, and kissed him as well, "I missed you, too."

"C'mon! The cheek? Really?"

Cynder turned to face Spyro, who only nodded with an amused sigh. She turned back, kissing Schakri on the lips, tongue and all, and the black dragon went wild.

"Hell yeah!" Skorpion said, "That's what I'm talkin' about! Now all we need is a little touchy-touchy and I'll be..."

"Don't push your luck," Cynder said, and she smiled, "But it's still good to see you guys, all four of you."

"Great Commander Alex Vaughn!" Elliot exclaimed, "What is with you going AWOL all the time, Commander?"

"Sorry, I was...apprehended."

"You mean captured?"

"Yeah. We wasted the compound and escaped though."

"Gotta be careful, Commander, anyway, I want you to see what the fuck has come over your damn protege. We're losing contact with him, and Arian is informing us that he isn't acting quite right."

"What protege?"

"Dammit, you know I mean."

"He graduated from the status, remember? The attack on the Necropolis was his graduation mission."

"Yeah, yeah...you know what I mean. Anyway, see what's wrong with Terrias, then help us out here. We're trying to drive the _Maxia _in the city to North Park so we can bomb them."

"Ah, good plan, whose was it?"

"Terrias'."

"Well, he's doing fine then!"

"Stop being a smart-ass."

"I think I should take the highest priority thing first. Terrias is fine, if he was in immediate danger, I'd feel it, right now, we need to help shepherd these bastards to the slaughterhouse."

With a vicious roar from Piermont, the dragon dove, flaming the streets as the _Maxia _not killed by the fires began to retreat. Spyro and Cynder, flying side-by-side, attacked from the other side, driving the _Maxia _left on the intersections as both groups torched the rear end of the force, driving them forward. They approached another intersection, and with Piermont blasting them from the rear, Spyro blasting them from the left, and Cynder charging from ahead on the eastern road, they turned right and headed south, moving closer to the park, looming in the distance. Terminator armor fired from all directions at the next intersection, driving the _Maxia _east once again.

The ponies could hear the joyful battle-cries of the Terminator Militia as they succeeded in their plan. "Well, _something's _going on," Rainbow Dash said.

"Obviously," Applejack replied.

"The Terminators are repelling the _Maxia_," the pilot said, "I'd prefer if we stayed away from their front lines."

"Why? I'd love to help them kick their butts! The _Maxia _are getting on my nerves..." Rainbow Dash replied, hovering as she boxed the air.

"Negative, your safety, Rainbow Dash, as well as the safety of everybody else...or every_pony_ else, depends on me, so we're staying away from them."

"Aww, I wanted to have some fun, I love the thrill of the chase."

"Well, if you join the militia, and receive the proper training, you can next time around."

"What if there isn't a 'next time around'?"

"Then you should be overjoyed that you are so lucky."

"Well, I'm tired of playing subtle!" and Rainbow Dash leaped into the air, flying towards the battle.

"Rainbow Dash! Wait!" Twilight called, "Come back!"

The first thing that the Pegasus noticed was that there was indeed heavy fire, but it was coming from the Terminators, not the _Maxia_. The invaders were actually fleeing for their lives while the militia drove them through the streets, obviously trying to lead them somewhere. Before she knew it, she was flying alongside the militia's dragons, specifically the Commander's Wing, but in the heat of battle, nobody seemed to notice her sudden arrival. While they rained hell upon the streets, driving the _Maxia _away, Dash joined in the fun, pulling off skillful aerial attacks as she succeeded in redirecting a stray group of soldiers in the same direction as the others. Then, out of nowhere, Applejack appeared beside her, pulling off several attacks as she ran beside Dash who was flying low to the ground. Twilight joined in as well, and the three ponies worked together, helping the militia. Suddenly, one of the tanks stopped abruptly, turning to aim and shoot at the trio. Soon after, they felt the heat of fire as they were blinded by brilliant white light, and when it cleared, the tank was destroyed, melting down. A purple dragon landed beside the destroyed tank, in front of the stunned ponies, "Who are you?" he asked, appearing as if ready to attack.

"We're not trying to hurt anyone, sir," Twilight answered, "We're helping the Terminators."

"You new recruits?" and he looked puzzled, then Twilight instantly remembered seeing him...back when Spike had gone missing, and the Terminators had been hired to help them.

"Wait, you're Commander Spyro, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah," Spyro replied, "Who are you."

"I'm the one who enlisted your help in finding Spike."

The purple dragon grinned and nodded, "Ah! Twilight Sparkle, if my memory serves correctly? What brings you ponies here to this flaming hellhole?"

"We were tricked by a _Maxia _soldier, posing as a Terminator messenger, he told us we were wanted here..."

"Yeah, you sure were tricked, we're not wanting anyone, save soldiers, here. I'm sure you can kinda see why."

The other ponies and the pilot arrived, and the pilot said, "Uh...Commander Spyro, sir! My apologies..."

"Don't be sorry, these three are damn good fighters...how would you three feel about joining the Terminator Militia? Alpha Company needs fighters like you."

"Alpha Company?" Twilight said, gasping, "You mean...we'd be able to join _the _Alpha Company? Legendary Mutant Division of the Terminator Militia?"

"Of course..."

"We were thinking of joining anyway...that just made things a thousand times better!"

"Excellent, come with me once this battle's over, I'll take you to my CO-commanding officer-and get things written up."

"Thank you!"

Spyro nodded, "No problem. Thanks for your help, but we have things under control," and he flew off.

"I'm not finished yet..." and Rainbow Dash rose into the air, about to charge into battle, but Twilight stopped her, "See, this is exactly what I meant. This army is very structured, you can't just disobey the orders of the _second-in-command_ of the entire army!"

"Humph...fine."

"Keep it up!" Alex roared into the radio, "We're almost there!"

The relentless attacks continued as their destination came into view. Finally, the front lines of the invasion force entered the park, and Terminator armor immediately surrounded the park to prevent escape. One by one, the invasion force flooded into North Park, and within an hour, the entire force was trapped as the remainder of the Terminator Militia's armor surrounded the park, closing off all escape.

"Excellent!" Alex cheered, "Now! Bring in the bombers! Let's finish this once and for all!"

Air raid sirens went off as three jets, flying low, raced above the park, leaving a smoke trail. Piermont landed behind the line of tanks, watching as the _Maxia _realized what was going on, and moved to shoot their way out, but the militia held steady, and the loud drone of fifty bombers rose into the night. The ponies sped to a stop, standing behind the Commander and Spyro, who stood side-by-side and didn't notice the presence of their guests. They heard the sound of falling bombs, and several heart-pounding seconds later, the bombs struck their target as a hundred bombs exploded in the park, decimating everything within. The attack lasted five minutes, and once the last of the bombers were gone, the smoke cleared several minutes later, revealing the gory, bloody sight within. There were no survivors, every single unit of the invaders had been blown to pieces.

Suddenly, Alex, who had remained as still as a statue like everybody else while they watched the annihilation of the _Maxian_ troops, tapped his earpiece, "Mission complete," he said, "Good job everybody, this war is finally over."

Cheers rose from the massive crowd as the Terminator Militia reigned supreme. However, Alex's excitement was short lived, as Elliot radioed him with an urgent message, "Commander! We have ourselves a serious situation!"

"What, Elliot, could possibly be so important? The battle is over!"

"No, there is something much worse."

He sighed, "Fine, what's going on?"

"It's Terrias!"

"What about him? Dammit Elliot, why are you obsessing over him? Do you have, like, some kind of crush or some shit?"

"Ha ha, this isn't time for games, Commander. He's gone!"

"Gone? Where?"

"I don't know...several of our soldiers said that they saw Arian and him leaving the city, heading southwest."

"Wonder what this is about, are you sure we should be worrying?"

"Yes, especially since several stragglers from Beta Company saw him disappear into the teleportation vortex. One of them followed him to see what's up and..."

"And what?"

"He appeared over Area 51...Commander, that's Jazz's headquarters! That's the capital of the _Maxia _after DC was wasted."

"What the hell is he doing there?"

"I don't know, but I think I have an idea..."

"You don't think he's going to try to take on Jazz do you? If it _is _the capital of the _Maxia_, and _is _where Jazz is hiding out, then I wouldn't doubt that Jazz has his best troops there."

"You need to get over there, Alex. Terrias doesn't stand a chance alone!"

"On it!" and he sent out a radio command to the cheering soldiers, "Attention! We have an emergency, Sergeant Terrias has gone AWOL and is heading to the _Maxia _capital at Area 51. All units need to head there immediately, we aren't finished until we apprehend Terrias before he ignites the whole damn war again!"

Piermont roared before taking to the air as every dragon rose into the air, and in hundreds of flashes of blue light, they vanished into thin air.

"What do you think is going on, Twilight?" Applejack asked, sounding concerned.

"I don't know..."

-**Area 51-**

**-**_**13 July 2012**_**-**

**-**_**0118 Hours**_**-**

Terrias emerged over Area 51, ignoring confused questions from Arian as he ordered him to begin an assault on the base. By now, he had completely collapsed under the stress of the seven-day war, and now, with that adding to his ever-present insomnia, he had one thought on his delirious mind, revenge. _I will not attack until reinforcements arrive and you tell me what the hell is going on, Terrias_!

_Jazz! _the servine thought out, laughing maniacally, _I'm going to finish him, once and for all! His reign of terror ends now!_

_You have clearly lost your sanity, Terrias, we're heading back to New Alexandria, right now._

_NO! We will head back when I say so! If you don't want to fight, drop me off, and I'll take them on by myself!_

_This is the _Maxia'_s headquarters, you charge in, it's suicide. Jazz and his best are in there!_

_I know...I will make sure I kill him first._

_We are leaving,_ and as Arian turned around, Terrias growled, grabbing the horns of his beast as his mind overpowered his dragon's and he flooded the dragon's mind with his own delusions and delirium. Physically, he had already transformed into his Dark form, and his dragon had also transformed, now a shadow dragon.

_BEGIN THE ATTACK_! Terrias ordered, and his dragon opened his great maw, spewing purple fire down upon the base.

An air raid siren sounded, and soldiers of the _Maxian _Elite Division-troops that were mutated with the same serum as Alpha Company, confiscated and mass-produced following one of the later attacks on New Alexandria during Necro's reign-flooded out of the buildings of the compound, firing on the dark dragon and his rider.

_LAND_! the servine ordered, and Arian created a ring of fire, landing within it as Terrias leaped off, revealing his shotgun, as well as an AK47, and dual-wielding them as the dragon flew off, continuing his aerial attack. Terrias pyrokinetically lowered the flames, firing into the onslaught of soldiers. He tore through the compound, much like he did on the first night he discovered his dark form, the same night where he had unintentionally ignited the mini-war that had plagued the world for a week now. Even the Elite Division couldn't stall his hellish rampage, and he charged into the control center for the _Maxia_, gunning down the scientists and computer technicians inside, massacring the unarmed, unarmored Air Force units as he charged forward. They fled, attempting to escape from the servine, but he just gunned them down. Through the door that the innocents fled through, four heavily-armored _Maxian _mutants, what Alex called 'Juggernauts' due to their eerie resemblance to the _Call of Duty _series enemies of the same name, arrived, all wielding M240s, also like their video game counterparts.

Terrias wasted the Juggernauts, grabbing one of the dropped machine guns as he marched through the hallways, finger never leaving the trigger of the gun, leaving a trail of blood and destruction in his wake. After walking down two flights of steps, he spotted an open hatch leading underground. He climbed down the ladder, walking into the heart of a bunker, filled with computers, with a massive monitor showing the earth on screen. Once more, the rogue Terminator relentlessly gunned down all of the unarmed and unarmored Air Force units, and they tried to flee from the servine's bloody clutch, but they ultimately failed.

Once the monitor room of the bunker was devoid of life, Terrias hacked into the computer database, bypassing the various securities and firewalls, using that to hack the Ring, after several more complicated formulas and commands, a timer, set for thirty minutes, appeared on screen, and Terrias, eyes wild in his delirium, grinned maliciously.

Up in space, the Ring suddenly began to move, and the technicians in the control room actually based inside of the ring were worried. "What the hell is going on?" one of them asked, "Did the Commander activate the Ring? We aren't ready to fire yet, we're still under repairs!"

"No...he would have informed us if so," another technician asked.

"See if you can find where it was activated."

With a few console taps, a worried look overcame the technician's face, "Uh...sir? It was apparently fired from a database in...Nevada?"

"How could that be?"

"I don't know..."

"Can you override the attack?"

"Negative, sir."

"_WHAT!?_"

"Yeah...I've been locked out of all systems...we've been hacked!"

"I'll send word to the Commander about this. Where are we firing?"

"The same base where we were hacked."

Piermont emerged from the teleportation vortex. Both he and his rider were deeply concerned for the servine. "Oh no..." Alex began, seeing what lay before them, "Terrias has already begun his attack! Where in the hell is he!?"

"Uh...Alex?" the dragon began.

"What?"

"We have worse problems right now..."

"What!? What is it?"

"Look up."

Alex did, and his face adopted a grim outlook as he saw the Ring, lights green for 'primed to fire', moving. "That bastard! He hacked the ring! We need to stop him _and _the Ring before he blows the whole damn planet up! The Ring is still under repairs!"

"Commander..." his radio chimed, between static.

"Vaughn here."

"Commander, this is General Alfred Courson, from the Space Control Center for the Ring...we've been hacked, and we're set to fire."

"I'm well aware..."

"Do you know who did this?"

Alex lied and said, "I don't know. Do you know where it is rigged to fire."

"Yes, I do, some location in Nevada, out in the middle of the desert...we can't override the firing mechanism, the hacker locked us out. The Ring was hacked from the same position it is being aligned to fire, the only way to cancel the firing is to get to the computer where it was hacked and deactivate it from there."

"Thank you, we will hurry on it, over and out. Dammit, Piermont, Terrias is intending to blow the whole damn base up!"

"Why did you lie to them? We know that Terrias is behind the execution..."

"Because I think we can still get through to him, before it's too late, and I'm willing to clean up this one last mess for him."

Below them, the rest of the militia appeared, engaging the defenders of the base as Piermont flew low over an empty sector of it, and Alex jumped off. _Piermont, _he thought, _Locate Arian and/or Terrias from the skies, I'll cover down here_.

_Yes, sir. I'll let you know if I find anything_, and the forest dragon flew off.

Alex followed the servine's trail of destruction to the bunker, and upon his entry, he watched as the massive computer monitor showed the stream of codes that were commanding the Ring. "Shit..." he breathed, looking at the carnage, and he ran to the only computer not destroyed. A siren was going off on the monitor, a red box flashed on the screen with the phrase "ERROR: SO91748-05-30 IS IN ALIGNMENT: MINUTES TO FIRE: 27:58"

'SO91748' the computer's name for identifying the Ring, '-05', representing that the 5th onboard plasma cannon was being aligned to fire, '-30' representing that Terrias had adjusted the effect radius of the blast to be 30 miles, give or take. Alex tried to override the hack, to shut down the cannon, but the servine had apparently, somehow, froze the database after commissioning the Ring, he knew that someone was going to try and stop it, whether that person be the Commander, or Jazz, he didn't know.

He reported his results to the onboard control center before reporting to the rest of the soldiers attacking. "We have a serious situation," he said, "We have to leave him, we can't risk the entire damn army for one rogue soldier, I want everyone to pull out now!" and he continued pursuing Terrias.

Terrias emerged from the bunker into an empty building, and he charged upstairs, continuing his trail of destruction as he arrived on the rooftop, where Jazz was waiting for him, along with five Juggernauts. "So, Sergeant Terrias has decided to go AWOL hasn't he? How humorous!" and Jazz laughed, "Well done, Terrias! Getting this far, I mean. Plus, as a failsafe, you even set the Ring to finish me off, I must commend you on your persistence. I know my time ends here, but I will take you down with me! Kill him!"

"Terrias!" a voice roared from behind him, "Stop!"

The servine turned, sending the intruder flying backwards as the Juggernauts ran forward, guns blazing. Terrias swiftly brought them down, barely breaking a sweat as the rabbit revealed his swords, charging forward. They fought viciously. His shotgun out of ammo, Terrias exchanged it for his blades, engaging in a brutal sword fight.

"You have evolved!" the rabbit said, out of breath, "I'm impressed! Every time we run into each other, your fighting grows better and better. But this is a challenge I won't lose until I ensure that you die before me!"

* * * * *

Alex ran upstairs, seeing Jazz's standoff with Terrias.

"Kill him!" the rabbit ordered.

As the Juggernauts that surrounded the rabbit moved forward to eliminate the servine, Alex roared, "Terrias! Stop!"

He managed to attract the servine's attention, but he only jutted out his chin, and Alex felt himself being picked up and thrown across the room. He slammed into the wall and slid to a sitting position, dazed, as through the hail of fire from the Juggernauts, Terrias caused blindingly bright flames to raise in the doorway leading to the arena. The Commander stood, trying to lower them, but they flared and hissed, refusing to obey him. Helpless, Alex watched as the apprentice and the traitor fought, Terrias first with his shotgun, before changing to his swords once he ran out of ammunition, Jazz with his swords throughout the whole fight. The world began to shake, and Alex looked out, watching the Ring reach alignment, and the immense cannon emerged from Bay 05, the tip of it punching through the atmospheric layers, the air displacement rushing through the world, causing the earthquake-like rumbles that tore through the base, the odd muffled explosions being the sonic boom caused by the displaced air.

Terrias appeared to be winning, he was attacking swiftly, relentlessly, not tiring, and Jazz, blocking the blows, was growing more and more exhausted. However, the servine's relentless series of blows paused, and his dark form flickered, each flicker revealing his normal colors...he was losing fury, meaning he was weakening, and his dark form, fueled by fury like Super Sonic was fueled by rings, was dissipating. Jazz took his exhaustion as an opportunity to thrust his blade forward, impaling the servine once again, and Terrias went down. "Terrias! _NO!_" Alex cried.

He stood, unsteadily, and Jazz, single blade outstretched, the point inches away from the servine's throat, said, "Goodbye, Sergeant Terrias!" as he prepared to issue the killing blow, Terrias jumped up, grabbing the rabbit and throwing him down. Jazz hit the ground, and Terrias, clutching his bleeding chest, collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily. The rabbit moved to stand, and Terrias, weakly standing once more, pulled the sword out of his chest. Jazz stood up, reaching for his dropped blade, but Terrias forced him to stand, kicking him in the back and back down to the ground again. As Jazz picked himself up, Terrias brought the sword above his head, slashing diagonally, from right to left, across the rabbit's back. In a spray of blood, Jazz stumbled, and in the upswing of his first blow, Terrias brought the blade down, diagonally, across the rabbit's back from left to right, making an 'X', much like what had become of him. The servine then sent the blade through Jazz's back and out of his chest, impaling him, and the rabbit cried out in pain. Terrias ripped the blade out, smashing the traitor in the back of the head with the hilt. Jazz, bleeding profusely, stood again, and Terrias slashed him twice in the chest, making another 'X'. Upon the final swing to make the final leg of the 'X', both Terrias and his opponent collapsed.

Terrias, still bleeding from his chest, pulled himself over to the wall of the arena, sitting against the wall, breathing heavily. Jazz did the same, crawling to the opposite side of the roof, leaning against an AC duct, bleeding out, breathing heavily. Finally, Terrias stood again, collapsing several times before succeeding, and he limped over to the rabbit, blade raised above his head. The look in the rabbit's eyes was homicidal, furious, "YOU CAN'T KILL ME!"

"Goodbye...you heartless...bastard..." and Terrias brought the blade sideways, as the rabbit's head fell to the side, and the body twitched once, then stilled, still laying against the duct. Terrias's color flickered, and once he returned to his normal color, he collapsed, unconscious. The flames blocking the door flickered before finally going out, and Alex, slowly standing limped over to where Terrias lay. He picked the servine up, looking up as he saw a green ball of light at the end of the cannon. He ran, quickly, jumping off of the building as he fell towards the street. Piermont appeared, from out of nowhere, catching the Commander, and Arian flew beside them,_ I'm sorry,_ the dragon thought at Piermont and Alex, _I don't know what came over me_...

As the world shook violently, the shaking now continuous, the world flashed red, adopting a red tint as the aiming laser fired, and the green light shot down, creating a glowing beam. It impacted the center of the base, sending out white shockwaves in every direction. The heat emitting from the beam was intense, and Alex could feel his body constantly healing the burns he was being dealt. _Piermont_! His mental voice cried out, _Teleport! Get away from here!_

The two dragons flew forward, their flapping slowing as they grew weaker, and in two flashes of light, they vanished.

They reappeared at the edge of the blast radius, nearly unconscious and falling to the earth, crash landing and rolling several times to a stop. Alex and Terrias, both still alive, were breathing heavily, and semi-conscious. The Terminator Militia watched as the beam ended, and the Ring closed, the LEDs turning red for Regen Mode. It would be at least twenty four hours before the Ring was able to fire again.

Alex, waking, stood, turning to face the former base, now a massive crater, glowing red, orange, yellow, blue, and purple, superheated by the blast that had incinerated the base, and the remains of the Shade King. As he turned around, he saw Terrias, awake, and sitting away from the crowd, his back to them, chin on his knees.

"Terrias..." he said beneath his breath, and he walked over to his friend.

The servine was sniffling, "I'm sorry, Alex..." he said, "I...I don't know what came over me..."

The Commander crouched, "Terrias..." and he hugged his friend, attempting to comfort him.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's okay."

"Forgive me..."

"I already do, Lieutenant."

Terrias stiffened, "What?"

"C'mon 2nd Lieutenant, it's time to go."

"2nd Lieutenant...?"

And the servine couldn't help but to laugh, despite the tears flowing out of his eyes.

"Thank you, Alex..." he whispered, "Thank you..."

Alpha Company returned to New Alexandria, still burning, but it was silent. "I can't believe it..." Spyro said, "Finally...it's over...we won."

"Well done, Commander!" Elliot said cheerily, "Apprehended Terrias as well as slaughtered that bastard Jazz, you did well. So, you have the honor of naming this little schism. WWIII is my suggestion."

"No," Alex said, "The Blood Week Crisis."

Elliot thought about it for a few moments, then nodded, "Yeah, has a bit of a ring to it."

"Commander...a word..." Spyro interrupted.

Alex turned to face Elliot, who nodded and turned to leave, directing the other soldiers back to the barracks. "What's up, Spyro?"

"We have a few new members that need to be enlisted."

"Really?"

"Aye."

"Who?"

Spyro led him up the block to where the ponies, as well as Chris, were under the watchful eyes of Cynder, Sonic, and Simba. "Well, hello there!" Alex began, "Lucky for you all, I'm not in the mood for flashy introductions, so if you come with me, I'll get you all signed up."

It didn't take long to sign them up, and by the time dawn arrived, Chris had been enlisted into Delta Company, but allowed to maintain his rank. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle all were absorbed into Alpha Company at the insistence of Spyro, but much to the chagrin of the other members, who weren't as excited to have iconic characters for little girls in their ranks, and as they headed back to Club Camelot, the excitement in all of them, especially Rainbow Dash, was clear as day, and all three were ready to begin their training.

"So!" Rainbow Dash began happily, "When do we begin?"

"It'll take some time to recover, so probably as soon as we can..."

"Awesome!"

As the sun began to rise over the first day without war since the Blood Week Crisis began, Alpha Company walked through the wartorn streets, heading home, their newest members in tail.


	24. Chapter XXIII: Reflection

_**Chapter XXIII**_**:**

**-''Reflection''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_15 July 2012_-**

**-_2357 Hours_-**

Terrias stood upon the balcony of the top floor of Club Camelot, staring off, lost in thought, towards the burning plains north of the city walls. The skies were clear, but moonless, and stars shone brilliantly like twinkling diamonds. Ribbons of fluorescent green and yellow gases illuminated the sky, an almost still _Aurora Borealis_, although it was midsummer. The city, empty, quiet, and dark, with the exception of the gas-powered street lamps, stretched out below for miles. Silhouettes of the rundown, broken, busted buildings granted the city an air of mystery, but also a kind of beauty.****

The flickering flames of the Fiernes Curtain were beautiful, warm, and mystifying, and the low rumble of the fires soothed Terrias, lulling him to sleep despite his insomnia. He stood in place, a statuesque figure, staring into the fires, entranced, as memories of his past played before his eyes. His memories kept touching a sensitive time, one that brought tears to his eyes, and he would send them away, only for them to return.****

Ever since his official admission into the ranks of Alpha Company and the Terminator Militia, Alex had bugged and pestered him relentlessly for his birthday. However, Terrias refused to tell, not to annoy his superior, but to avoid surfacing memories he preferred to keep buried in time.****

The sliding door to Alpha Company's penthouse opened quietly, and Aria emerged from the dark depths, approaching her mate and resting her head on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" She asked, concern thick in her weary voice.****

"Fine," he replied, his voice almost too quiet to be heard.****

"What are you doing?"****

"Thinking..." Replied the servine, "Remembering..."****

"What about?"****

"Many things, mainly, my past."****

"Terrias..."****

"It's getting to that time again, Aria, I can't help it."****

"It is the same thing every year, you really should tell somebody, maybe they can help you put this to rest."****

"Isn't it enough that you know?"****

She recoiled, offended, but, closing her eyes, answered with a sigh, "No."****

They stood in silence for a few minutes before she suddenly asked, "I'm going to bed, you can join me if you like."****

"I'll be there in a few minutes."****

She shook her head, she knew she wouldn't see him before she fell asleep. With an offended call of "Goodnight," she disappeared back in the building, slamming the door shut.****

* * * * *****

An hour passed, and Terrias decided to retire for the evening. As he entered the dark hall, lit only by the living room's fireplace across the hall, he first stopped by Spyro and Cynder's room. The two dragons were side-by-side, asleep, smiling in their dreamworld. Terrias watched them, observing how the ghostly light of their fireplace glowed on their faces and the wooden, olive-sheeted king-sized bed.****

Next, he made his way across the massive room, entering the master bedroom. Alex and his fiance were asleep beside each other, their wood-framed, olive-sheeted bed mounted on a raised platform against the rear wall. Their fireplace was lit as well, providing warmth against the chilly, Montana night as well as some light. Both looked at peace as well, and Terrias envied their comfort. He silently closed their door, sneaking into his own bedroom and collapsing beside his resting mate, turning away from her as he got comfortable and finally fell asleep.****

* * * * *****

"Watch out!" Crash cried, running across the wooden balcony and diving into the balcony pool. All of Alpha Company was outside, enjoying the summer day. Alex, Spyro, Cynder, and Piermont were playing _Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2_ on their Xbox 360, engaged in a vicious firefight on the game's "Terminal" multiplayer map.****

Crash, Rapid, Cheet, Simba, and Nala were swimming while Sonic, Knuckles, and Keisha-Cheet's mate-were in the hot tub, watching the heated virtual firefight. The others sat around, sunbathing, talking, enjoying their social time without worry of combat or attack.****

Terrias finally walked outside, rubbing his eyes of sleep as Piermont, eyes glued to the television, said, "Hey! Look who finally woke up."****

Terrias flipped him off before asking, "What the hell are y'all doing?"****

Alex replied, his gaze never diverting, "Getting my ass kicked by Spyro."****

Here Spyro snickered before he called out, "What the fuck!? Damn you Alex!"****

"You were in the plane, sniping at Pierre up on the damn powerhouse through the window, so I went up and knifed yo ass from behind."****

"I call rape."****

"It's not rape if you yell 'surprise'."****

"But you didn't-"****

"Surprise!" Alex called as he killed Spyro yet again.****

"Bah! Motherfucker! Why do they always fucking spawn us on top of each other?"****

"So we are constantly on our guard."****

"Pisses me off."****

"Get over it."

''So...is this all you guys _do _all day?'' Rainbow Dash said, sounding annoyed, ''I thought you were a real army, not someone fantasizing inside some kind of video game.''

''Just so you know, Dashie," Spyro began, "We are a legit army, it just so happens that we don't train on Sundays.''

''It's Saturday...''

''Gotta be Sunday somewhere,'' Alex replied, snickering.

''You guys are so immature.''

''You have yet to become a full member of the militia, and so, your argument is void.''

Twilight laughed, ''You guys are such dorks.''

''I personally would rather call 'em morons,'' the cyan Pegasus replied.

''I reject your reality and substitute my own,'' Spyro countered.

Dash slapped her face with a hoof, turning to face Sonic who had climbed out of the hot tub and was now relaxing on the roof of the bar, sunglasses over his eyes as he sunbathed, ''Are these guys really the leaders of the army? The so-called 'High Command'?''

''Yep,'' Sonic replied, not even turning his head to address her, ''Better get used to it, these days, we do slack off a lot. But we also work our asses off day in and day out.''

''Ha! Doesn't look much like it to me...''

''You're a greenhorn,'' Alex replied not turning away from the television, ''I don't expect you to know or understand.''

''Understand what?''

''Well...'' Twilight began, ''They kinda have been in the middle of a real-life war for over two years now, Rainbow Dash, and you seem to have forgotten that whole week long battle we were in a few days ago...remember? The same army that attacked Equestria attacked everywhere else, too...and these guys were dealing with them elsewhere.''

''Yeah,'' Spike added, ''Trust me, they really do work hard. You just happened to catch them on one of their rare days where they are relaxing.''

''Pfft, and you guys thought _I _was lazy!''****

* * * * *****

In between rounds, Alex looked back towards Terrias. The servine sat alone at the table against the back of the balcony, looking out towards the east, a cup of coffee in his hand, still full.****

Alex, concerned, walked over to him and asked, "Want to take over for awhile?"****

"No thanks."****

"Sure?"****

"Yes."****

After several moments of silence, Alex asked, "Is everything okay?"****

"'Course."****

"Hard times with Aria?"****

"No, never."****

Still concerned, Alex decided to let it go and returned to his game.

A few hours later, Alex wandered over to where Terrias sat, still by himself, staring blankly at the television screen.

"Hey," he asked, "I'm heading to Walmart to restock our fridge, wanna come with?"

"Sure," Terrias replied, jumping up and stretching.

A few minutes on the road, Alex suddenly asked, "You're sure awful quiet."

No reply.

"Seriously Terrias, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Bullshit."

Silence for a few minutes before the servine replied, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Did something happen?"

"No, not recently."

There were several more moments of silence before Terrias then spoke, "Do you...know why I never told you my birthday?"

"No, why not?"

"I..." He struggled to find the words, "I never told you, because it is associated with some...things...that I would rather not think about."

"You can tell me anything."

He nodded, and after another period of silence, he said, "When...when I was four..." He struggled to find the words to continue, "On my fourth birthday, my mother...she...she had broken out of her pokeball to find me a bit of a birthday present...my owner...he happened to wander in and...and...oh God."

He finally lost it then, crying, Alex then said, "You don't have to continue."

"But I need to...it's time I told someone besides Aria."

Finally taking control of himself, he continued, "He beat her...as punishment...but he was drunk, and lost control." He closed his eyes as tears welled, "She...fell forward, unconscious...it was not uncommon for him to beat us into unconsciousness. He suddenly, after spacing out for a few minutes after, got this...horrified look on his face, and ran outside. Of course, I, not really understanding, went up to her and...and tried to get her to wake up..."

The pauses between recollections grew longer, and Alex knew that this was an especially painful memory to overcome. He knew he needed to stop his friend, he understood now why Terrias wanted to forget it, but at the same time, his curiosity bested his courtesy, "I think I know what you're getting at now..."

"The next thing I remember, he came running in covered in mud from head to toe, and he has this muddy shovel. He was red-faced, reeked of sweat, and it was obvious he had been doing a bit of manual labor. He ran upstairs and came back with this blue quilt. Then he...he opened our cage and pulled my mom out, wrapping her up and running outside. He...he had left the cage door open, so I...I went out and...and..."

He began to cry again.

Alex said, "You watched him bury her...didn't you?"

He nodded, "I didn't understand...at first, I was like, 'what's he doing to her?' You know? 'Mom! Mom! Get up! Get up! What's he doing to you and...some time passed, and I remember waiting for Mom to come back...I was wondering when she would...

"A few days later, I had been moved from the females' cage I used to share with my mom, a snivy that was a friend of mine, and the other females he had, and into the big cage that all of the male snakes quartered in. Naturally, to prevent breeding, he isolated males and females, hell, we couldn't even see the females. I remember one day, he had released us, and these three big seviper were gaining up on me.

"I thought...I thought they were going to kill me but...the sunlight had been blocked out...and I saw a servine...at first...I was overjoyed 'cause I thought my mom had come back, y'know, but..."

"It wasn't her."

"No, it wasn't...she beat the living crap out of them, then went to check on me...I went and immediately hugged her...that's when I knew it wasn't Mom. She looked at me kinda sympathetic, I didn't really care, I was glad I had someone to take care of me again...and then I realized that it was Aria..."

"She had evolved?"

Terrias nodded, "Every day, Aria protected me, and then, my owner finally moved me back into the females' cage, and I was finally with her again. I remember...that night I..." Here he laughed sadly, as if a funny memory, "I tried to breastfeed...didn't mean to...entirely lost control. I was embarrassed because, I came back to the real world once I realized that her breasts were underdeveloped, and she wasn't producing milk. I was so embarrassed, but she gave me more of a 'aww how cute' look than a disgusted look, you know?"

"A few years passed by, and then, one hot day, I was napping and had the oddest dream...it wasn't uncommon for me to have odd dreams...usually they were of my mother though...but this was...it was different. I was in a beautiful, grassy valley, surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. A river ran noisily through, it was warm, very sunny, a soft, warm breeze...and I was under the shade of a tree...the world was almost like the Valley of Avalar, you know?

"Anyway, I saw her...Aria was so beautiful, the sunlight was shining so bright...she almost seemed to glow...and she had the biggest smile...I lost all control and just dove at her, it was like...what the hell? I had this...strange feeling. She fell to the ground, and I climbed on top of her, and she whispered something into my ear and...and we...we..." He lowered his head, closed his eyes, and shook his head.

"She screamed...I thought I had hurt her, but she smiled and said in our own way, 'No, no! You didn't hurt me!' Even though I didn't believe her, there was blood dripping from her...areas...and I still didn't care...Then she said the weirdest thing, I didn't understand it, she said, 'Thank you for setting me free'. Then she gave...control...to me, full control, and I was overcome with the most amazing feeling. It felt as if I had been ran through with a sword of pure light and warmth. It felt so good...and...

"I awoke...I never saw her in the same light after that. I went through this...stage...where I tried to see her...all of her. I'd wait until she and everyone else was asleep, then I'd try to get a look at her, but either her tail or paws would always get in the way. One day, however, I followed her and spied on her as she relieved herself...and then my next phase was imagining what it would be like...feel like...to be in there...to make that dream come true. Here I was, thinking that this mother/big sister figure who is probably the only reason I'm sitting here today, as a mate. It was so awkward.

"Whenever I thought of her, I'd feel this tightening sensation and appearance of heat in my loins...then I'd...eh...reveal myself. I was like a damn kid in a candy store thinking 'ooh! What is this thing? Maybe I can make it feel good like in the dream!' And 'oh! It feels good when I touch that little red thing'. That's when I discovered masturbation, and I did that...a lot...but I always chickened out and stopped before I peaked. Consequently, that tension and longing increased dramatically.

"Then, one night, I was the only one awake, and I decided to 'go all the way'. The pleasure was good, but when I came I was scared shitless. Thought I had wet the bed. My frantic panicking and struggling to cover it up roused Aria, and she dashed over to me, asking if I was okay. I played asleep, and she stood over me, and I got the clearest view of her I had ever seen. It was obvious she had had a dream as well, all swollen and wet and shit. Eventually, though, she went back to sleep, and I did too.

"The next morning, she wandered over to me and asked, 'Have you ever...thought of me?'

"I had said, 'Of course.'

"She then asked, 'Have you ever thought of me...differently?'

"I said, 'Maybe.'

"She then asked, much to my surprise, 'Have you ever thought of us as a couple?'

"'What do you mean?'

"'You know...' She was blushing, obviously quite shy, 'Having babies...together...'

"I had totally freaked out by this time, and said, 'No! Never! You are my friend, but I have never...not like that...' This was a lie, of course, but I was too afraid she would laugh at me or be disgusted if I told the truth...instead, she got this sad look on her face, and she said, 'Oh.'

"That's all she said before she went back to sleep. I felt so terrible, I kicked myself, hell, I still do. I constantly tried to get her to talk about it again, to ask the question, but all she would reply is, 'I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me.'

"'But I don't mind if we talk about it,' I would reply.

"'I won't ask again, it's okay. Sorry for bringing it up.' Oh my God, I was so pissed at myself..." He sighed, "We never spoke of it again, until the night after we rescued her."

"What did you say?" Alex asked.

"I said, 'Remember that talk we had? About the...baby...thing?"

"And she said," Alex continued.

"'Yeah.' I then said, 'Listen...if you...ever wanted that...we could...'"

"And she said?"

"'Maybe someday.'"

"Well, I'm glad you and her are finally together anyways."

"Yeah," Terrias smiled, "So am I."

"So, just as a question."

"Go ahead."

"When is your birthday?"

Terrias laughed loudly, surprising Alex, but also cheering him up to know that his friend's good-natured personality was starting to return, "Goddamn man! You are so fucking persistent."

"Sorry bud, I have OCD tendencies."

"Uh huh. Anyways, to answer your question, it's July 14th."

"Tomorrow? Holy shit man."

Terrias shrugged, "I don't like parties."

"Gift wise?"

"Cake and ice cream would do just fine."

"And you are?"

"Will be 17."

"Coolio."

"Oh, and Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"This conversation does not leave between us, understand?"

"Of course."

"Good. Also, thank you."

"For what?"

"For listening, and being easy to talk to. It's good that I can finally get this off my chest. Been a damn leech that won't leave."

"No prob."

For the rest of the day, and into the night, the thought of what Terrias had said would not leave Alex's mind.

The next morning, Alex was the last to wake, and his newest addition was quick to harp on him about his oversleeping.

'''Bout time you woke up!'' Rainbow Dash snapped.

Alex rubbed the sleep from his eyes, ''Hey, it ain't _my _fault, when you've seen the shit I have, sleepless nights are not uncommon,'' Without a sound, everyone else in the room slowly shook their heads.

''So! Do I get to begin my training today?''

''Are ya always so impatient, Dash?'' Applejack asked with a grin, ''The kid just woke up and ya already want to start.''

''Besides,'' Spike began, grinning widely, ''I thought you _hated _physical labor.''

''I do not! I just get what I need to get done so fast that nobody can keep up with my awesome speed. I get the work that takes you guys all day done before you even wake up!''

''I...find that hard to believe, Dash, I mean, half of the time, you sleep in much later than the rest of us,'' Twilight replied.

''Hey you...just...I...shut up!''

''Point proven.''

''I said shut up!''

''So Alex,'' Spyro began, turning to his CO, ''Regret allowing her to join yet?''

Alex took a long look at the Pegasus and replied, ''Nah, I love girls that have a bit of spice in their personality.''

The purple dragon glared at his CO with a look of confusion and comic disgust, ''That's just...no. Just no. You took that one a bit too far, Alex.''

The Commander shrugged, ''Hey, I'm being serious.''

''Jesus, that's never a good thing to say...''

''Why not?''

''Because, for most guys, that means that they're gonna bang the chick by week's end.''

''I ain't a furry...''

Spyro cast him a look of disbelief, ''Really?'' he said sarcastically, ''I know that's a lie.''

''I'm a _scaly_, yes, but not a furry.''

''Nah,'' Piermont interrupted, ''You a fuckin' brony, bro.''

''I'm not a brony either.''

''Then why in the hell did you let fucking _Rainbow Dash_ and _Twilight Sparkle_ join the goddamn army? Throw in Applejack and Spike, and it usually implies that either you have seriously hit the limit of your sanity, or that you are slowly transforming into a brony. Either way, I mean, c'mon! Fucking _My Little Pony_, does NOT belong in our army! All of that shit is for little girls, pedophiles, and queers.''

''I think you are sorely mistaken, and why you being a sexist?'' Alex smiled grimly.

''Hey Spearow,'' and Piermont, smiling widely, elbowed the purple dragon, also grinning mischievously, ''Fifty bucks says he bangs Dash by the end of the week.''

''How about the end of the month?''

Piermont grinned, ''Deal,'' and he spit in his hand, thrusting it out. Spyro followed this manner, and they shook hands.

Alex continued to shake his head, ''I don't see me...and Rainbow Dash...as a couple.''

''Yeah, well much more surprising shit has happened,'' Spyro replied grimly, ''I personally wouldn't be surprised if you ended up with her by month's end.''

''Neither would I,'' Piermont nodded, ''He's too horny for his own good.''

''Cynder? A little help, please?'' Alex asked the black dragoness.

''Sorry, Alex, I agree with them. You just...you don't turn down fresh meat.''

''Implying that one day Dashie will just offer herself to me with an apple in her mouth, a banana up one hole and a lollipop up the other?''

''Um...odd mental image...one I rather wish I would have unheard, but yes, actually, I do.''

''Why?'' and Alex chuckled.

''Because females tend not to keep their pants on...or their legs closed...once they join the Terminator Militia, or so I've noticed.''

Piermont nodded vigorously, ''Ayup, it's because we're a goddamn sausage fest, and the chicks get lonely after awhile...and they start thinking it's open season.''

''Shut up, Pierre,'' Alex replied in a tired voice.

''Yeah, yeah, fuck you, too buddy. But seriously! I mean, c'mon! Look me straight in the eye and tell me you would not tap that shit? Oh, taking into account how feisty she seems to be, I can only imagine the wild shit she'd be willing to try.''

''Average male thinking,'' Cynder groaned, shaking her head, ''But I do have to agree.''

The other three stared at her.

''Not...the tapping...thing...but I do agree that she would probably want to do some wild ass stuff. She is feisty as hell.''

''Well I dunno, just because you're feisty doesn't necessarily mean you are as horny as a motherfucker. Look at you, Cynder! When you first joined up, you were always sad, lonely, and depressed and shit, and you _still _do wild ass shit in the bedroom.''

Cynder sent Alex an unamused glance, ''That means nothing. Moral of the story, I'm siding with these guys. If you don't end up boning her, I will be seriously and genuinely surprised.''

And the trio walked away.

Alex called after them, ''Well then! I guess I'll just have to prove you wrong, won't I?''

''We won't hold our breaths,'' Cynder called back, not turning or stopping as they disappeared through the sliding door and outside onto the balcony.

The others of Alpha Company followed suit, eventually leaving only Alex and his newest member alone in the room. They exchanged glances, hers full of genuine annoyance and mockery, his of submission and carelessness.

They eventually headed towards the door, following their companions, and they walked together. ''So tell me,'' Dash began, ''When exactly will I begin this training or whatever?''

''Probably within the next few days, depending on what happens.''

''Will you be personally training me?''

''Terrias has since graduated from the status as my protege, so I can say, odds are you will be.''

''Awesome...I guess, just don't cry about how I'm moving faster than you could ever hope to go,'' and she showed off her speed, dashing from one side of the room to the other, leaving a rainbow-colored trail.

''Fuckin' magic,'' he said, blowing as the trail fizzled out.

''This ain't magic!'' she said, recreating her trail, ''This is just my awesomeness! Keep hanging out around me, and maybe some of my awesomeness might just rub off on you.''

''First thing's first,'' Alex said, grinning mischievously, ''We strip you of your arrogant attitude.''

''Say what now?''

Using his telekinesis, Alex pinned her to the ground, and the pony protested. ''Hey! What's the deal?''

''First step to becoming a soldier in my army, I break you down to a skeleton so I can rebuild you the way _I _want you to be.''

''That just sounded so wrong, dude. I don't exactly feel _that _way towards you.''

Alex's eyes narrowed, and it took every last ounce of strength to keep from exploding in anger.

''Am I supposed to be scared of you?'' and she laughed obnoxiously.

With a roar, Alex moved with uncanny, unnatural speed as he tackled the pony, pinning her to the ground and pressing his face just inches away from hers. She struggled to break free, but he was holding her firmly in place, hurting her, and his eyes burned with a hellish fire only seen by the _Maxia _shortly before he ended their lives, "You listen here you stuck-up, arrogant prick! I'll be damned if I'm gonna let some bitchy kid treat this as a goddamn game! Bitch, this isn't a fucking game! My _army_ isn'ta fucking game! This war? This is real! And if you keep acting like the arrogant asshole you are, you will be the first one to go down, and neither I or the rest of my troops will be there to revive your sorry ass when you're on the ground, bleeding out, and in pain, understand?''

She seemed genuinely terrified and stunned, and she nodded vigorously, breathing heavily, ''Uh huh! Y...yeah...okay.''

''Good,'' and he climbed off of her, straightening his jacket, ''I expect you to act as you are supposed to, when you are supposed to. If you don't like it? You can go fuck off, because I won't put up with your bullshit. _Nobody _in this army will put up with your bullshit, you hear me? Piss me off, and you find yourself in a very uncomfortable position, so unless you _want _to spend the rest of your life in a living hell, you will do what I say, and you will treat me, and everyone else here, like your superiors. It's time you get off your fucking high horse and start listening and following orders,'' and he stormed out.

Dash stared after him, alarmed and feeling threatened by the Commander. She could pick up a feeling that he was more than serious, and that he wasn't afraid to carry out his threats. He had obviously seen a lot, she could easily tell this, but just how he reacted...it was frightening and he had even successfully managed to break her personality and attitude, to scare her into submission. Remotely, the thought that he had terrified her into obedience so easily disgusted her, but she also didn't want to push her luck with him. In all respects, he was a mass-murderer, even though it could be excused as him being a soldier, he had still ended lives, an innumerable amount of lives, in his short time on the planet. After he left, she picked herself up, brushing the dirt off of her as she looked towards where he had gone. Although he seemed like a complete hard-ass, there was something else about him...something familiar, something that she couldn't quite put her hoof on. She remembered seeing him during Spike's kidnapping, he was the one that had arrived to their aide...but there was something else about him. Had she seen him before during some other time?

Shaking her head, she pushed those thoughts aside. She was sure about one thing, she didn't want to see that side of him again. Without another thought, she followed him outside.

Piermont, in his human form as usual, approached her, chuckling, "Dude," he began, sending a bemused glance towards Alex, who was standing at the edge of the balcony, looking out into the distance, "I don't know what you did, but man, he is fucking pissed off. A little piece of advice...don't cross him, don't challenge him, just stand up straight, do what he says, puff out your chest, and always answer 'yes sir'. You'll learn that real quick I'm pretty damn certain. Just...try to stay out of trouble," and the forest dragon reentered the building.

For the rest of the day, her eyes did not meet Alex's again, and she went out of her way to avoid him. She spent the day in silence, lowering her eyes whenever he sent a glance at her, she was embarrassed, but also terrified. Never before had she seen such pure rage, and the experience had truly terrified her, and she wondered, for the first of many times, if she had made the right choice leaving the safety and carefree lifestyle of Ponyville and Equestria to join the Terminator Militia.

However, the cold fact that the Blood Week Crisis had even reached Equestria to begin with was a clear sign that the small nation was no longer safe...nowhere was safe, and the _Maxia _were quickly growing desperate to end the war, willing to do anything to decrease the time it would take to reel in the day that the war finally ended. Nowhere in the world was safe, especially since Equestria had now publicly confirmed their association and alliance with the Terminators. Besides, if young Spike, who was barely out of his infancy, could fight, survive, and successfully grow acclimated to the Terminator Militia's daily routines and experiences, surely she could as well, and this slightly relieved the heavy weight that was sitting upon her shoulders. So, with a heavy sigh, Dash tried to enjoy the rest of the day, throwing aside these haunting thoughts, but she found that it was easier said than done, and she could not take her mind off of the day's frightening experiences, and the nagging feeling concerning her familiarity with the Commander...

Alex, too, could not get over that strange sense of familiarity. He thought he had known her from somewhere else, he just couldn't remember where. As he stared off into the distance, this, as well as several other thoughts, occupied his constantly busy mind. He worried about Terrias, and was thinking over everything Terrias had said the previous day, and he was also concerned for Rainbow Dash. Was he too harsh on her? Should he have tried to sound more reasonable? Did he possibly damage their potential master/apprentice relationship because he had snapped? He kicked himself for reacting as he did, even though the logical side of his mind believed he was more than reasonable. She was making a joke out of a very real issue, and all he had done was bring to light on the seriousness of the issue at hand.

But still, he felt bad. He had really scared the crap out of her, and he didn't want her to fear him. As he stared off, he decided that he would try to make it up to her. To restart and try to become buddy-buddy with her, to ask her to forgive him for his outrageous overreaction. He didn't want her to be afraid of him, and he wanted them to be close friends, not rivals or enemies, or one where she feared him. She was a tough girl, not afraid to get dirty, and could potentially become a very valuable asset with some fine-tuning. When night fell, he was still standing out on the balcony, even after everyone else had long since retired for the evening. Now, he was staring at the mystical glow of the _Fiernes Curtain_, as he did so many times before, and right as he decided to try and apologize, he was surprised to find that she had come to him, and was standing right next to him.

''What are you looking at?'' she asked casually.

''The _Fiernes Curtain_.''

''Furnace Curtain?''

''No,'' and he chuckled, ''The _Fiernes Curtain_.''

''I'm assuming that's what that great big wall of fire is called?''

''Aye.''

Several moments of silence fell between them, and she said, ''You don't talk much, do you?''

Alex shrugged, ''Words do not always need to be used. Sometimes, a silent approach or outlook is much more effective than a verbal one.''

''Listen...'' she began after several more moments of silence.

''I'm all ears.''

''I...I wanted to apologize...for how I acted today. It was uncalled for, and I'm deeply sorry.''

''No,'' Alex interrupted, shaking his head, ''_I'm _sorry. I seriously overreacted, and I don't want our relationship to start off in fear. I don't want you to be afraid of me, I want you to see me as a close friend and ally...as a brother,'' he had almost said 'mate' but quickly stopped himself before it was too late. Thoughts of Cynder and the mysterious girl of his dreams that he could never remember had been surging through his mind.

''Well then,'' she said, smiling and seeming to be relieved, ''Let's just start over then...'' and she held out her hoof, ''Rainbow Dash.''

Alex grinned, chuckling as he shook it, ''Alex Vaughn, Great Commander of the Terminator Militia...but you can just call me Alex.''

''Okay...Alex...'' and she blushed, ''It's weird, y'know.''

''What is?''

''Referring to my boss by first name.''

''Everyone here does that, and because you are part of the family, or will be soon anyway, you are given the same honor.''

''I guess...''

After several more moments of silence, he said, ''I do ask to be referred by my title, or at least professionally, when we're either out on the battlefield, or participating in actual business.''

''That's understandable...'' then, after several minutes, she shyly began, ''Hey, Alex?''

''Yeah?''

''Can I ask you something?''

''Sure.''

''Have we...met before? I mean, aside from the whole event with Spike's kidnapping.''

''I don't think so...why?''

''I dunno, you just seem familiar...''

''Yeah, I had the same feeling.''

''Kinda funny, right?''

''Right.''

''Well, I'm gonna go to bed now.''

''Okay, goodnight Rainbow Dash.''

''Please,'' she began with a smile, ''Just call me Rainbow, or Dash, I don't really care which.''

''Okay then. Goodnight, Dash.''

'''Night, Alex,'' and she disappeared within the darkness of the room, leaving Alex alone again. After several minutes, he too reentered the building, climbing into bed and falling asleep almost instantly, and the dream that had plagued his sleep for months returned.


	25. Chapter XXIV: The Indwelling

_**Chapter XXIV**_**:**

**-''The Indwelling''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_18 July 2012_-**

**-_0700 Hours_-**

_The valley stretches out around him, beautiful in the morning sun. The breeze blowing throughout it is warm, and the trees dance on the breeze, lush and green. The emerald grasses are tall, blowing in the calm breeze. He hears birds chirping and the waterfall rushing nearby, along with the babble of the river over stones. So calm and serene, he places his hand in the water, and suddenly, he becomes lucid as he feels the ice cold water rushing over his hand...so vivid...it couldn't be real._

"_Hey..." a voice says from behind him. He stiffens, turning, as he sees who is there._

"_You..." he says._

_She walks up to him, kissing him and she slips him her tongue, he accepts, and as they kiss, he feels a sudden tightening in his loins, and he is surprised when she grabs him, "Lover..." she says, "Come to me...take me away..."_

"_I love you..." he says._

_She sighs in joy, and she says, "You finally remember me?"_

"_Of course, how could I ever forget you..."_

...And he awoke, angry that his pleasant dream had once more been disturbed. He frantically searched for a pad of paper, wanting to write her name down before he forgot, but by the time he had found what he was wanting, it was too late, her name, her face, as well as most of the dream, had been forgotten. "Damn it all!" he hissed, "Why in the fuck does this keep happening?"

Realizing the need to relieve himself, he stood up, stretching as he left his room, walking towards the bathroom. Upon his arrival, he was alarmed to see Rainbow Dash walking in from outside. "Oh!" she said suddenly noticing him, "Hi!"

"Hey..." he said, "The hell are _you _doing up?" and he checked his watch, "It's two in the morning!"

"Well I don't know!" she replied, frowning, "I should ask _you _the same question."

"I..." and he scratched his neck, "I had a nightmare, that's it."

"Really now, well...eh...it must have been a really _nice _nightmare."

"And how would you-?"

"Bud, you can't hide your excitement, pardon the pun, but you are hung like a horse."

"What?" and he shied away, "Whatever..."

"C'mon now! It must not have been _that _bad was it? Wanna talk about it?"

"I'd rather not, my sexy dreams are frankly none of your damn business."

"I can only imagine what dreams a _big, bad _soldier would have concerning women...or guys..."

And he glared at her.

"What? I don't know whether you are straight or gay, and it ain't my business either, don't ask, don't tell."

"I'm not gay!" he hissed.

"Well, _somebody's _angry. You say that as if you have been told that a lot."

"More than you would even _begin _to imagine."

"Why?"

"Because we're not very well liked."

"I guess you have a good point..."

"Regardless, it doesn't matter."

"So you dream about girls then?"

"Well...I dream about _a _girl, I just don't know who she is, because every time I wake up, I forget everything that happened."

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked, "That's kind of funny actually."

"Why?"

"Because I've had the same situation, a recurring dream about one guy in particular, but I always wake up with no memory of what happened."

"That's really odd...especially given how you are."

"What is _that _supposed to mean?"

"Well, I didn't expect you to think of..."

"To think of those things?" she finished, "Yeah, well surprise. Yes I have, it's only natural, you know, and they always say you are innocent when you dream, so I'm not too worried about it."

"Perhaps, but that doesn't forgive the fact that my dreams always center on a furry female...I'm not a furry, I don't...do things...with animals, save Cynder, and that's a different story."

"Yeah, well _my _dreams center on things between me and a human guy."

"So let me guess, your dream is what woke you up?"

"How did you know?"

Alex shrugged, "I don't know."

"Okay? Well, goodnight then," and she returned to her room.

Alex overslept, waking as the sun peaked at high noon. He left his room, finding the suite empty, and he left the suite, nearly running into Rainbow Dash. "Oh...sorry," he said.

"That's okay," and she handed him a drink, "Other guys said you don't like coffee, so I got you hot chocolate instead. They thought it was hilarious, but when I told them that I didn't really like coffee either, they laughed at _me_, too," she frowned, unhappy.

"Don't worry about them, they can be dicks sometimes."

And she laughed, "Yeah, I guess, y'know, you are actually a cool guy."

"Thanks, you're awesome yourself."

"Heck yeah!" and she wrapped a furry limb around his shoulders, "I sense one heckuva friendship between us."

"Aww!" Piermont crooned as they emerged on the balcony, Rainbow Dash quickly jumping back down, "The lovers are finally awake! Why ya guys wake up so late? Were you up nailing each other?"

"Enough, Pierre," Alex said, sighing in annoyance. "We didn't do that."

"Hey," Spyro began, smiling slyly, "Maybe that's the chick in your dreams?" and the group laughed.

"I highly doubt it," Alex said, "I'm not a brony."

"Bullshit!"

"I'm sorry, Dash, they're just being retards."

"Already on a nickname basis ain't we?" Piermont said, "Spyro, get my money ready."

"No, you pay _me_, if he beds her."

"No, it was _you _who paid _me_!"

"Enough! Both of you!" Terrias said, "Both of you fuck off and shut the hell up."

"Fuck you, _Lieutenant_," Piermont hissed.

"How about _both _of you shut up before I kick your butts?" Dash said, once more boxing the air.

Silence fell between them, before both Piermont and Terrias cracked up laughing, "Honey," Piermont began, "If you want to scare me, you're gonna have to try harder. To me, you are still _my wittle pony,_" and he laughed again, "Hey Alex, thanks for enlisting them, now I have something else to joke about."

"So, Alex, when are you gonna sleep with her?" Spyro asked, "I can't wait to get my money."

"I'm not going to," and Alex narrowed his eyes.

"Alex," Terrias began, "I think it's time we have a talk..."

"She isn't the girl of my dreams, mate."

"Maybe she is, how do _you _know."

"How do _you _know she is, hm?"

"Here's a solution, ask her if she's had strange dreams as well."

"What would that prove?"

"If she has strange dreams, and you have strange dreams, all about the same thing, maybe that means something."

"I've had enough of this shit, c'mon Dash, let's go somewhere else."

"I'd agree," and she followed him inside.

"Pierre," Spyro began, "Get my money ready."

"Get _my_ money ready."

They sat side-by-side before the television, as Alex turned on the 360 and booted _Halo: Reach_. "I'm sorry, Rainbow, for how they're acting. They seem to believe that you are the mysterious girl of my dreams, apparently they think we're a perfect couple."

"I don't understand why," and she frowned, "It doesn't make sense. We're friends, not...lovers..." and she shuddered.

Twilight and Applejack entered, "Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine," Alex replied, but they remained in the foyer, "We're not doing anything," Alex added embittered, and the two ponies finally emerged, collapsing on the couch to the right of them.

"Are your troops always so teasing?" Twilight asked, "They're kind of rude."

"Not normally, I mean, sure they like to pick out little things and dwell on them for comical purposes, but this is just ridiculous. For whatever reason, they see me and Rainbow Dash as a couple, I don't see it."

"Neither do I," the pony replied.

"Well..." Twilight began, "You do kinda look cute together..."

"Oh please! Not you, too, Twilight!"

"I'm just saying..."

"I'm...going to my room..." Alex said, and he stood up, disappearing in the hall.

Once he was gone, Twilight spoke in a hushed tone, "You know, maybe he _is _the guy you've been dreaming about? You said that you dreamed of a human, with long black hair, and stunning blue eyes...maybe it really is him?"

"I don't believe it."

"Just let her alone, Twilight, she obviously doesn't want to hear it," Applejack said.

"You know, if you really wanted to know, I bet I could get a spell to tell you," Twilight said.

"That would be nice."

Applejack and Twilight exchanged glances, "I say go for it," the earth pony replied, "And if Rainbow wants to know, then we might as well see whether it's true or not."

Twilight's horn began to glow, and silence filled the room as she touched Rainbow Dash's forehead with the tip. "I don't know if this will work," Dash said, "It feels funny."

After several minutes, Twilight ended the spell, a puzzled look on her face.

"Well?" Dash began, "Is he?"

"No...he isn't," Twilight said.

"Thank Celestia!" and she cheered, "I was worried there for a moment. Now we can tell those idiots that me and Alex _won't _be together, and they can stop being annoying."

Alex returned an hour later, stretching. Alpha Company had since come inside, and Piermont looked at Alex, amused, "Aww..." he began "I heard the sad news, Alex."

"What news?" and the Commander seemed confused.

"You and Dashie _aren't _destined to mate."

"What?" and Alex seemed surprised and relieved...but also unhappy, "How did you find _that _out?" he asked sarcastically.

"Twilight casted a spell that allowed her to see into the future, you and Dashie are never together, which means neither me or Spyro get paid apparently," and the dragon frowned, "Pisses me off."

Night fell quickly, and Alex stood on the balcony as usual, thinking over the girl that had haunted his sleep.

"So, yeah," Rainbow Dash began, walking onto the balcony and standing by the Commander, "We aren't meant to be together, thank Celestia. I mean, don't get me wrong, we can still be friends and all, but...mates? That's just a little creepy for me."

"You and me both."

"So...million dollar question, do I begin my training tomorrow?"

"Well, let's see. If I began your training tomorrow, well, then I would have to abandon my plans that I already have."

"What plans?" and she sounded angry.

"Well, I was thinking about going to my theme park tomorrow."

"You have a theme park?"

"Yep, name ain't very creative, but nobody gives a damn about creativity, as long as they get their money's worth...and I get my money. Mwuhahahahahaha!"

"You're crazy, Alex."

"I'm in a good mood."

"Why?"

He shrugged, "I don't know," and he smiled at her, "I just am."

"So, tell me about this theme park..."

"Why spoil it? Don't worry, you'll see it, and you're gonna love it."

"So...any more dreams?"

"You obsessing over these dreams, Dash."

"I'm just curious."

"If you're looking to get horny, I'm not the one to get you there."

"Get what?"

"Get horny..."

"What does _that _mean?"

"...Uh..."

"What?"

"Nevermind, but to answer your question, no. Haven't been to sleep since we last talked. What about you?"

"Yeah...that's why I'm awake."

"Ah, sounds juicy."

"You really are a strange man, aren't you."

"It's an acquired skill."

They returned home from the theme park late that night, and immediately went to bed exhausted. Only Terrias remained awake, and he stood on his and Aria's balcony, looking out over the Northern Burned Lands, and at the strange storm that was approaching. He could hear distant thunder rumbling, and the clouds north of the city circled around a central eye. A feeling of dread was thick in the air, and Terrias was concerned about what was brewing. Lightning flashed then, blinding and purple, but the entire world was silent, save for the zaps of electricity. He backed away as his internal alarm blared, but the odd lightning was much more frequent now, and it was getting closer to him...

He abruptly turned around, sprinting back to the building, but the lightning was almost upon, and one bolt struck him dead on. He was overwhelmed with the strangest feeling, one that deeply disturbed him, as if he was getting raped in every orifice. He hit the ground, as terrifying memories of his experiences in Hell flooded his mind, and he watched in horror as he felt his mind become detached from his body, and he blacked out.

The servine stood up, smoke rising from his body. "Where am I?" he asked himself, looking at his paws, "What the...?"

He ran inside and to the public bathroom, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

"No...I'm, _Sergeant Terrias!?_" and he roared. "I don't remember...anything. No...wait, I remember now..."

..."_Well done, Terrias" the rabbit said, "Getting this far, I mean. Plus, as a failsafe, you even set the Ring to finish me off, I must commend you on your persistence. I know my time ends here, but I will take you down with me! Kill him!_"...

"That bastard..." the servine began, "That bastard killed me, and now fate has taken a twist, and I find myself in this disgusting body. Then again..." and he grinned maliciously, "I can destroy the Terminators from within. Look out _Commander Vaughn_, the Shade King has returned!"

Jazz-indwelt Terrias left the bathroom, walking around the top floor of the building, exploring his surroundings.

"Terrias?" came a tired voice from behind him. He turned to see Aria peering out from the door.

"Aria...my love," he said, walking to the female servine and kissing her deeply.

"Terrias," and she shoved him away, "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm feeling fine, of course."

"You just look...different. Are you sick?"

"No, I'm fine, really."

"Let me go get Alex..."

"NO! I mean no, I'm fine, really."

"Are you sure?"

"Would I ever lie to you?"

"Well...no...you _would _tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you?"

"Of course, Aria. I love you..."

She smiled, "I love you, too," and she kissed him, "Now, let's go have a little fun, hmm?"

"What kind of fun?"

"Oh," and she reached down, grabbing him, causing him to grimace in disgust, but he hid it, "The dirty kind."

Jazz-indwelt Terrias sneaked out of bed, talking to himself, "Ugh...disgusting. I'd much rather have had Cynder...maybe I still can."

He quietly opened the door to Spyro and Cynder's room, watching as they slept. The two were tangled together, meaning to get to what he wanted, he would have to find some way to separate them...too much room for error, everything needed to work out smoothly if he wanted his plan to succeed. He continued exploring the various rooms of the suite, trying to remember where everyone slept. Alex slept alone, which was a good thing...but he heard a sound from behind him, and he quickly slipped inside the Commander's room, hiding in the closet as he spied on the Commander's late night visitor, ready to ambush and kill him if needed.

He watched, however, as the visitor stayed just inside of the doorway, watching Alex sleep. He adjusted his position, seeing not a man, but a girl, one that seemed familiar. She was a sky blue horse, with a rainbow-colored mane, and when she stepped forward, hesitantly, he saw wings on her...so she was a Pegasus. _Who are you_? the servine thought to himself. _What purpose do you have with the Commander, especially at this hour? Are you his lover?_ and he smirked.

She walked up to Alex, quietly, looking down on him as he slept, "I was really hoping...that maybe something could blossom between us," she whispered, "The first time I saw you, I felt something I had only felt in my dreams. I wanted to bring this up earlier, but it always makes me nervous...this is...a really private thing, y'know. I don't even know why I'm comfortable telling you now, especially since we haven't known each other for very long...or have we? You just look so familiar..."

He remained asleep, and she smiled.

"You just look so adorable when you sleep..." then, after several moments of silence, "Maybe someday, maybe fate can be changed...because I realized something...you _are_ him, you _are _the boy. I wonder if you have discovered it yet," and she leaned closer to him, "I love you..." and she kissed him gently before leaving the room, pausing just outside the door, "I just hope that you love me, too."

_Heh...pathetic_, the servine thought.

"Hey Spike...are you awake?" Twilight asked. She was looking up at the ceiling, unable to sleep.

"Yeah," he replied, "I'm awake."

"I feel terrible..."

"Why?" and he sat up, "What's wrong, Twilight?"

"I lied to Rainbow Dash."

"You did _what_?"

"She wanted me to tell her if Alex was her mate...the boy from the dreams."

"What dreams?"

"She's been having...dreams...concerning a male human, and she's really worried about it. That's a main reason why she joined, she felt she would meet him here...and now she thinks she's found him. The others are pestering them about it though."

"What did you say?"

"I told her that I would cast a spell and see into the future, if it really was him."

"Did you?"

"Yeah, I did...but I told her that he wasn't the one."

"He is...isn't he?"

She nodded, "Yes."

"Why did you lie?"

"So the others would have no reason to make fun of her."

"She can take care of herself, Twilight. I just hope that she isn't _too _deeply affected by the fact that she'll never meet the boy of her dreams, now."

"Oh...Spike...I feel so bad."

"Tell her the truth, tell _them _the truth."

"Won't she just figure it out by herself? I mean, you guys _are _an army of God, don't you have faith that it'll work out?"

"I hope so..." and he collapsed on the foot of the bed.

"Spike...why don't you sleep up here?"

"Is it really okay?"

"Of course..."

He crawled into the covers beside her.

"Listen...I really missed you, Spike..."

"I missed you, too. I'm glad we get to be together again."

"Same here," and she watched him as his breathing slowed, and he fell asleep. Smiling, she, too, got comfortable, and fell asleep almost instantly.

Alex awoke to find a knife pressed tightly to his throat. He had no time to react, and he was alarmed to see Terrias on the other side of the blade. "Terrias? What the hell are you..."

"Silence, Commander!" Jazz hissed, his voice made even more terrifying by a blast of loud thunder from outside as purple lightning flashed, illuminating the room, and he pressed the blade tighter to Alex's throat, drawing blood.

"J...Jazz?"

He laughed, "In this disgusting suit, but yes, it is me. Now I truly _am _the Shade King!"

"Hey, Alex..." came Rainbow Dash's voice from out in the hall, "We need to talk..." and she recoiled as she saw the position that he was in.

"Terrias...what the...?"

"Quiet you stupid broad!"

"What..."

"Dash! It's not him, it's Jazz! Get the oth..."

"I didn't say you could speak!"

"Don't you dare hurt him!" Rainbow Dash growled, "Or I'll end you myself!"

"I'd like to see you try."

Alex then grabbed Terrias' paw, wrangling the knife out of it as he kicked the servine back. The others soon arrived, preparing to attack.

"It's not Terrias!" Alex said, "Jazz possessed him!"

"Let me kill him!" and Piermont prepared to shoot.

"Ah, ah, ah, I wouldn't, lest you find yourself killing the wrong man..." and he gave control back to Terrias, "What? What's going on?" the servine asked, "Alex? What..."

Piermont lowered his weapon.

Jazz wrestled control back, and as he stepped towards the window, where rain was pounding heavily now, the only sound in the eerily quiet room. Thunder rumbled, and more flashes of lightning illuminated the otherwise dark room. As he backed away, Jazz said, "Now you just be a good boy..."

Alex then leaped up, running to pounce on the servine, but in a flash of bright purple light, he vanished. "What? The hell did he go?" Spyro asked, shoving his way into the room.

"I don't know...but we need to find him, and soon."

The rest of the day was spent scouring the city, searching for any sign of the servine's whereabouts, and at around noon, they found a lead.

"Alex?" Elliot began, "I think we found 'em."

"Where is he?"

"An anonymous tip informed us that they thought they saw a servine entering an old, rundown apartment complex about two or three miles east of town center, might want to head down there."

"We're on our way..." and Alex turned to his troops, "Okay, let's get our asses down there!"

They arrived at the abandoned office complex just as a storm was brewing again, and once the rain began to pour down, Alpha Company stormed the building, splitting up and searching all the rooms. Alex, with Spyro and Cynder, charged up to the third floor, searching each room for their missing companion. When they reached the room at the far end of the floor, they discovered Terrias, with a pistol against his temple.

"Drop the gun, Jazz!" Alex hissed.

"Now why should I, hm? His life is meaningless to me!"

"This is between me and you," Alex hissed, keeping his gun raised, "Leave Terrias out of this!"

"Last I remember, Sergeant Terrias was the one who killed me."

"Drop it! Now!"

He grinned maliciously as he placed pressure on the trigger.

"NO!" the Commander cried out, tackling the servine, causing him to drop the gun, which discharged into the window. They wrestled for control before the Commander, aided by Spyro and Cynder, finally managed to restrain the Jazz-indwelt Terrias. The servine kicked him in the chest, sending Alex stumbling backwards, and in a flash of light, he disappeared again.

For the rest of the day, Alpha Company scoured the city and surrounding area, searching for him, but when dusk fell, and he wasn't found, Alpha Company returned home, exhausted, and worrying about what Jazz would do while he possessed Terrias. Although everyone was affected by the missing servine, Aria and Alex seemed to have been hit the hardest, usually Alex _was _hit hard when one of his own went missing. Everyone went to bed early, wanting to get up as early as they could so they could resume their search, dividing the entire militia to locate the missing Terrias. Cynder had left with Alex, as one of Spyro's days with Ember had turned up again, and everyone else had retired soon after the two mates had left for the night. Eventually, only Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Spike remained awake, and the three were enjoying the peace and quiet, learning how to play Skyrim on the team's 360. Twilight however, was troubled, and although Dash was curious as to why, Spike knew what was bothering her.

While the Pegasus was busy fighting a dragon, Spike turned to Twilight, whispering to her, "Y'know, you really should talk to her, tell her the truth."

"What about the others?"

"What she decides to do with that information is her business, not ours. Odds are, she'll want to keep it quiet anyway, but at least you can ease her unhappiness."

"I'll talk to her..."

"Okay, I'll leave you two alone."

After he left, Twilight began, "Hey, Dash, can I talk to you for a few minutes?"

"What's wrong, Twilight?"

"It's about Alex."

"What about him?"

She looked around, then said, "Come with me..."

They walked together down the empty streets as Twilight admitted the truth to her friend. One look at the Pegasus told the unicorn that she was deeply relieved, and even excited. "Why didn't you tell me this before, Twilight?" she asked, her feelings seemingly hurt.

"I wanted the others to leave you two alone."

Rainbow Dash laughed, "I'm so relieved! I was so worried..."

"So you already knew this?"

"I assumed so, there was one night after I joined here, I had fallen asleep outside, looking at that fire wall. Well, I had the dream again, and and when I awoke, I came back inside, running into Alex...I instantly knew then that he was the one. So we talked, and he told me about the dreams that _he _had concerning the 'mysterious blue-furred girl', and I realized that he had dreamed about me..."

"Does he know you are the one?"

"I don't think so..."

"Should I tell him?"

"Don't...let him find out on his own...it would make the moment that much more magical..."

"Well, I'm glad you found your dream-mate, Dash...are you staying here?"

"Of course! I don't want to leave him...I came here to be with him, and I intend to do so."

"So, when _are_ you two going to mate?"

She blushed, "Whenever he decides he wants to, then we will, I just...I'm kinda nervous about letting him...enter..."

"I don't think it matters once you get in the mood."

"Still though," and she shied away, "I'm not sure what it feels like, or if it will hurt..."

"I'm pretty sure you'll like it. Listen, don't tell the others about this...that's my suggestion. I kept the truth from you so the others would stop picking on you. Keep this secret if I were you."

"I'm not stupid, I will."

"Good...now c'mon. Let's get back to the club before we're missed."

The _Maxia_ gathered in the heart of Chicago, cheering for their soon-to-be-arriving guest. When Terrias stepped onto the platform, the cheering from the enemy forces was deafening. "Welcome, my friends!" Jazz said, "The Terminator Militia might have one the little war they started, but we will easily take back all of the territory they stole from us, beginning with this very city! Move quickly, and do not stall, if we do this correctly, we can take the city before they even know what hit them! Now, let the games begin!"

Alex awoke early, leaving his room and into the rest of the suite. Everyone was wide awake, soundlessly eating breakfast. The silence filling the room was pervading, none of the merry table chatter was existent, and everyone held an air of gloom.

"Well everybody is sure cheery today," Alex began.

"Alex..." Piermont began, "We found Terrias."

"Where? Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Well...the proper term would be where _was _he. He was spotted in Chicago last night...damn near wiped the city off the face of the map."

"What?"

"They moved quickly, too quickly, we didn't know what hit us."

"Are we going to take the city back?"

"There's no forces left, any of our troops stationed there that survived the battle were captured and executed."

Alex's jaw dropped, "You're shitting me..."

"No, we're not. They moved in, took the city, beheaded or shot any survivors, then disappeared off the map again, we have no idea where they are, and we've been looking since we figured out something was up. The whole damn country is searching for them...but we got nothing."

"A whole _Maxia _contingent doesn't just disappear off the face of the earth, Pierre."

"Well _they _sure did."

"So what now?"

"We have other companies hunting them down, trying to find them, for now, Alpha Company is forbidden to leave the city."

"What? Why?"

"For one, we're kinda under house arrest from the civilians and Elliot after news broke of Terrias' apparent defection and betrayal. For another, we need to wait here, so that if the _Maxia _make another go at New Alexandria, we can take them down before we are forced to bomb parts of our own city again. For the third and final thing, it's dangerous for Alpha Company out there. Everybody wants us dead after the attack on Chicago."

"Oh no..."

"Yeah, not helping build morale."

"So what are we supposed to _do _then?"

"Sit on our fat asses and look pretty for the cameras. Helis are making passes by the club, presumably to keep an eye on Alpha Company, we're in _real _hot water, bud. I think Elliot will only let us out for _Firebird_, considering we have that Battle of the Bands next week."

"Without Terrias? This will be interesting..."

"We've got by in the past..."

"Do we really have to rehire fucking Spongebob Squarepants?" Spyro asked.

"What do you have against him?" Cynder countered.

"Nothing, forget I said anything."

"Maybe Rudy would like to fill in the vacancy?" Alex offered.

The reindeer shook his head, "No, I'm not rejoining unless we start doing Beatles things again, I've had enough of soundtracks and Pink Floyd."

"We're boned," Piermont replied, rubbing his temples.

"You guys are in a band?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Kinda..."

"That's pretty cool...maybe we should start a band. Twilight?"

"I'm not really a music aficionado," the unicorn replied, "Sorry, Dash. Plus, we don't know how to play."

"I know some songs...I've heard _Firebird_'s music over the radio a few times," Applejack stated, "But don't ask me to play...don't know how."

"Just use some of your magic," Rainbow Dash suggested, "Surely you can make us an awesome band with magic!"

"That's cheating, Dash..."

Alex laughed, "As if _we _aren't cheating? The only reason we do so well, sound _exactly _like the original recordings, are because the mutation serum gives us amazing abilities. It would be interesting to see you guys in a band. I'm sure Dash would make one hell of a singer."

The Pegasus stuck out her chin, "You really think I'm awesome enough to pose a challenge to you?"

Alex grinned, "I think so, you're pretty badass."

"Oh yeah, buddy!" and she boxed the air, "I'm ready to kick your guys' butts!"

"Challenge accepted," Alex replied, grinning.

"Well, perhaps we should start practicing then..." Twilight began, horn glowing. In an explosion of light, they all had instruments with them, Applejack with a drum set, Twilight with a guitar in the shape of a magic wand, and Dash with a guitar in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Alpha Company looked at them, amused glances on their faces, "Talk about cheesy..." Piermont laughed, "Oh yeah, I'm so scared of Sergeant Dashie's Girly Girl's Club Band."

"Just you wait, Pierre, we'll destroy you by the time the battle comes," Dash said reassuringly, grinning mischievously.

"Ooh! I'm so ascared of a band of rookies! Honey, we've been performing since 2004, I think we can kick your asses."

"Well, we'll just have to see then, won't we?" Twilight began.

"Let 'em dream, Pierre," Spyro said, grinning, "They can act all badass and shit, but we'll blow them away on the day of the performance."

"Good point," and the forest dragon nodded, "Well, have fun girls. You gonna need all the luck you can get to match us!"

Terrias, riding a pitch-black warhorse, led the _Maxia _to the outskirts of Las Vegas. Idly scratching an itching spot on his face, he said, "Alright! Same shit as before! Move in, take the city, take no prisoners! I want the Terminators extinct here!"

Yelling a Latin battle cry, the _Maxia _raced into the city, guns blazing as they quickly wasted everything in sight, killing anybody who got in their way. The battle itself lasted less than an hour, and just as soon as they arrived, the _Maxia _disappeared, lost in the desert as a convenient sandstorm obscured them from the view of anybody who did manage to survive their onslaught.

"Commander," Crash began, interrupting their practice.

"What?" Alex asked, stretching his fingers.

"He struck again."

_Firebird _reunited with the rest of Alpha Company in the conference room, and the ponies followed immediately behind them. "What's going on?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Terrias attacked another city," Crash began, appearing at the front of the crowd, "Same thing. They moved quickly, appeared as if out of nowhere, and they executed any surviving Terminators before disappearing in the desert south of the city under the cover of a sandstorm, leaving no trace of their whereabouts."

"How in the hell are they avoiding being spotted?" Alex asked.

"I don't know," the bandicoot replied, "But it's not good. We...or Elliot rather...immediately moved Beta Company to the razed city to try and find any trace of the invaders."

"Shit..." Alex breathed.

"That's not even the worse part," the bandicoot continued, "Elliot ordered an SOS on Terrias."

"SOS?" Twilight asked, "Save our souls?"

"Shoot on sight," Piermont sighed, rubbing his face with the palm of his hand, "In other words, without question, the moment you see him, shoot to kill."

"They won't even give him a chance!" Dash exclaimed, angry.

"Apparently, the boy's three strikes are up," the dragon continued, "First he murdered his owner in cold blood, then he went AWOL to end Jazz's life, and now this."

"Didn't Alex excuse his actions?" Spyro asked.

"Yeah, but apparently Elliot is getting irritated at Terrias' constant disobedience and bending of the rules, you know how intense he is on keeping things structured and the rules stiff. Alex's excusing his actions and promoting them by promoting _him_ to 2nd Lieutenant is probably is the reason why he put Alpha Company on house arrest."

"Is he even talking to us about it?" Cynder asked.

"Negative...and we can't get a hold of him. Plus, they're now monitoring our phone calls, visited websites, and digital conversations, they probably bugged the place, too."

"Why these desperate measures?"

"I don't know...but I don't like it...unfortunately," the bandicoot sighed, "There's nothing we can do about it. We can't even help the hunt for Terrias, because Elliot believes we're working for him, against the militia."

"So he thinks I'm treasonous to my own damn army?" Alex said in disbelief.

"Crazy right?"

"Fuckin' insane is what it is," Piermont muttered.

"How do we save Terrias?" Alex asked with a sigh, "We know that isn't him..."

"Yeah, but as long as Jazz controls him...he's our enemy," Spyro said.

"I hope Jazz isn't mistreating him _too _badly.

"I don't know...and personally, I'm afraid to find out."

Night fell, and Alex sat on the couch, the last on awake, gently strumming the acoustic to Pink Floyd's _Mother_ on his guitar. As he began the second verse, Rainbow Dash walked into the room. "What's wrong, Dash?" he asked, not opening his eyes or pausing the song, "Dreamed about your mystery boyfriend again?"

"He isn't much of a mystery anymore."

"Really? You found out who he was?"

She smiled, "Yeah...I did."

"Who is he?"

"Nopony you would know."

He stopped playing, looking up at her, "You have humans in Equestria?"

"No..."

"So is it someone here?"

She shrugged, "Why do you care?"

"Jesus," and he frowned, "I was only trying to make small talk."

"My sexy dreams are frankly none of your...dang business."

Alex laughed, "No, it's 'my sexy dreams are frankly none of your _damn _business.' Close but no cigar, mate."

"I know...I don't swear."

"Bah! Swearing ain't the end of the world."

"To me it is...also, why do you call everybody 'mate'?"

Alex shrugged, "It's the Australian term for 'friend'. I just like the way it sounds."

"Yeah, well if you aren't careful around here, people can misinterpret the term...especially with an army full of animals."

"What? Oh...did you think...sorry, Dash. I didn't mean it _that _way. I was calling you my friend, not my...yeah."

"I know," and she looked away, hiding a blush, "I'm just saying."

"Well," and he checked his watch, "It's bedtime for me, 'night, Dash."

"'Night..." and she unhappily watched him leave before she returned to her own room. She closed her eyes, trying to sleep, but found she couldn't. She was pining for Alex, and she considered telling him what she knew, but she changed her mind, she wanted him to realize it on his own, to see his reaction once he had that little piece of self-realization. She was dropping a few hints to give him an idea, but he seemed not to pick them up. Her thoughts centered around him, and she touched herself, gasping slightly at the feel. She did this until release, then curled up and fell asleep, dreaming, once more, of him.

0420 hours...Terrias checked his watch, scratching that same spot again. He inspected his fingers, noticing they were covered in blood, and upturned his canteen, splashing his face as he turned to face the crowd of _Maxia _soldiers, "You all know what to do!"

"Hurrah!" the crowd cried.

"March!"

Alex's phone rang, waking him from his sleep. He checked his alarm clock, seeing that it was only four thirty in the morning. Checking caller ID, he saw that it was Mark, and he answered the call, "What's up?"

"There's a tractor pull up in Fairmont, IL if your interested in going. Parkview's participating, so I figured you can meet your instructors."

"Sure, maybe I can actually talk Elliot into letting me leave this damn city."

"Ah, right, how is that going anyway?"

Alex sighed, sitting up, "Damned if I know, Mark. Terrias is still missing, and he only turns up to attack cities before leaving again before anyone gets there. There's no way to track his path, and we have no idea why he's attacking the cities, save that they're Terminator-occupied."

"Well, I'm leaving at seven, meet me in Connorsville if you're going."

"Okay, we have some news to share anyway."

"Okay, I'm letting you go then, sorry for waking you."

"Nah, it a'ight, I'm all good."

"Seeya."

"Yeah, seeya," and he hung up the phone, shifting positions as he fell asleep again.

"Keep it up!" Jazz hissed, "Waste these bastards before we alert anymore to our position! The hell is taking so long!"

Terrias looked out from the roof of a skyscraper, watching in sadistic joy as the battle occurred around him. Two fresh, clean, bloody cuts were on his cheeks, and he idly scratched them as he observed the battle.

"Sir, we are pinned down in the Anderson building, we need your help, over."

"I'm on my way," the shade-possessed servine said, grinning.

Terrias leaped off of the building, landing on several surrounding skyscrapers as he descended before finally reaching the ground level as he revealed two AK47s. He walked down the street, enemy Terminators shooting at him as he raised the two guns, firing on both sides of him at the same time. He kicked down the backdoor leading into the Anderson building, and he strolled through it, carelessly slaughtering all of the enemies within. When he reached the lobby where his troops were finding slim cover in a crater, he gunned down all of the soldiers in the room, even as the Terminators fired upon him, their rounds finding their targets. He didn't feel the wounds, only continued his hail of fire. One of the Terminators charged at him, KA-BAR in hand, but Terrias abruptly raised a hand, the knife slitting open his palms as he grabbed the soldier by the neck, ripping his throat out.

Bleeding from a hundred bullet holes, as well as hit slit hand and the bloody splits on his face, he unleashed his Judgment attack, annihilating everyone in the room, even his own troops. He continued marching through the street, unstoppable, not even feeling his wounds, and soon, the city fell as the _Maxia _rounded up the surviving Terminators.

"Good," he said through his radio, "Take them to the Anderson building, and we'll dispose of them properly!" He then stiffened, as if hearing something behind him, and he abruptly turned, glowing a dark turquoise. "The Commander is surfacing..." he suddenly said, "Hm..."

Alex, flanked by Piermont, Spyro, Cynder, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight Sparke, walked through the streets of Connorsville and to their rendezvous point. When Mark saw them, he shook his head, "What's with the horses?" he asked.

"Not just _any _horses," Piermont said with a laugh, "Fuckin' _My Little Ponies._"

"Have you lost your mind, Alex?" Mark asked good-naturedly.

"Nah, mate, I'm doing quite fine actually."

"Why are you talking in an Australian accent?"

"Funny, Dashie asked me the same damn question last night."

"Holy shit!" Piermont began, mouth agape as he turned to face his rider, "Did you two finally do it?"

"I told you, Pierre," Dash interrupted, "We're not going to _do _it."

"Yeah, that's what I said to Cherub...a few years later and _wah-bam! _GIGGITYGIGGITYGIGGITY let's have sex! _Oh! _Gi-gi-gi gi gi-gi _OH!_ "

"Well, I haven't been here for a few years, have I?"

"Dude, we all know you want Alex's body, don't pretend you don't."

"Yeah, well if you don't shut up, I'll fuck _your _bodyso hard that you'll be limping for weeks."

Piermont's jaw dropped, as did the others, "Holy shit!" and he laughed, "Dashie actually has some balls. Nice insult, mate...ah shit! Damn you, Alex! Now _I'M _doing it!"

Mark feigned a sigh, "I don't understand you guys."

"Were horny teenagers, that's all it is," Spyro replied with a good-humored grin.

"Even _I _can control my sexual urges better than you, and I don't have a girlfriend."

They arrived at the fairgrounds, where already they could hear the pulling tractors revving up. On the actual strip, two Deere tractors were flattening and tamping the land, and the sleighs were being calibrated. There was next to nobody there, and Alex asked, "When is the pull?"

"Starts at four."

"So why are we here so early?"

"I figured you would want to enjoy the carnival."

"Dude, I spent twenty bucks to get in here, the rides cost about five a piece. I can go to my theme park, bypass a sixty dollar entrance fee, but five to ten dollars for rides and food, all for free."

"Well, you don't have tractor pulls."

"Touche..."

"Anyway, so what's the status on Terrias? Anything new?"

"I wish, as far as I'm concerned, he's attacked another damn city."

"Yeah...he kinda is," Spyro asked, looking up from his Blackberry.

"What do you mean?"

"Watch this," and he showed them a news video showing a burning Los Angeles, and a line of Terminators soldiers stretching out from a building, with _Maxia_ officers patrolling back and forth.

"What the hell...? We better have guys heading there!"

"Alex, this is old news, they're gone already..."

-**Three Hours Earlier-**

Terrias walked to the room at the far end of the top floor of the Anderson building. The wall facing the street was missing, as well as half of the floor. The line of Terminator soldiers ended here, and three side tables had been lined up in front of the breach. "Next!" the servine called.

The man at the front of the crowd, who happened to be Calico, was forced forward, and Terrias kicked him in the back, causing him to fall to his knees.

"The hell is wrong with you, Sarge," Calico began, "You don't want to do this!"

"Oh, you still think I'm Sergeant Terrias? Well, I have a surprise for you, a little secret...I'm not that dick of a servine, oh no. My name is Commander Jazz Jackrabbit!" and he laughed.

"Jazz? I thought he was dead?"

"What? You never heard of a vengeful ghost before? Oh well, you shall find out soon enough."

"What are you doing, Sergeant."

And Terrias was given a battle axe.

"What are you doing?"

"Goodnight!" and he laughed as he raised the axe over his head, and brought it down. In several spurts of blood, Calico's body twitched once, then stilled as his head full through the hole and into the fires burning below. "Next!" the servine hissed, and two _Maxian _guards dragged the corpse to the edge of the hole, throwing it in and down into the fires raging on ground level.

The members of Alpha Company who had decided to head to the fair enjoyed their time there. Piermont was repeatedly taking on the Tilt a' Whirl, while Spyro and Cynder enjoyed the Tunnel of Love. Mark was window shopping along the various stalls, looking at all of the farmer toys and mementos for sale, Applejack was participating in the eating contest, and Alex and the other two ponies talked as they followed Mark through the stalls.

"Anyway Dash, I talked to the rest of the High Command earlier this morning, and we've decided on your training. Twilight, Spyro has agreed to train you, Cynder agreed to train Applejack, and Dash, you will be trained by me."

"Awesome!" the Pegasus replied, "I was hoping to be trained by you!"

"Yeah, well don't get excited yet, Dash. The Terminator Militia's BMT program is notoriously difficult and challenging, and if you are hoping to be trained for Alpha Company, under me, you better expect one helluva challenge. I don't go easy on friends, and the High Command teaches the toughest of our soldiers...however, you will be among our greatest warriors once you graduate the Gauntlet.

"The Gauntlet?"

"Hell yeah. Few manage to pass it, because it is so challenging, in fact, we've even thrown in a bit of a reward for anyone who manages to complete it."

"Really? What?"

"Extended training into leadership, and membership into the High Command. You're fast, you're agile, and you're a quick-thinker, I think you could pull it off. As we stand, only myself, Spyro, Cynder, and Terrias have managed to complete the Gauntlet in a timely fashion, so maybe you can get lucky and join us."

"If Piermont is High Command, shouldn't he have completed the Gauntlet as well?"

"Not necessarily, he actually holds no official rank in the militia, the rank of 'Great Commander' is an honorary title, mainly because he is the dragon of the Great Commander. He's tried the Gauntlet, but, like almost everybody else, he came up short. I have high hopes for you, you have everything needed to ensure completion...except for strength. I don't know how you bode in terms of physical strength, I understand you're fit, but even the fittest of the fit don't necessarily have strength. Take, for example, Sonic and Knuckles, in fact, that trio matches how you are quiet well. Sonic is fast as hell, incredibly fit, but Knuckles, although slower, still beats him in terms of brute strength. The way I see you, Twilight, and Applejack is like Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, and complicates matters a bit. Twilight, no doubt you are the brains of the group, not saying Dash and Applejack are stupid, they aren't, but you are the...most educated I guess...among them, much like Tails. Dash, you are like Sonic, incredibly fast, but your strength is outmatched by Applejack, like Knuckles."

"So Twilight's brains, I'm speed, and Applejack is strength?"

"Yes, thirds of the perfect soldier."

"Well that sucks..."

"Not really, actually. You see, the Gauntlet relies on speed as much as strength and intelligence, and vice versa. Usually, it is slightly fine-tuned to play to the natural capabilities of the subject. Maybe we'll take out some of the puzzles and tests of strength in place of a slightly longer time limit. Don't think it will be easy because it's specially designed to cater to your own characteristics, even though it really is customized for each subject. It is still meant to test your limits, and it will send you over them, I guarantee it. You aim for the top and go for it, that's a good idea, maybe someday I can be honored to give one, or both of you, the golden eagle that symbolizes membership into the fabled High Command."

"So the Gauntlet is the ultimate goal for newbie soldiers looking to graduate boot camp?" Twilight asked.

"Well...yes. You are already secured a place in Alpha Company, which plays in your favor already, because you outrank the army already! Think about it this way, an Alpha Company private holds a higher rank than a Gamma Company general, like Elliot."

"Whoa..." the two ponies said in unison.

"Uh huh, how you do in the Gauntlet depends on your future in Alpha Company. So whatever you do, try your hardest to complete it. If there is one thing that I would say you need to ace, and you could fail everything else, or just completely slack off on everything else...do NOT do that to the Gauntlet. You're performance there damn near decides whether you live or die, and I'm not joking. The Gauntlet really is the single most important thing that you will ever, ever, _ever _have to worry about in both your lives, and your careers."

"I didn't think anything could be _that _serious..." Rainbow Dash began.

"Well it is, I'm not joking."

"He really isn't," Spyro said, suddenly appearing behind them, Cynder in tail, "You do not want to fuck up the Gauntlet."

"What is it like?" Dash asked.

"I can't tell you," and Spyro shook his head, "Not because I'm trying to keep a big secret or some shit. This ain't a high school test, I would help you and tell you every little detail of what it is and what to expect if I could. The reason why I can't help you, is because it is never the same for two people. It is specially designed with the individual subject in mind."

"Exactly," Cynder added. "For example, Spyro and I...we're damn near one in the same...but both of our experiences in the Gauntlet are as different as night and day. The least of which was that mine was angled more towards speed, agility, and intelligence, than strength and endurance...which Spyro's was heavily based on."

"Mine was a living hell," and Alex laughed, "And _I _fucking programmed the damn thing! I damn near failed the test, I completed it with less than half a second left on the clock."

"So is it always timed?" Dash asked.

"Yes, but because you are quick and all about speed, we might cut down your time, but also eliminate a huge chunk of the other little...perks...that go into the test. Twilight, expect longer times, but puzzles that will definitely trip you up. Applejack can expect even _more _time, but more physical tests."

"I'm good at puzzles," the unicorn said.

"Yeah well, not these I promise you," Alex continued, "They're enough to trip up the most intelligent man in the universe. Dash, expect much more obstacles, twists and turns, and much less time than the other two."

"So what is the average time it takes for the test?" Twilight asked.

"Once more, it differs per person. I think mine was set for...three days?"

"Mine was set for a week," Spyro added.

"I had 36 hours," Cynder replied.

"A _week_!?" Dash exclaimed, "Real time?"

"Yes, like I said, it's massive, and it's designed to test the very limits of your abilities. That's why I said the reward is almost surefire membership into the High Command...so few complete it in the given time, and you only take it once. No do-overs, regardless of whether or not you passed or failed the test."

"So...is it like an obstacle course or...what?" Dash asked.

"_It differs_," Alex emphasized once again, "But expect some written work, field work, maybe some battle simulations and virtual reality, and plenty of survivalist shit."

"Where does it occur?"

Alex chuckled, "Think about New Alexandria, mkay?"

"Yeah..."

"The field we have for the Gauntlet is about 300% bigger than the entire area of the city."

"Holy crap!" Dash exclaimed, jaw dropping.

"I know, and the area of the city is 2500 square miles."

"That's what, 7500 miles?"

"I think so..." Spyro said.

"7250 square miles," Alex said, "But you get the picture."

"Where is a field that large even located?"

"Deep underground," Spyro said, "In the most unlikely of places."

"Where?"

"Tis a secret."

"You guys talking about the Gauntlet?" Piermont asked, appearing with a funnel cake and a lemon shake-up in hand.

"Yep," Twilight said.

"Ah, I remember those shitty nine days!" Piermont began, sighing dreamily, "Fucked up my wing, goddammit," he hissed.

Alex chuckled, "I forgot about that."

"Virtual shell my ass!"

"Is it really as hard as everyone says?" Dash asked.

"Oh hell yeah! Just ask Spike! I think he was a week late in completion."

"A..._week_!?" Twilight began.

"Hey, he did better than most people. The average given time is like ten to fifteen days, most people are lucky if they complete it in a month."

"Whoa...that's harsh..." Dash interrupted.

"It's a serious test to see if you got the right stuff to be an efficient soldier. It's not _supposed _to be easy. The funny thing is, it's kinda designed to fail."

"Then why send people through it?"

"Because those people who _do _pass it, which are far and few between, are given such high honors, and all kinds of fucking merits because they impressed the shit out of us. We like surprises, we reward surprises. So if you pass a test meant to fail, you are gonna be living high and living large for the remainder of your days. I think for members of Alpha Company, you are guaranteed membership into the High Command if you pass...now _that _is something to shoot for, and everybody has, but few succeed. I think Spyro, Cynder, Alex, and Terrias are the only ones. I failed miserably."

"Not miserably," Alex comforted.

"Dude, I was given nine days, it took me fucking three and a half weeks."

"Is it constant, or does the test 'go on pause' so to speak to allow sleep and things," Dash asked.

Everybody violently shook their heads, " ," Piermont continued, "You are constantly exposed to the Gauntlet from the moment the tests starts, to the moment you cross the finish line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and it _will _make you its bitch. We call it a 'she' if that tells you anything."

"It...really doesn't."

"Well, _she _PMS' 24/7/365, my friend. It _has _it's time of the month literally ALL THE TIME. I think we've even had a few people die in it..."

"No," Alex said, "They just literally had nervous breakdowns. We have actually had several people that now live in an insane asylum because of the Gauntlet. Back during the time we were respected, govies tried to shut it down several times."

"Are you just messing around with us?" Dash asked.

"Do I _look _like I'm messing around? No! I'm dead fucking serious."

"He really is," Spyro nodded with a sigh, "It's...it's bad. But it achieves what it's designed to do. If you can't survive the Gauntlet, you won't be shit in the military...in _any _military."

"Back during the prewar times, soldiers in the Terminator Militia were given first choice for careers and ceaseless merits if they chose to leave us for the US military, because our BMT program is so amazingly difficult. Only the best soldiers enlist in the Terminator Militia and actually succeed, earning the silver eagle."

"The silver eagle?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, a patch that all Terminator soldiers are given upon their graduation from BMT, it signifies that you have successfully completed the Gauntlet...I'm not shitting. If you don't graduate the Gauntlet, you aren't a Terminator, you don't even have to pass, you just have to complete it."

"So how can you technically 'fail' the Gauntlet then?"

"Either chicken out and leave it, lose your fucking mind, off yourself, do something that warrants a dishonorable discharge, or refuse to do it. Most people who want to enlist in our army chicken out once they go into it, they bitch and moan that it's 'too hard' or 'too much' and they don't want to do it anymore."

"So what are your suggestions then to prepare for the test?"

"Start now," Alex began, "Work on your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength. I'm not kidding, steadfast belief in God works wonders. Work out, constantly reach the limits of your strength, and even go over them. Acclimate yourself, and even all of this won't guarantee it will help you during your quest. _We _don't program the Gauntlet, _you _do. We actually have a computer-based test, giving you a shit-ton of seemingly worthless questions that determine what you will have to endure, and it's impossible to rig it, we've all tried, it just made the damn thing even harder for us. You answer the questionnaire, then you are studied by doctors and physicians, all of these results go into the machine that programs the Gauntlet. That's why I said there are never two identical experiences. Hell, if I were allowed to go in there again, and I answered the exact same questions, which, you don't, two hundred questions are randomly drawn for each test out of a pool of thousands, if not millions, I still would not be experiencing the same thing. My body has changed, your body always changes on a constant rate. Muscle tone, strength, eyesight, hearing capabilities, fucking' tasting capabilities, any abnormalities, like cuts, scratches, scars, respiratory rate, heart rate, all of this goes into creating the experience."

"My brain hurts..." Dash said.

"I don't expect you to understand it, I just expect you to complete it. Aim for the top, somehow pass the test that is designed to fail, and I can call you my sister in the High Command."

"Really?"

"Aye," everyone replied in unison.

"That's really cool."

"It is. Let me tell you a little secret also," Alex began, "The Gauntlet is actually quite fun once you get used to it. I had a blast, one of the greatest periods of time in my life...I felt so...alive, so macho!"

"Same here," Spyro agreed, "It's a very memorable, very invigorating experience. I'm sure much of it is psychological, the whole, 'I'm winning something that so few complete' adds to it. A lot of it is also caused by the release of endorphins-the 'happy' chemical-and adrenaline that is released by the challenge...and the very real 'fight or flight' reaction plays in your favor as well. I can honestly say that my time in the Gauntlet is comparable to the greatest sex I've ever had...an orgasm that lasts as long as you take the test..."

"He didn't want to leave," and Alex grinned.

"I really didn't," Spyro admitted, "I wanted to do it again. It's really quite fun, hard as hell, but fun."

"Thanks for the advice everybody," Dash said, "I can't wait."

"I'm sure she's also a little intimidated as well, at least, I am," Twilight admitted.

"That's expected. It is a little intimidating, but like I said, fun as hell, period."

"Hey!" Mark interrupted, "The pull is starting!"

Everyone exchanged glances before racing towards the track to watch the pull.

Terrias walked through the forest, alone. He could hear the sounds of the tractor pull, and hiding behind a tree, he watched as Alex, his two girlfriends, his boyfriend, and the other ponies watched the first tractor of the naturally-aspirated (NA) class pull. He grinned, his eyes turning solid black, his grin creating a disgusting ripping sound as it opened the split skin in his face and revealed thin slivers of clean pink muscle. He watched them for several minutes before fading slowly walking backward and disappearing in the leaves and foliage of the wood adjacent to the fairground.

The morning after the pull, and with the wonderful news of how Houston, Texas, Dallas, Texas, and Miami, Florida had been wasted, Alpha Company assembled in the kitchen, eating breakfast when Alex received a call on his cell. "Alex here," he answered, switching the phone to speaker.

It was Mark again, "Hey Alex, do you want to come with me to work? I figure you can get used to working down there, plus, you have paperwork to finalize before your job is secured."

"Might as well, we'll meet in Vermilion at the museum in an hour."

"That's fine, but do me a favor."

"What?"

"Don't bring the ponies, _please_," and he ended the call.

An awkward silence fell upon Alpha Company, "So..." Dash began, "Does that mean we're not coming with."

"No, you can come with if you want."

"I think I'll stay here today," Twilight began, "I need to figure out how to slay that dragon on Skyrim."

"Which one?" Alex asked.

"The one at the Western Tower or whatever, outside of Whiterun, the Jarl wanted me to do it..."

"Right!" Alex laughed, "You can't kill him?"

"He keeps beating me..."

"Is that one Mirnulmir?"

"Wasn't Mirnulmir or whatever the 'secret' dragon in Blackreach?" Spyro asked.

Cynder interrupted, "I thought that was the second scripted dragon battle, the one you watch resurrect outside of Kynegrove."

"Cynder, any _named _dragons are scripted...save the Easter egg dragon, and even then, it kinda is scripted? You just have to know how to summon it. I say '_scripted_' cause it is a guaranteed dragon battle, if you know how to do it."

"I don't remember..." Alex said, "Uh, Twilight, what is your primary weapon?"

"A fine iron sword."

"Shield?"

"No."

"Armor?"

"Mage's robes."

"Well that's your problem! Get some iron armor, or good ol' fashion steel, and switch out that crappy sword for a bow and arrow. Craft one if you can't find any laying around. If worse comes to worse, you can use some cheap-ass destruction and restoration spells."

"Thanks...I will."

"Ayup," then he sat up, "Well! Everybody ready to go?"

"_Si_," Piermont said.

They arrived over the farm store where Alex was going to be an apprentice at once he graduated from college. Thunder rumbled, the sign of a fast approaching storm, and they could see flashes of bright purple lightning in the distance. Mark was waiting for them outside, looking towards the approaching storm, "I thought you said we would meet at the museum?" he asked.

"Sorry," Alex began, "Forgot."

"Uh huh...let's go, and why did you bring...uh..."

"Rainbow Dash," the pony grinned mischievously.

"Right...I thought I said no ponies?"

"What? She's my new protege."

"Oh God...but whatever, it's your grave, not mine."

"What's the worse that can happen?"

"This place is full of rednecks who love to crack jokes and make fun of people...if you, a young worker, stroll in on your first day with a sparkly pony behind you, what do you think they'll say?"

"I don't care what they say, to be frank. I'm a goddamn soldier, that right there is a defense mechanism."

"Good point..."

"Why?" Dash asked, "Aside from the fact that you could kick everypony's...uh...asses."

"Every...pony?" Mark asked, and he sighed, "Oh lord..."

"Think about it, Dash. Soldiers are trained killers. If you are a soldier, I think people will think twice about pissing you off, since they already know that you don't have a problem killing people. Most people, even rednecks, are smart enough to know not to cross a soldier."

"Good point."

"Never say 'everypony' again," Mark said, "Learn to speak American. It's not 'everypony', it's 'everybody'."

"Nah...wait..." and she grinned, "_Neigh_...I think I can say whatever I want, I _am _a soldier after all."

Mark glared at Alex.

"What?" the Commander began, "What did _I _do?"

The day passed by slowly, and it was incredibly hot outside. The storm was right over them now, they could hear the loud bursts of thunder rumbling, and Alex looked out the window, watching the lightning flashes. As they worked out in the shop, painting bleachers due to the fact that it was a slow time of year for machinery, one of the workers came in, saying, "Alex?" and the Commander raised his hand. "Right, uh...Alex, you have someone here who wants to see you."

"Who is it?"

"He didn't say...he looks...a little fucked up though."

"Might as well bring him in..." and Mark glared at him again, "Oh!" Alex hissed, "Lay off it."

"Well, well, well, _Commander_," emerged an eerie voice, and Alex turned to see a gruesome sight. Immediately, the members of Alpha Company with him, as well as the _Nighthawks_, braced themselves, ready to attack.

Terrias stood in the doorway, eyes as black as coal, covered in bullet wounds caked with dried blood. His trench coat was tattered, muddy, bloody, and riddled with bullet holes, and a rotten, necrotic smell surrounded him as he approached. The skin on his face had also split open, revealing the clean pink muscle beneath, and his ghoulish grin further gave him a nightmarish appearance.

"Jazz! What have you done to Terrias!?" Alex roared.

"Oh, don't you worry, your little snake friend is just fine, he's just...sleeping."

"Leave him! _NOW_!" Spyro growled.

"Or what? What's wrong, Commander? Afraid your little ass-buddy will try to pull something? I'm sure he won't. If he attacks, he knows that I'll just give control over to your tortured friend, that way, Sergeant Terrias..."

"It's Lieutenant now..." Alex growled, "But that's beside the point."

"Fine then, _Lieutenant_ Terrias will feel the attack, not I."

"If you want to fight, do this man to man, leave him out of this!"

"Well we can't really fight man to man can we? If you recall, my body was incinerated by the Ring. So, I figured I would create a bit of irony, I would take over the one who ended my life to begin with! It is a genius plan!"

"Why are you attacking those cities and slaughtering all those people?"

Terrias chuckled, a grisly, gritty sound, "You haven't seen it yet? Oh well, you will, soon. Now, Alex, I have a little...secret...to share with you."

"What?"

"Lower your weapons, order your companions to do the same, and then I will tell you...if you come to me."

"Why should I?"

"Well, it's about your little girlfriend."

Alex's angry grimace became a look of shock.

"Ah yes, you know the one, that mysterious girl of your dreams? I know who she is...and I am willing to tell you, if you drop your weapons and come to me."

Rainbow Dash's look suddenly dissolved into worry and embarrassment, as she slowly backed away, shying away from Alex's side. She briefly cried out as she lost control of her body, was lifted, and by some invisible force, brought to Alex's side again.

"Aww, what's wrong little pony pie?" Jazz taunted, speaking in the voice used to babies, "Afraid that the big bad snake is gonna eat you?"

"Leave me alone!" Dash hissed.

"Jazz, leave her alone!" Alex roared, "She has _nothing _to do with this!"

"She doesn't? Really? That's not what _I _hear."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"What's wrong, Pony Girl? You didn't tell him the truth?"

"What truth?" Dash hissed.

"You know which one I'm referring to. You know, the truth of his little imaginary girlfriend."

"No I don't!" but she was starting to get nervous.

"Dash? What's he talking about?" and Alex's demeanor seemed hurt and also deeply concerned, obviously Jazz had struck a sensitive note.

"Nothing, he's obviously lying. I have no idea who she is."

"You are lying, which is quite surprising!" Jazz said, chuckling, "I thought you were the element of loyalty, and now you aren't even telling the truth to your best friend...or should I say your..."

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Alex roared, and fire flared around him, causing his companions to recoil in alarm. The fire condensed itself, now burning around his clenched fists at his side.

Jazz laughed, "An elemental battle? No thanks, but alas, I have overstayed my welcome, I best be going now."

"Hey!" and Alex dropped his weapons, sprinting towards the servine, "Don't you go you piece of shit!"

"Bye bye!" and Jazz laughed as Alex dove at him. In a flash of purple light, the servine was gone, and all Alex achieved was diving into the wall, hitting the ground as he slid to a stop. He stood, healing the friction burns on his chin as he turned abruptly around, hearing Terrias' possessed laugh all around him.

"Where did you go? Come out you motherfucking _coward_!"

Nothing, and the Commander roared as he punched the air, and a massive fireball shot from his fists, flying out the open garage door and nearly igniting the parking lot before dissipating. Dash, who had been dropped once Alex interrupted Jazz's statement, picked herself up, rubbing her chin as she ran to Alex, trying to coax him into calming down.

Piermont, Spyro, Aria, and Cynder kept their weapons raised for a few minutes longer before finally, slowly lowering them. "Dammit," Piermont breathed, "Sleazy bastard got away _AGAIN!_"

"Spyro," Cynder began, "Look."

"What?" and he looked at where his mate was pointing. Alex looked as if he was struggling not to cry, at the same time as he was obviously still thoroughly pissed off. Dash, who looked deeply saddened by Alex's mood, nuzzled him with her head, trying to comfort him. "What is it?" Spyro asked, "She's being a good friend."

"There's something more..."

"What?"

"Remember his dreams?"

"Yeah...what about them?"

"Look at what Dash is doing."

He then watched as she nuzzled him again, and his eyes widened with dawning realization as he remembered the girl doing that to Alex in the dreams...only coaxing him into foreplay and mating than to comfort him. Instantly, the purple dragon felt an audible click as he seemed to unlock the doors making the memorable dreams so forgettable.

"You don't think..." Spyro began.

Cynder nodded, "I think she's the one."

"Why haven't they realized it yet?" then, he gasped as he remembered Dash's reaction when the possessed Terrias had mentioned the girl, "She _does _know! Why doesn't he?"

"I don't know."

"Why won't she tell him?"

"Maybe she's just really shy to, you know! You remember how shy _we _were the first time we admitted our feelings for each other."

"Yeah...I remember alright. I _also _remember that there was no courting, the moment we said we loved each other, I had already mounted you."

"Yeah..." and Cynder blushed, "I remember..."

"Do you think he'll remember her?"

"I'm sure it will happen eventually...he just needs the proper stimulus, and like we just had, everything will click for him."

"Yeah..." and he placed his head on her shoulder, purring.

Sitting at the supper table at Club Camelot, Alpha Company ate in silence. Alex's phone rang, and he answered the call as his face grew grim and he replied, "Okay, we're heading down now."

"What's going on?" Dash asked.

"Elliot has some news on Terrias and the _Maxia_, he wants us in the conference room immediately."

"Yay!" Piermont cheered, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends!"

"What?" the Pegasus asked.

"Eh...nothing Rainbow Dash, you wouldn't understand."

"Pierre?"

"Yeah, Alexis?"

"Shut up."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Alpha Company sat around the large table, awaiting Elliot's arrival. After half an hour, he finally arrived, carrying a thick dossier, his laptop, and a projector.

"Uh oh..." Piermont whispered, "It's movie time again..."

"Shut up, Pierre," Elliot grumbled, "I'm still pissed at you all."

"We didn't do anything involving Terrias," Alex began, "Jazz possessed him somehow, he tried to fucking slit my throat!"

"I can testify to that," Dash stated, raising a hoof.

"I don't want to hear it," and he stood at the front of the room, setting everything up. "Here's the situation," he began, "We think we have a pattern in these attacks."

"A pattern?" Alex asked, "Maybe we can stop and save Terrias before anything more happens..."

"If I don't shoot him first, which I'm more than happy to be able to do. That slimy servine's more trouble than he's worth, and frankly, I don't think he's worth having around, your friend or not, abused or not."

"Just because he is a little more flexible in his..."

"No, Commander!" Elliot hissed, slamming his hands down on the table, "He isn't 'flexible' with the rules! He outright breaks them! And all you are doing is supporting his vigilantism by promoting him for breaking the rules during the Blood Week Crisis!"

"He saved New Alexandria, _and _assassinated Jazz! How in the _hell _is that breaking the rules?"

"He wasn't following orders, _and _he endangered the whole damn planet by hacking and firing the Ring when it wasn't even fully repaired from the hack _last _time!"

"Tiny details! Miniscule details!"

"Tiny details? Tell me, _Commander_, what would have happened had the ring decided to go time bomb than timed purification, hmm? The blown out section is still a goddamn skeleton, the surface skin hasn't even been added, let alone the pipeline guide for the super-heated, super-concentrated energy that goes into those cannons! If he wouldn't have gotten lucky, that damn ring would have blown itself to pieces, and would have taken out the whole goddamn planet with it!"

"First of all, this is _MY _army! _MY _rules! Second of all, it's not like he rogued out to destroy the _whole goddamn_ planet! He fired the Ring to ensure Jazz didn't escape considering that sleazy bastard has a way of getting away!"

"He still endangered seven_ billion _human citizens! Among those yourself, myself, our families, children, and innocents! It is a mistake that cannot be forgiven! Even if we _did _get lucky that his goddamn plan worked!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP BOTH OF YOU AND JUST PASS ON THE GODDAMN, MOTHERFUCKING _DETAILS_!" Piermont roared, fuming.

"Fine then," Elliot said, straightening his tunic, "Intel has mapped out the attacks on the cities, running them against everything else to see if there is any specific connection that links them...what we found was rather interesting."

"Spit it out, Elliot," Dash said, arms crossed, annoyed.

"Fuck you, Greenhorn, before _you _go into my crosshairs as well," Elliot hissed, then, "The order of the attacks, and the cities, are the exact same as the order of cities that we, the Terminator Militia, attacked early on in the war during the Southern March to Washington DC."

"You're right..." Alex said, thinking, "I do remember that now...I thought there was something odd about the methods...we also left no _Maxian _survivors. Anyone that survived the battle was abruptly executed."

"Exactly."

"So Jazz-indwelt Terrias is reliving the Southern March, only inflicting these attacks on us, so what, his destination is New Alexandria?"

"We don't know, but what we _do _know is the next city in the chain..."

"Let me guess..." Aria interrupted, "New York City?"

"Precisely."

"Of bloody course. Poor NYC is _always _getting destroyed. Hard to believe there's anything even left _standing _after first the Siege, and now the Blood Week Crisis."

"Well, we're sending you out to NYC, hopefully you can intercept Terrias before _we _do."

"Is that you giving him a chance, General?"

Elliot's brow furrowed and he bared his tobacco-stained teeth in disgust, "No, it's me giving you a head start so you can save that worthless shit before I get my hands on him. Because if _I _do, he's going to become my newest belt."

"If you harm him..." Alex began, clenching his fists.

"You'll do what? Kill me? Dishonorably discharge me? I don't fucking care. I've hit the limit with you and this entire army. Now, if you want to save him, I suggest you take your ten seconds and run with it, before _I_ send out _my_ guys. Because if _I _do, I _WILL _kill him, I am not lying."

Alex nodded, "Fine, c'mon guys, we have a servine to save."

Alpha Company emerged over NYC, already in the midst of the _Maxian _attack.

"Shit!" Alex swore, "Everybody get down there! Rainbow Dash! You're with me!"

"Okay," and she nodded.

"C'mon, Piermont! We need to find Terrias before it's too late!" the dragon turned sharply, heading back as Rainbow Dash flew beside him, managing to keep up with his speed.

"Where are we going, Alex?" she asked.

"To find Terrias! We have less than an hour before Elliot sends Beta and Gamma Companies out here, and if he does, Terrias is as good as dead. We need to get to him first!"

"Hey, Alex..."

"What?" and he sounded more fierce than intended.

"Where do you think he is?"

"I don't know!"

"Well...eh...I think I do..."

"What? How?"

"Look..." and she nodded to the roof of a distant skyscraper at the head of Times Square. Storm clouds circled the building, obscuring the roof from their view, and strange purple lightning zapped around it.

"Good eyes!" Alex yelled in good cheer and the trio flew towards the distant building.

"Alex!" Piermont began.

"What?" Alex roared over the wind and his own panicking fury at the fast-approaching deadline.

"I won't be able to go through that!"

"What? Why?"

"Dude! The whole damn cloud is electrified! I go through there and I come out as a steak served well done!"

"Well get as close as you can then...we might have to scale the skyscraper to get to him."

"How are we so sure it's him? This is Dashie's baptism by fire, I don't expect her to really know what's going on."

"Because I've _seen _that purple lightning before, Piermont. If you remember, it went off whenever Terrias appeared or vanished after his indwelling! Remember it was storming outside with _purple _lightning at Club Camelot when he had the blade to my throat, and it was storming that previous night, you remarked on the clouds! That must have been when the indwelling occurred!"

"Maybe he just left then?"

"No, because at the farm store, it was thundering and lightning outside...I couldn't see the clouds, but I could see the flashes of _purple _lightning, and Terrias made his appearance."

"Then we need to get the hell over there! How will we even _stop_ him before Elliot arrives? All he needs to do is teleport and he will get away!"

"We need to distract him so that thought doesn't come to mind."

"Got an idea?"

"Yes..."

"What?"

"Bait..."

"_What!? _Are you insane?"

"Piermont, he wants _me _dead! Jazz wants revenge against _me_! If I go alone, he won't leave."

"I'm _not _leaving you alone!" Piermont roared.

"Neither am I!" Rainbow Dash added.

"Yes you will, and are! Both of you!"

"But..."

"NO! Rainbow Dash!" Alex interrupted, "I'm not pulling you into my fight! Now, Jazz has no heat with any of you, he wants _me _dead! _I'm _the one that killed him back when he first defected! If I go alone, he won't leave, he will fight to try and kill me...if you guys go with me..." and he shook his head, "He isn't stupid, he'll leave if he says the odds are stacked against him."

Piermont sighed before swearing, "You're right..." and he bit his lip, finally saying, "Go! But be careful, dammit!" and he lowered, landing abruptly to the ground as Alex dismounted. "BE CAREFUL!" the dragon hissed.

"I will..." Alex said.

With a loud growl of disapproval, Piermont leaped into the air, an emerald blur as he abruptly flew away. Rainbow Dash landed on the ground as the gathered storm clouds began to drop their payload. Rain coming down around them, the Pegasus walked up to Alex, and several moments of silence stood between them as she said, "Be careful, Alex."

"I will, and I'll bring back, Terrias. Just you wait."

She nodded, "I believe you..." and she surprised him by kissing him, deeply, passionately. She broke it, and he was stunned speechless, "Please...be careful," she said before flying off.

For several moments afterward, Alex remained in place, stunned by Dash's actions. Shaking his paralysis away, he gripped his AK47 tightly, turning on the mounted flashlight as he kicked down the door and sped into the empty building. He hurried up several flights of stairs in the darkened skyscraper, finding an elevator as he climbed it and rode it as far up as possible. At the top of the shaft, he emerged, finding a locked door to the roof. He kicked down the door, running upstairs as he opened the door onto the rooftop. The whole area was covered in deep purple storm clouds, as the purple lightning went off everywhere, striking the roof. "_JAZZ_!" his voice boomed, reverberating through the silence, "_COME OUT AND FIGHT ME!_"

"With pleasure," emerged the possessed servine's voice from behind him, and Alex began to turn before he was kicked in the back and thrown down. He stood up, seeing Terrias perched on the top of the door, appearing like Spider-Man on a lamppost. The servine chuckled, a ghoulish sound that reverberated through the still, eerily silent world, the calm before the storm, as he jumped off his perch, front flipping twice before landing on the ground, now looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator after being teleported. He stood, hidden in shadow, except for his eyes, glowing a deep maroon.

"It's about time you showed up," he said, laughing wildly, "I've been waiting."

Alex unsheathed his twin swords, preparing to attack. Terrias, still obscured in shadow revealed his own twin blades, unsheathing them both in on fluid motion as the sound of steel sliding on steel filled the air. He chuckled again, "I hope you are ready to die, _Commander_."

He then emerged from the shadow, and Alex's heart was broken by what he saw. Terrias was no longer recognizable, he was even more bloodied now, bleeding from fresh bullet wounds, and his face was covered in splits in the skin, all revealing pink muscle. The older ones were large now, almost an inch wide, but were not bleeding, and looked clean. The newer ones, still as small as the point of a pencil were bleeding profusely. He also stood lopsided, legs spread out, and he rocked on his heels. His breathing was heavy, fluid, and his eyes, once more that charcoal-black, were deeply sunken into his skull. The skin on his hands appeared corpse-like, stretched taut against the bone, as did the flesh on his face. A heavy wind was now blowing, and the shreds of his trench coat blew back, revealing his body covered in splits, bullet holes, and very skeletal, very sickly. Heavily breathing, he chuckled, "How do I look?" and his smoker's laugh became a cough as black globs shot from his open mouth, splattering on the floor.

"What the hell have you done to Terrias?" Alex said, mouth twisted in disgust as the sight even made _his _hardened stomach queasy.

"He's fine," Jazz replied in a slow, haunting, slurred, sing-song tone. Terrias' normal speaking voice was layered with the demonic, corpse-like hoarse of the rabbit, showing through on hard syllables and vowels. On softer syllables, only Terrias' normal voice was heard, now very deathly and hoarse, "He's just resting!"

"It seems your host is deteriorating," Alex said, frowning.

"Of course!" the voice slurred again, laughing that smoker's hack again, "There isn't room for two spirits in here...why, we're almost busting our seams," and he grinned, making that disgusting creaking leather sound again, "We might blow at any minute!"

Closing his eyes as he fought back a tear, Alex charged forward, crying out the Terminator battle cry as he engaged his former friend. Jazz tried on several instances to give control back to Terrias, but the servine's tormented spirit was just too weak to manage to stay standing or speak, let alone fight, and Jazz was forced to regain control. Although Jazz's attacks and defending maneuvers were clumsy and sloppy, and he moved as if he was drunk, he still managed to keep Alex from striking a successful hit, and eventually, both were too tired to continued. The backed away from each other, hands on their knees and kneeling over as they caught their breaths, and Jazz coughed that nasty hack again, more globs of black spewing across the ground as he weakly stood up again, walking like a drunk towards the Commander, wiping his mouth. Alex threw down his blades, standing up as he charged at the possessed servine once again, throwing punches. Jazz evaded these with uncanny speed, as Terrias picked up Alex by the throat and through him down across the arena. Alex cried out, clumsily standing as Terrias stood over him, blade in hand, prepared to make the killing blow. There was a loud, angry roar from behind, and Terrias was thrown forward as he was kicked in the back. Alex looked at where the servine once stood, now Rainbow Dash, who had shot from the clouds, stood in his place, braced to attack again.

"Dash!" Alex cried.

"You're welcome!" she called, extending a hoof and helping him up.

"The hell are you doing here?"

"Helping you!"

"What? Remember what I said..."

"I remember!" she said, "But Elliot has arrived and he's beginning his attack on the city, I'm here to help you save Terrias' life! You're welcome!"

"Aww!" Jazz crooned, "So the two lovers have decided they would like to gain up on ol' Jazz Jackrabbit, well...I have ways of dealing with unfair games!"

Jazz stood, arms crossed, and he lifted his chin as Dash was suddenly lifted into the air, crying out. "_DASH!_" Alex yelled.

With a quick nod of the chin, the Pegasus was sent flying across the roof as she struck the door to the roof, sliding down and landing in a jumbled heap on the ground. She tried to pick herself up, but clumsily fell down again.

"You need to learn not to bring soldiers who have yet to be mutated, Commander!" and Jazz picked up Alex's dropped AK47, aiming it as he prepared to shoot Rainbow Dash, who only looked up and stared into the barrel of the gun, a look of angry defeat on her face. Blood dripped down from a cut on her forehead. "I hope you are ready to die, miss!" he cackled.

"URA!" Alex cried as he leaped into the air, tackling the surprised servine to the ground and beginning to deliver a barrage of punches. Terrias, using his telekinesis, lifted Alex up and threw him across the rooftop, and the possessed servine picked up the dropped AK47, approaching the Commander.

"I guess," he slurred angrily, "I'll have to deal with _you_, first! GOODBYE COMMANDER VAUGHN!" and he laughed as a shot rang throughout the air.

Alex, who had squeezed his eyes shut, twitched in alarm, and as he opened one eye, he saw a stunned look on the servine's face as black blood dripped from a bullet hole between his eyes. He collapsed forward, and Alex saw Aria, tears filling her eyes, sitting in the doorway leading onto the rooftop, a P2K in her hand. "Aria!" Alex yelled, jumping up as he ran to her side and helped her up. She was sobbing uncontrollably now, and he held her as she cried into his shoulder. "It's okay, Aria..." he comforted, "It's alright."

"Alex..." Dash's weak voice broke out. Alex broke the embrace, turning and extending a hand to help the Pegasus up. She grabbed it, pulling herself up, and he asked, "Are you okay?"

She nodded, "I'm fine...what about Terrias?" and she looked over Alex's shoulder at him.

A soft growl filled the air, growing louder and louder until it was a maniacal yell. Terrias picked himself up, breathing heavily, a look of straight fury on his face. He spoke quickly now, "It's time to die, Commander! I'm tired of this stalling! TODAY YOU DIE!" and he charged forward, letting loose that maniacal yell of his. As he grabbed Alex by the shoulders, his yell became a disgusting gargle, and he recoiled, screaming in pain as he placed his face in his hands, backing away. Throwing his hands and head to the air, his skin cracked like glass as blood poured from everywhere on his body and the servine exploded, sending blood and gore flying every which way, covering the rooftop. In the place where Terrias once stood, a three dimensional shadow, in the shape of the rabbit, with two glowing, red eyes, narrowed in hatred hovered three feet off of the ground. The waist down was gone, tapering off into open air. The shade threw his head up and laughed maniacally, "TRY TO KILL ME NOW!" he roared demonically, that maniacal laughing continuing. He moved swiftly, at impossible speed, circling the Commander multiple times as he zipped around the rooftop, and the sound of a million laughing demons became an omnipresent sound. Aria, Dash, and Alex all covered their ears, but the laughing only grew louder, it was in their minds. The black blur moved very quickly, nearly invisible, each time it paused, it unleashed a shadowy beam of light that burned like acid upon contact.

"We need to kill him!" Dash roared over the crescendo of laughter, "Before I lose my mind! I can't even hear myself think!"

"Alex!" a new voice sounded, and the Commander turned to see Spyro speeding onto the roof, recoiling at the bloody sight, and the shadowy wraith that glared hungrily at them.

"I CAN'T BE STOPPED!" the omnipresent demonic voice of the revenant shouted, "I AM INVINCIBILE!"

"Everything can be killed!" Alex hissed.

"YOU CAN'T KILL SOMETHING THAT IS ALREADY DEAD!"

"You can't fight either!"

He hissed at them, a sound like sizzling acid, "I CAN DO WHATEVER I WISH!"

The shadow let loose a hellish screeched as it charged forward at an impossible speed, engulfing Alex. He was overwhelmed by the smell of burning flesh, and he couldn't breathe, it felt as if a massive weight was sitting on his shoulders, he was also paralyzed, and his muscles spasmed, as if in the throws of a grand mal seizure. "ALEX!" Dash cried out, running to his aide.

"Don't touch him!" Spyro roared, "Jazz will go after you next!"

_NONSENSE! _The omnipresent voice of Jazz spoke, now in their heads, over the demonic laughter, _I WILL GO AFTER THE ONE WITH SO LITTLE FAITH!_

The shadow then detached from Alex and sped towards Spyro enveloping him in a sac of darkness.

"SPYRO!" Dash and Alex yelled in unison, and they rushed to the fallen dragon. As soon as they were at Spyro's side, they felt themselves being lifted, and they were thrown across the rooftop again as the shadow sank in to the dragon, and Spyro stood, now as black as pitch, his horns and belly were a moldy green, and his eyes were glowing red. Tendrils of shadow rose from his body like smoke, and his wings were moldy green, shredded, and torn. He looked like a dead version of his dark form. When the shade spoke, its voice was Spyro's normal tone, overlapped with the layered voice of a hundred demons. "THIS CHILD REEKS OF YOUNG FAITH! HE HAS YET TO FULLY ENGULF THE IDEALS OF YOUR GOD, COMMANDER! IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS THAT HIS SPIRIT FAILS TO FIGHT BACK!"

"Stop using avatars and fight like a man you cowardly, chickenshit..." and Alex stopped speaking, choking as his hands immediate went to his throat. Spyro held up his left forelimb, paw clenched into a fist, pointing it at the Commander.

"YOU DARE TO INSULT ME? I WILL RAPE THIS CHILD'S SPIRIT! TEAR IT APART UNTIL IT CANNOT BE REBUILT! AND I WILL LIVE ON IN THIS NEW HOST!"

"NO!" Dash roared, charging forward as she pounced Spyro, and the two went flying off of the roof of the building.

"Rainbow Dash! _NO!_" and Alex ran to the edge, leaping off of the roof after them.

While they descended, Rainbow Dash and Spyro fought hand to hand, the purple dragon slashing at her wings as the Pegasus tried to raise them to slow her descent. Alex fell after them, terrified, worried for the safety of the both of them. He suddenly felt a massive force overcome his body, and he tried to break free, but it restrained him, enveloping him in blackness as his mind sank and drowned in the dense darkness. His eyes glowed a brilliant light, and his descent stopped as he hovered in place. When he opened his mouth to speak, blinding light poured from it, and he said, his voice equally layered by an extremely deep, powerful boom, "SPAWN OF HELL WHAT DOST THOU DO TO THIS CHILD OF GOD!"

"WHAT? _IMPOSSIBLE!_"

"YOU HAVE SHATTERED THE LAWS OF HEAVEN, TAKEN CONTROL OF A VESSEL THAT BELONGS NOT TO YOUR EVIL SEED! YOU HAVE DISRESPECTED THE LAW OF MY FATHER ALTHOUGH HE GAVE YOU A SECOND CHANCE TO RIGHT WRONGS! INSTEAD YOU HAVE THROWN HIS GOOD GRACES AT HIS FACE, DESECRATING A HOLY VESSEL TO FURTHER YOUR OWN SELFISH DEEDS! I AM THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL, WARRIOR AND WRATH OF GOD, SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE AND JUSTICE, AND I HAVE COME TO CLEANSE THAT WHICH YOU SO DESCECRATED WITH YOUR FILTHY FORM!"

In a loud blast of thunder and lightning, the shadow of massive, feathery wings flashed on the building behind him, the wingspan at least fifty feet.

As Alex raised his palms, a vicious wind tore through the world, surrounding him. Spyro and Dash were frozen in the air, and the Pegasus looked down, alarmed that she was somehow hovering. Spyro had raised a paw to his eyes, shielding his face from the brilliant light emanating from the Commander.

"_AHST VAAL ONTOM VIA CALA SOLU VEI MOI, AHK LEM, TEIR VEIS!_" with this said, several white orbs shot from Alex's body, tearing through Spyro's form as the possessed dragon let out a pained wail.

"SON OF SATAN, YOU ARE HEREBY BANISHED FROM THE VESSELS OF THIS ARMY OF LIGHT FOR ALL ETERNITY!"

In an explosion of brilliant purple light, was blown to one side, and the shade was blown to the other. Spyro hit the ground, unconscious, and the shade stood, growling and hissing at the hovering Alex, arms and legs outstretched, as if crucified.

With a loud, deep rumble, the clouds obscuring the roof of the skyscraper dissipated, revealing dark gray clouds that circled directly above, circling around a glowing white eye. Out of the eye emerged a million, white, tadpole-like spirits, and the wind picked up even harder, nearly blowing everyone away, like a hurricane. With another deep rumble, a single white spirit shot straight down, striking the asphalt streets and cracking it as the asphalt bubbled and boiled beneath it. The blinding light took on a humanoid form, and that further morphed as features were added, and in a flash, Terrias appeared, translucent, glowing white, eyes blinding white. The servine brought his palms to his chest as a small ball of white appeared, growing larger and larger, pulsating, each pulse emitting another flash of light. In a strange, indescribable sound, like air whistling through an aluminum cylinder, the orb shot out of the servine's chest, and Terrias was sent backwards by the back pressure. The still-pulsing orb, now the size of a soccer ball, became lodged in the shade's chest, and he looked down in terror and horror, screaming a shrill screech as the orb imploded, and the shade's shadowy form cracked, each crack letting that blinding light pour through. The shrillness of the wail increased, and Dash could feel her ears bleeding as the shade seemed to swell and bloat before finally exploding, sending millions of tiny pieces of shadow flying every which direction.

As soon as the shade exploded, the wind ceased, the rotating clouds broke apart, and Alex, eyes still glowing and still hovering, suddenly adopted a terrified look as a ball of white light shot out of his mouth and into the rapidly dissolving clouds. The spirit gone, he collapsed as he fell to the ground, limbs still outstretched. The white light in his eyes and mouth flickered out, and Dash flew quickly towards him, flying beneath the unconscious Commander as she caught him and gently lowered him to the ground. Spyro slowly sat up, groaning and holding his head, "Ow..." he began, "My aching head...ugh...what happened?"

"Spyro!" Cynder cried, running to him and embracing him.

Terrias, still in his spirit form, suddenly looked exhausted, and he collapsed to the ground. The white glow surrounding him faded away, and his colorless form adopted their normal tone as he collapsed to his knees before falling forward. Upon landing face down on the ground, the last of the light surrounding him flickered out, and he groaned, opening his maroon eyes as he stood, slowly, carefully, "Wha..." he began sleepily, "What happened?"

He looked around, crying out as he fell back, landing on his rear and anxiously looking around at the gathered soldiers. Alpha Company, who had gathered around the scene, looked around, giving out exclamations of surprise as they saw piles of smoking ash where the _Maxia _had once been. Dash knelt by Alex's side, nuzzling him with her muzzle as he groaned, slowly standing and holding his head. "Dash?" he asked sleepily, "I...is that you?"

"It's me," she said, her face full of relief, "I'm glad you're okay."

"Where's Terrias!?" he exclaimed, suddenly shooting up, now fully alert. When he saw the servine laying on the ground, still staring in disbelief and shock at everyone, the Commander ran to his friend's side, hugging him tightly, "Terrias! You're okay!" he cried happily, laughing as tears of joy slid down his face.

"Whoa..." came a voice, and Alex and Terrias looked up as Alpha Company parted and Piermont walked to the duo, "What...the hell...was _that_!?"

"Jazz is gone..." Terrias said, "I don't think you'll be seeing him anymore."

"What happened? Dammit! I missed all the action!"

Rainbow Dash grinned, "We'll tell you later, Pierre."

"YOU!" emerged a booming voice from behind Alpha Company.

As the soldiers quickly fell back, Alex stood up straight, intent look on his face as he stood protectively between the frightened Terrias and an infuriated General Elliot, flanked on either side by the rest of Gamma Company.

"Time's up, Commander!" Elliot hissed, murderous glimmer in his eyes, "I told you to have him outta here before I arrived, now step out of the way so I can finish this myself!" and he quickly revealed a .357 Magnum, cocking it as he took aim at Terrias' head.

"NO!" Cynder yelled, running to Elliot and trying to push him back.

"Get out of my way, Cynder! Before I shoot you, too!"

"ENOUGH!" Alex roared.

"Step out of the way, Commander, nice and easy. Don't make this harder than it already is!"

"You aren't going to harm Terrias!"

"Alex..." the servine began, voice small, "What...what's he going to do to me!?"

"Nothing, Terrias," the Commander said firmly, "Absolutely nothing."

"Out of my way, Alex! I told you he had to be out of here before I arrived! I'm here, and that slimy snake is still here!"

"He's back to normal, Elliot!" Cynder said, sounding angry, "Jazz is dead! For good this time! Did you not just see that spectacle!?"

"All I see is a stubborn, delusional boy and his goddamn scaly mate standing between me and a troublesome Pokemon that is better off put down! Now both of you, step out of my way, so I can get this over with!"

"You aren't shooting him," Spyro said, finding his voice as he weakly stepped forward. He began to collapse to the side, but Cynder quickly got beneath him, catching him before he fell.

"Why do you have to make this so difficult? I gave you a chance, and you failed, now let me do my job!"

"Elliot..." Terrias began, standing weakly.

"No, Terrias!" Alex hissed, "Stay here."

The servine weakly shoved him away as he stepped forward. Elliot raised the gun, taking aim as Terrias walked carefully towards him, raising his paws against the back of his head. The servine, once he was directly in front of Elliot, collapsed to his knees, looking down, "Make it quick," he said firmly.

Elliot lowered the gun, aiming at the back of Terrias' head, right between his ears. A shot rang out through the night, and Cynder cried out, "NO!"

The servine flinched, opening his eyes as he blinked, saying, "Am I dead?" he carefully turned his head, seeing the smoking bullet hole in the asphalt next to him. He gasped, and quickly looked up. Elliot's mouth was twisted in a grimace of disgust, but he bit his lip, releasing the hammer on the gun as he slipped it back into its holster. Terrias lowered his hands, standing carefully, holding them out in surrender as he quickly turn and ran back to the Commander, slipping beside him and hiding behind him, peering out in fear over his shoulder.

Elliot sighed, relaxing his shoulders as he lowered his head and closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. Sounding tired, he said, "Alex, get him out of my sight...right now."

"Yes, sir," and Alpha Company quickly ran away, as they vanished in several flashes of light.


	26. Chapter XXV: Union

_**Chapter XXV**_**:**

**-''Union''-**

**-Times Square: New York City, New York-**

**-_27 July 2012_-**

**-_2300 Hours_-**

Alex stood in the center of the audience assembled outside of Towns Square. The front of the crowd, an immense stage had been erected with a set of five mikes on the center of the stage. Around him stood Alpha Company, talking amongst themselves as a band played their best in an attempt to impress a panel of music aficionados judging the concert. Alex was wearing ragged jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a leather studded leather jacket. Spyro was wearing black, gold-trimmed steel armor, and Cynder was wearing red-trimmed silver armor. Piermont, wore his normal attire, and had a lit cigarette poking between his lips. Terrias was looking fresh in a brand new trench coat, and his mate stood beside him, wearing little more than a shredded black silk cape. The assembled _Firebird_ awaited their summoning, and as per usual, they were nervous, but excited for their performance.

_I don't know about you, _Piermont thought at the rest of their band, they had all resorted to telepathy since the music was too loud to talk, _But I think we're gonna kick Dashie and the rest of her girlfriends' asses._

_Of course we are, _Alex thought with a verbal laugh, _They've only been practicing for what? A week? I'm still eager to see how they do, though._

Spyro grinned, _We'll kick their asses._

_Hell yeah, _Cynder added, then, checking her watch, _We better get on up there, we're right after these next guys_.

The rest of _Firebird_ walked towards the stage, until only Alex and Terrias remained. _Terrias_... the Commander began, _Are you feeling okay?_

_Huh?_ the servine started, _Oh yeah, yeah, I'm fine..._

_What's wrong?_

_Nothing._

_Terrias, what's wrong?_

The servine sighed, then said, _I'm worried._

_About what?_

_About Elliot..._

_Don't worry about him, he'll forget about that soon enough._

_Alex...I' sorry for being such a bother to you and the rest of the militia,_ and he looked away.

_Hey, hey!_ and Alex pulled the servine back to face him, _Don't apologize, Terrias, you did nothing wrong._

_I just feel so bad..._

_It wasn't your fault. You had zero control over what happened. I'm just glad you are alive. Now, enough loathing, we have a battle to win. Can I trust you to help us kick Dash's ass? _Alex said, elbowing his friend playfully as he grinned mischievously.

Terrias grinned, _Hell yeah, man! I'm your wing-man!_

_Let's have us some pony ass then_, and with this final bit of mental, telepathic conversation said, the two ran off, following the rest of their bandmates.

Standing backstage, waiting their turn, they could hear the cheers of the crowd as the band currently on finished their song. The next band setting up and about to go on, Alex turned to Spyro and asked, "So...how are you in your transition?"

"What do you mean?" the purple dragon asked, confused at the random statement.

"Finding religion..."

"Is this about Jazz possessing me? My religion is fine, Alex."

The Commander gave him a worried look.

"I'm serious, remember? He possessed Terrias without much effort, too, and _he's _been Christian since the damn world was young so...Jazz just strong-armed our souls, it has nothing to do with my faith. I'm a converted Christian, but does that make me so different from everybody else? I'm fine, Alex, don't worry. Besides, isn't _everybody _technically a 'converted Christian', we aren't born with our faith, we adopt it once we start thinking on our own."

They fell silent then, but Alex watched as his second-in-command nervously, involuntarily stroked the nail-cross necklace around his throat. Even though he believed that his faith was strong, as did Alex, the purple dragon's experience with his possession still made him worried and nervous.

Finally, the band out before them stopped playing, and they left the stage as _Firebird _walked on, setting everything up. They began their performance by playing 'Cherub Rock', originally written by the band, Smashing Pumpkins before playing Guns n' Roses' 'November Rain', tying immediately into Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs', followed by Aerosmith's 'Livin' on the Edge', and ending with 'Raining Blood', originally performed by Slayer. As they performed, sounding almost exactly like the original recordings, the crowd cheered them on, and Rainbow Dash watched, arrogant smile on her face. They were _good _true, but she and their young band were _better_. She grinned as the band finished with their songs, packing up as they left, and as they entered backstage, Alex turned to the Pegasus, a sly smile on his face, "Beat _THAT,_" he said, and chuckled.

"Oh don't worry," she said, "I will."

"So Alex," Spyro asked, "We gonna kick their asses?"

"Of course," Alex answered, "We're just that good."

"Ura!" Terrias cheered, and they relaxed in the chairs backstage as they listened to the ponies' performance. As to be expected, they only knew songs that _Firebird _had previously played, as the original recordings of all their songs were available on the only radio station broacasted all over the world.

What surprised them the most, was that they had abandoned the actual lyrical music in place of five of the soundtrack songs that they performed, _Halo: Reach_'s 'The Pillar of Autumn' suite, _Call of Duty: World at War_'s 'Fight Parliamen', _Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3_'s 'Battle for New York City', _MDK2_'s unnamed 'Track 05', and ending with _The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim_'s 'From Past to Present'. Once the performance was complete, _Firebird _was astounded how well it had sounded, and the cheers from the crowd told them that the ponies were obviously moving on to the next round.

Next time around, _Firebird_ ended up performing _Call of Duty: Black Ops_' suites 'Vorkuta' and 'Rebirth', before finishing off with _Modern Warfare 2_'s 'Whiskey Hotel' suite, and Dash and her band further surprised Alex's band with stellar performances of _Modern Warfare 2_'s 'Ordinance', 'Protocol', and 'Coup de Grace'.

"Yep," Piermont said as the ponies cleaned up, making way for the semi-finals, "At this rate, we're fucked."

"Not necessarily," Alex began, arms crossed, frowning, "They _are _good, I'll give them that, but so are we. All _they've _been doing is playing the songs _we _normally play!"

"Got an idea then? We have two songs for next round, _one _if we move on."

"A bit of one..."

"So what do we play then? Hopefully something...different."

"We'll blow them away, I'm thinking Pink Floyd's 'The Trial', complete with full transformation, and we can finish shit up with _Skyrim_'s 'Dragonborn'."

Piermont smiled, chuckling, "Ah yes, _The Trial_. I love how we all actually manage to look like the damn animations...and then Alex appears as that goddamn giant ass that towers over everybody, audience goes running like hell. We'll win for sure."

"So it's good?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Spyro? Terrias?"

"I'm fine with it," Spyro answered.

"Sounds good to me," Terrias nodded.

"Cynder? Aria?"

Both girls nodded.

"Wonderful then, let's get this show on the road!"

As expected, they completed both songs, winning the cheers and love of the audience, and definitely giving their strict competition a run for their money. Piermont stuck out his tongue at Dash as they passed, and the Pegasus only shook her head, "You are so immature, Pierre."

"I know _you _are, but what am I?"

She shook her head again, sighing.

The ponies ended up playing 'Dangerous Pursuit' from _James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire_, and _The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night_'s 'Black Powers', both with amazing pyrotechnics, much to the disbelief of their competition, whose jaws dropped when the ponies returned, winning smiles on their faces. The judges, tallying up the scores, then announced who would be heading off to the championship, and when it was revealed that both _Firebird_, as well as the ponies' unnamed band were heading on to dual it out, both were surprised and in disbelief.

"Shit..." Piermont breathed, "This won't end well."

"Sure it will!" Alex roared, "We can still kick their asses and win the contest."

"I'm glad _you _are so sure..." Spyro groaned. Both bands built their sets on stage, side-by-side on opposite ends. Another set of three mikes had been brought out, and three went to the ponies' side, while the other three went to _Firebird_'s side of the stage.

"C'mon, Alex!" his bandmates whispered harshly, "We need to find something that they can't top!"

"I have an idea..."

"Now would be a good time to share it," Cynder hissed.

"_Now We Are Free_."

"You're joking, right?" Cynder asked.

"Not at all, you sing beautifully, Cynder, I don't think you'll have a hard time pulling it off."

"Well...I guess I appreciate your compliment..."

Alex began the gentle strumming of his guitar while Piermont and Terrias followed with the harmonious violins, and they stepped back as Cynder began to sing the ending song to the movie _Gladiator_. Her beautiful voice rang out through the still, silent air, and a fog had settled over their side. Once it reached the climax of the song, Aria, on the drums, had begun to sing along with the dragoness, and the servine led them out, continuing smoothly, as if the singers hadn't even changed. Once the song was over, the audience cheered, calling for an encore, but the judges shook their heads, giving control back to the ponies to finish the contest.

The ponies then started on a song that managed to surprise _Firebird_ yet again, as Dash began to sing Duran Duran's 'Hungry Like the Wolf'. Alex's jaw dropped as Dash managed to sound exactly like the band's male singer.

"What the fuck...?" Piermont began, "Are they..."

"Yeah," Alex sighed, "And they're kicking our asses at it."

"We're boned," and Spyro nodded, "Uh huh, yep. Yes we are."

While she sang 'Hungry Like the Wolf', Rainbow Dash constantly moved between Alex, Terrias, and Spyro, getting in their faces as she seductively winked and sang to them. While she returned to her side of the stage, _Firebird_ stared in disbelief.

"Yep," Spyro began, "I'm horny now."

"Same here," Terrias and Alex replied in unison.

Suddenly, Terrias said with a laugh, "Hey, maybe we can triple team her."

Spyro chuckled, "Maybe, better ask our girls first."

The other three smiled, and Spyro watched as a young, red, fire dragon flirted with Ember offstage. "Hm," Spyro began, "I hope he can impress her, if she goes for him, I don't have to worry about giving Cynder up so I can pleasure her."

"Yeah...maybe," Alex began, "C'mon, we're up."

"What?" Spyro asked in disbelief, "How? This is the final round!"

"Look up there," and Alex pointed at a monitor hanging above the stage, where showed that both bands had an extra song, "We have an encore."

"What are we gonna do?" Cynder asked.

"I'm thinking maybe we do 'Track 12' from _MDK2_, we all kick ass there."

"I want to do 'Comfortably Numb'."

"Uh...bud, we've been beat there."

"What? How?" and Piermont turned to face the ponies as they began Pink Floyd's _Comfortably Numb_ for their encore. "D'aww! SON OF A _BITCH!_"

Once they were finished, _Firebird_ went back up, performing the beautiful theme from the old video game _MDK2_, called only 'Track 12'. Spyro and Alex played the trumpets together, smoothly switching places halfway through the song and to the end. They played an extended version of the song, and once it was over, the crowd cheered for them.

"I think we won," Spyro grinned.

"Same here, but just barely," Piermont muttered.

"We at least won crowd favorite," and Alex shrugged.

"Hey," Rainbow Dash began, the trio walking up to them, "You guys did good."

"You weren't half bad yourself," Alex nodded.

Sarah ran up to them as Aria and Cynder stood beside her. "You guys did awesome!" She said.

Alex, Spyro, and Terrias exchanged anxious glances, and Terrias asked, "Hey, can we talk to Rainbow about triple teaming her tonight?" and they all grinned shyly.

The girls laughed and Cynder replied, "Sure you can."

The others gave her a glance, and she replied, "Don't worry, they won't."

However, the guys ran up to the pony, and Cynder, now nervous, replied, "Eh...surely she won't say yes."

However, Rainbow left, and Alex, Terrias, and Spyro, still in place, gave Cynder, Sarah, and Aria a thumbs up.

The other girls glared at Cynder, and she smiled sheepishly as she said, "Hehe...I'm surprised as well...oops."

"Bait the male and they will always go for it, regardless of who it belongs to," Aria stated, shaking her head and crossing her arms. The other girls nodded in agreement.

The concert's after party saw all the participants, even Alpha Company, having a good time. Alpha Company had followed the example set by the other concert's players, and were fully drunk before the first hour had passed. While they all stood in the center of the stage, dancing to Aerosmith's 'Sweet Emotion' playing over the radio, Alex and Dash were backstage, kissing fiercely as Dash fell back onto the couch, and Alex fell on top of her. Both drunk, they kissed violently as the pony tore off his clothes, and she stroked him until he was hard, grabbing him and pulling him to the already swollen and dripping entrance between her rear legs, "You know what to do, hotshot," she said, laughing.

"Oh yes, hell yes I do," and he entered her. She gasped and sighed at the alien contact, but it felt amazing, wonderful, and she nodded for him to continue. He moved forward amazingly slow, but she grabbed him from behind and pulled herself towards him as he immediately punched through her inner barrier. She sighed and hissed, biting her lip, and Alex asked, "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"Nah, I'm fine," she said, "Please continue."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, "So, what, do you have some kind of crazy crush on me or something?"

"More than you ever know," and she laughed, "More rocking, less talking, sir."

He pushed deeper into her, moving quicker now as he approached orgasm. She felt herself nearing climax at well, and she began to moan, spastic, thrusting towards him as he did the same to her. Eventually, he reached the edge, and as he dove over it, the immense pleasure of orgasm tore through his body, and he shuddered beneath her gentle touch. The intensity of his orgasm had brought him back to his senses, closer to earth, and he exited her, noticing in alarm at the blood that surrounded them. "What..." he began, frightened, "Oh no!" he cried out, leaping back and falling to the floor.

"Hey!" Dash exclaimed, suddenly sitting up, "Alex! Are you okay?" and she ran up to him.

"I'm sorry..." he began, "I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't know...I didn't know..." he was hysterical, and he sat in the corner, arms around his legs pressed tightly to his chest, rocking back-and-forth, trembling at his hysteria.

"It's alright," and she smiled, laughing, "It's okay."

Just then, something clicked in his mind, and he recognized her smile and laugh... "You..." he whispered, his eyes wide, "It's...it's you!"

She cocked her head, appearing confused, "Who's me?"

"You...you are _her_! The girl...the one from my dreams," and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell back, passing out.

"Alex? Alex!" and her voice faded away in the darkness.

…_Rainbow Dash turned to him, her cyan fur glowing in the light cast by the warm embers of the fire in the hearth. Her body was so warm, so comfortable, so soft, and Alex felt a deep love burning for her, yearning for her gentle touch, "If...if you will have me, I...I'll always stay by your side, even...even into the face of death...if you will have me..._" _her maroon eyes looked sadly, pleadingly into his as she said this, and..._

"_I will..." he replies, kissing her softly and stroking her mane._

"_You are the best thing to have ever happened to me...I love you, Alex."_

"_I love you, too, Dash."_...

Alex opened his eyes, abruptly squeezing them against the dim light of the dark and silent stage. He sat up, groaning from his hangover, and he wandered out onto the stage, raising a hand against the early morning sun. Around him the audience, as well as the players, were passed out, sleeping everywhere, sleeping off the previous night's party.

"The hell happened?" he groaned, walking backstage. He found he was dressed again, although his clothes were sloppy, and he straightened them as he looked up from his shirt.

Dash slept alone on the couch in front of him, her back to him, and he instantly remembered what they had done...what he had taken from her...and his realization. She awoke just then, stretching as she turned to face him, smiling brightly once her eyes met his. "Morning," she said.

"Morning...mate..." and she stood as he held her shoulders, scanning down her body with his eyes, "I...I can't believe it..."

"I know," she said, "I'm glad you do, too, now."

"Wait, you _knew_?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you _tell _me!?"

"Because I knew how concerned you were about it, I thought it would be best to just leave it and let you figure it out on your own."

"But Twilight..."

"Lied; to the both of us, so that Piermont and the others would leave us alone. We were meant to be together the whole time."

"I...I don't believe it...you..."

"Yes, I am the mysterious girl of your dreams, just as you are the mysterious guy from mine. How's _that _for destiny and it's little twists."

"Oi...it's almost too much," and he plopped down on the sofa, looking at the trash-covered floor, look of shock on his face, all of his lost dreams returned to him in a flood, nearly crippling his already damaged mind. He squinted his eyes, grunting at the pain of his headache as he rubbed his temples, "Ow...what an awkward relationship...apparently I _am _a fucking furry...or a brony...or whatever the hell this is."

"It's love," she said, and she sat down beside him, hugging him tightly, "That's what it is."

"What will Sarah think?" and he seemed genuinely worried.

"She knows."

"How?"

"I told her."

"What? Why!?"

"Well, I figured it would be best if she knew that her future husband now has another mate to care for, not that I need any special treatment, I can take care of myself just fine."

"What did she say?"

"She seemed unhappy at first, but accepted once she realized that it wasn't like it could be prevented, she understands that this was destined, and she intends to live with it. You just have to learn to split yourself between two mates now."

"Three if you count Cynder..."

"Cynder has Spyro, she doesn't need anybody else."

"Well...how in the hell do _you _feel about this?"

She shrugged, "I...don't know," and she seemed unhappy at his question, "Why do you ask?"

"Let's just...pretend this never happened. We won't mention it to anyone, and we won't catch hell from the others, okay?"

She nodded, although seeming hurt for a moment, but the hurt in her eyes quickly turned into a sly grin as she replied, "Of course," and she extended a hoof. He grabbed it, helping her up, and she pulled him closer to her, kissing him one final time, "There, I just wanted to get that out of my system."

The two walked over to a human-form Piermont, passed out on the floor amidst a dozen empty bottles of beer. The Commander kicked the bottles aside. "Yo," Alex began, kicking the bottom of Piermont's boot, "Wake up, you drunk fuck."

The forest dragon immediately shot up with a cry, anxiously looking around as he blinked, then he cried out, hands going to his eyes as he covered his face against the dim light shining through the curtain, "_Ah fuck!_ Somebody turn off the sun!"

Alex had left him, walking around to the other members of Alpha Company, all in similar states to Piermont, kicking them to arouse them from their alcohol-induced slumber. Everyone awake and clearly hungover, Alex ordered them to clean themselves up, and once everyone was ready, standing single-file, side by side in a line, he led them outside and into the blinding sunlight. "First thing's first," he called, squeezing his eyes shut, "We need to get to a goddamn department store to get some sunglasses and aspirin, then we're heading home."


	27. Chapter XXVI: Two Betrayals

_**Chapter XXVI**_**:**

**-''Two Betrayals''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_28 July 2012_-**

**-_1601 Hours_-**

Terrias slashed at the dummy with his two swords, landing several good hits.

"Excellent!" Alex cheered from the shadows of the darkened dojo, "Form is good, you're quick and light on your feet, and your attacks are well thought out.

"Thanks," Terrias breathed, stretching as he caught his breath.

"I think you are about ready for a live target."

The servine sheathed his swords, "Ready when you are, Commander."

Alex walked to the opposite side of the servine, revealing his two blades. Terrias followed suit, and they circled each other, blades drawn, both waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Both of their eyes constantly moved, scanning their opponent for any weaknesses, as well as any signs of where the first attack would be and who would initiate it. Alex ended up breaking the ice, lunging towards Terrias as the servine caught the Commander's blades between his two, spinning around and jumping into the air, his blades still caught on the Commander's as he tried to rip them from Alex's grasp. Alex flipped back, shaking his blades loose as he spun around in air, preparing to bring the blades down in a diagonal slash. Terrias strafed right, dodging the attack and he slashed them in multiple directions. Alex met his blades in the clang of metal-on-metal contact, and they fought quickly, both wanting to win the duel, putting their stamina to its limit. "Left, left, right, left, forward, up, down, and circle," Alex chanted, as they spun their blades, which had become tangled again, loose, "Well done, Terrias! We might make a swordsman of you after all, Lieutenant. Now, _en garde_!"

Twilight opened the sliding glass door onto the pool deck as she walked outside. Rainbow Dash was sitting in a chair pulled up to the banister, her hooves hanging over the open air, head resting in the nook of her forelimbs as she sighed, looking out towards the _Fiernes Curtain_, captivated by the fires. "Are you okay, Rainbow?" she asked, pulling up a seat beside her friend.

"Been better, Twilight."

"What's wrong?" Dash turned to face her, ears down, and the unicorn suddenly said, a look of surprise on her face, "Oh...you and him..."

"Yeah, we did. He even remembered me."

"What happened? Why are you sad then?"

"Because he wanted 'to pretend that it never happened'."

"Why?"

"I don't know, Twilight, maybe he just doesn't like me. It just...it kinda hurts, y'know. I mean, I gave myself to him, we're supposed to be mates..."

"You are."

"Then why doesn't it feel that way? Hmm? I just feel...I don't know, violated? Dirty? All of the above? I can't believe he doesn't want to be with me..."

"I don't mean to sound mean, but imagine how awkward it is for him, a human mating with a pony is a little...taboo...in these parts. I'm sure that once he gets over the initial...oddness...of being mated to someone not in his species, then he'll welcome your embrace with open arms."

"What if he doesn't, Twilight? Does that mean that I'm gonna die without any chance to feel love like that again? Oh, you should have felt it...it was the single greatest feeling I have ever had...being with him. It _did_ hurt...at first...but after that, it was just an explosion of pleasure and happiness...it was amazing. I wish I could feel it again..."

"Talk to him, help him get over the awkward stage."

"How? He wants to pretend that it never happened, I might want that intimacy again...but if he doesn't, what's the point? It's supposed to bring pleasure to both of the mates...not just one."

"I'm sure he'd pleasure you just the same, because it's what _you _want, and mates try to please their mates."

"But _he _doesn't see us that way...he probably thinks it was a one-night stand. He was terrified when he saw I was bleeding. I thought he was gonna have a heart attack."

"Dash..."

"He doesn't love me, I understand that...but it still hurts. I gave myself to him, thinking he would love it...turns out he doesn't. What have I done...I've made the single greatest mistake in my life."

"It's not a mistake...you love him still don't you?"

"Yes, but he doesn't love me."

"You don't know that..."

"Then why do I get the faintest impression that he doesn't, huh? If he loved me, he wouldn't pretend that night never happened, even if we weren't...all there..." and she sighed, burying her face in her hooves, "What have I done?"

"Would you like me to talk to him?"

"Please don't...I don't want to hurt or embarrass him."

"Yet you are okay with him hurting and embarrassing you? That's not right, Rainbow Dash, you two are in this together."

"He just bailed out. I don't know what to do...I guess I'll just go back to daydreaming again..." and she sighed as she stood up, walking slowly back towards the door, head hanging low.

"Aww...Dash..." and Twilight truly felt sorry for her.

"Well done, Lieutenant!" Alex said, gasping for breath, "Very well done!"

"What now?" Terrias asked, sheathing his swords.

"Now? Why, my friend, now we make you a _real _swordsman!"

Alex led the servine across a grassy field on the outskirts of the city, but still inside the wall. There, living in a small shack, was the master swordsman that had trained Alex, another General Elliot, only this one was an aging dragonman from the far-away land of Protectora on the island of Rune, located a few kilometers southwest of Tamriel in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean. Alex approached the medieval-hut looking shack, where the old warrior was standing outside, carrying chopped wood inside. "General Elliott!" Alex called, cupping his hands.

The warrior stood straight, hand going to the hilt of the sword at his waist, once he identified the Commander, he relaxed, "It is good to see you, Commander Vaughn."

The general stood at six and a half feet, usually slouching so that he appeared only to be five to five and a half. His draconian face was a deep red color, with a long white beard, long, white, slender horns on his head extending from the back of his head. He had a ring of red maroon fur on his face, appearing like a lion's mane, and his eyes were a brilliant, sapphire blue.

"What brings you to my home, sir?"

"Another soldier ready to be fitted with a sword."

"But of course, follow me."

General Elliott led them across the hill where his home sat and around the back to a larger hut. Opening the door and allowing them passage, Terrias was welcome by the sight of a large, fully equipped forge. Terrias' jaw dropped at the sight, and he gently stroked the cold stones of the fire pit, as well as the rough cold anvil, "This is cool!" the servine said with a wide grin.

"Before you are ready to craft your sword, dragonling, I must teach you how to use the forge."

"Wait...what?"

"Every Terminator who is trained in the ways of the sword must undergo the test of crafting their own sword."

"That's really cool, that way we can customize it?"

"That way, you can know your blade."

"He speaks the truth," General Elliott said in a grandfatherly voice, "The sword is an extension of your arm, and not only is an object of honor and warfare, but it is an object signifying the very abilities of the one who wields it. You craft your own blade, so that you will know it completely. Now, come with me, and I will teach you how to use the forge, if you have any questions other questions, the Commander will be more than willing to answer. Pay attention, I am only saying this once," as the master swordsman described the history of the forge and how to use it, Terrias listened intently, and by the time the sun had sank, the General led him to the room containing all of the raw materials he would need. "You are now ready to begin."

"Thank you, sir," and Terrias bowed.

"I will leave you two now," and the old general left.

"I better get going, too..." Alex began.

"Alex? We haven't even started yet..."

"Don't worry, you get to spend the night crafting your sword, I will return tomorrow, and I can't wait to see the results. Goodbye, and good luck," with this said, the Commander left.

Alex walked up the bluff to General Elliott's hut, early that next morning. According to his watch, it was a little before nine in the morning. He let himself into the swordsman's forge, seeing Terrias sitting in a chair, dozing. "I hope you didn't sleep the whole night away," Alex began, and Terrias jumped up.

Stretching, the servine said, "No, it's ready."

"Let me see it then."

Terrias walked around the forge, kneeling to the ground as he pulled up a silver sheathe. Alex felt along the beautiful scabbard, intricate floral patterns were carved into the pure silver, and touching the bottom of the point, the Commander saw Terrias and Arian's bonding symbol, a design that vaguely resembled one of the Sangheili's energy swords. Emeralds had been inset along the length of the scabbard, The servine had a wide grin on his face, "And that's only the scabbard!" he went into the back room, pulling the sword, which was wrapped in cloth. Terrias' eyes brightened as he placed the blade on the table, gingerly removing the cloth and revealing the shining blade beneath. The sword's blade was ruby colored, appearing almost glassy. The hilt was gilded steel, wrapped in soft leather, and set into the pommel, where the base of his hand would rest against, was a glistening leaf stone.

"Is that..."

The servine nodded proudly, "Yep! I managed to carve out a large enough space to accommodate Aria's leaf stone."

The top, horizontal part of the hilt was beautifully carved to resemble a ram's skull with the actual crosspiece being the horns. "It's beautiful, Terrias..." Alex began.

"Thanks..." and he blushed.

There was the sound of a flapping of wings, and General Elliott appeared through the doorway and into the forge, Viktor perched on his arm. "Something seems to have excited your bat," the dragonman said.

Upon sight of Alex, the crobat flied off of his arms, taking up his perch on Alex's shoulder, "Well," the Commander began, "He's a crobat, but that's close enough," and he reached into his pocket, revealing a cracker that he handed the animal.

"Decided to let him walk around with you?" Terrias said with a laugh.

"Ah, Lieutenant," the general said, "Have you completed your blade."

"Aye," and Terrias showed off his handiwork to the old master swordsman.

"Beautiful," and he gently brushed the razor-sharp edge with the tip of a claw, "Very sharp. You've done well, the craftsmanship is excellent...will you name it?"

"Name it?"

"Aye, many swordsman name their blades, so I will extend to you the same offer."

Terrias looked at the shining blade for a few moments, mulling over what name would suit it perfectly. "I...I don't know..."

"My offer remains then, if you decide to name it, come back here, and I'll carve it into the scabbard."

Terrias then bowed, "Thank you, General."

General Elliott only nodded in return, "It was my honor."

"Let's go," Alex said, nodding towards the city, "Let's put this blade of yours to the test, shall we?"

Once they had returned to Club Camelot, Alex led them to the dojo where they once more sparred, with Terrias using his new blade. To further test the servine's skills, Alex decided to charge full force, and as usual, his opponent lost, however, Terrias managed to hold his own for several minutes of vicious sparring, and this was good enough for the Commander. "You did well," Alex said, pulling his magically dulled blade back from the kneeling, gasping servine's throat, and he sheathed his sword, extending a gloved hand.

Terrias grabbed it, pulling himself up, "I did well? I freaking lost!"

"That means nothing, few have managed to defeat me when I go full force on them, the fact that you survived as long as you did is good enough for me."

"So no more sparring then?" and he frowned unhappily.

"Nonsense! We'll still spar, but it won't be as often as we usually do, keep in mind, I still have to train Rainbow Dash as well."

"She's quadrupedal..."

"Once she's mutated, she can adopt a human form, much like everybody else...besides, I don't think she'll have _too _hard a time pulling off bipedal."

"What? She flexible or something?"

"I wouldn't necessarily call her _flexible_, but I've seen her stand, and she stands as if it's nothing, so I'm not too worried about her."

"Speak of the devil," and they left the dojo, heading to the glass elevator that would take them to the penthouse floor at the top of the eight story rotunda, right below the dome, "When are you two gonna begin training anyway?"

Alex shrugged, "Probably within the next couple of days, I think more than enough time has passed since the Blood Week Crisis, and I'm also pretty damn sure that we've all recovered from your little..."

Terrias suddenly frowned, looking down, sad and embarrassed.

"...Incident..." Alex finished.

"So you delayed training your new recruits just because I went rogue?"

"Terrias...you didn't 'go rogue', it wasn't your fault, and everybody knows that."

"Obviously Elliot doesn't!"

"Who gives a crap about Elliot? He plays by his own rules. He might be hotheaded at times...but soon he'll forget this ever happened and things will go back to normal."

"I hope you're right, Alex..."

The Commander wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders, pulling him close, "Don't worry," he said, "I know it will."

"I just don't want to be seen as enemy of the state..."

"You aren't an enemy of the state, you are a friend, and you're in this with the rest of us."

"I just hope Elliot..."

"Ignore Elliot!" Alex interrupted, "He's not the supreme leader of this army, _I _am, and..." at this point in time, they had entered the elevator. Alex slipped the key hanging around his neck into the slot and depressed the top button. The door shut, zooming to the top floor, locked out for everybody except those who held the key, which was Alpha Company and Elliot. Alex had pulled Terrias even closer to him, and was whispering into the servine's ear, "Listen..." he continued once he was sure they were unheard, "In terms of priorities...think about it this way, Terrias. I would choose you over Elliot...I would choose _any _of Alpha Company over him...you guys are much more important to me."

"Are you sure?" and his eyes narrowed, "Or are you just saying that because Elliot went off on you guys for what I did..."

"You did nothing wrong!" Alex emphasized, and he looked away, "It wasn't you, we all understand that. If it gets to the point where it's just us and Elliot...I would choose you guys over him any day."

"Why?"

Alex shrugged, "There is some kind of connection to a group that puts their lives in each others hands...Elliot isn't Alpha Company...he's part of Gamma Company, and I'm sure he feels the same way to those Gamma boys as we do. We have fought side by side, been through hell and back together, I would trust my life in your hands more before I would trust my life in his. We know each other inside and out, Elliot hardly knows us, and maybe that's why he damn near exiled us after you...disappeared...maybe that's why he doesn't trust you like we do."

"Is that why you promoted me after I went rogue during the Blood Week Crisis..."

"You didn't go rogue, you killed our hated enemy, completely massacred an entire company of _Maxian _soldiers, and you stopped them from taking over our capital city...you _earned _that rank, Lieutenant, I don't give a pity fuck what Elliot feels about it."

Terrias nodded, "Thank you, Alex."

"You're welcome."

"_Thank you, Alex..." Dash says, brushing close to him. They are laying down together in the field that he had painted for them. She nuzzles him affectionately, "Thank you for everything..."_

"_I love you," he replies, kissing her gently._

_She places her head on his bare chest, and he gently strokes her fur, "I love you, too..." she says, "I'm so happy that we are finally together..." and then she frowns, appearing hurt, "I just wish that you felt the same."_

_Confused, he says, "What? What do you mean?"_

_She breaks them embrace, saying, "I...I can't do this..."_

"_Why?" and he sits up._

"_You don't love me..."_

"_But I do!"_

"_I'm sorry I ever tried to mate with you..." and she begins to walk away._

"_Dash? Dash! Wait! Where are you going! Rainbow Dash!" and he chases after her, crying before he_...

...Woke up to violent shaking. "Alex! Alex wait up!"

He shot up, almost smacking his forehead into the head of his second-in-command. "Spyro?" he began, groaning sleepily, "The hell are you doing..."

"I've got bad news..."

"What bad news?" and he sat up.

"Come with me..."

As Alex walked into the conference center, Spyro in tow, he saw the rest of Alpha Company, already surrounding the table, looking as tired as he did. Alex sat beside Rainbow Dash, and she placed her head on his shoulder. He cringed, and she quickly sat normally again.

"Okay," Crash said, suddenly entering and looking worried, Spyro stood beside him, looking every bit as cryptic as the bandicoot did, "We have a bit of a situation...we have reason to believe that there is a traitor in our organization."

"That's a pretty harsh declaration, you have proof?" Alex began.

"That's the point, last night, one of our databases was hacked, we managed to trace the hacker to this very building, we just don't know who it could be."

"Where did the hack occur?"

"We traced the traitor to this building before they managed to scramble the IP address, and by the time everything was straightened out, he or she was already offline."

"So who could it be?"

"I don't know, that's why I thought it would be best to talk to you guys about it before action was taken, this is a serious issue, if there is a hacker and they manage to get their hands on any important documents and turn them into the _Maxia_...I'm sure I don't need to explain the consequences to you..."

"No, I think I understand what you are getting at just fine..." and Alex sighed, "I just don't like the way this sounds..."

"None of us do, but we can't take any chances..."

"What should we do, Commander?" Spyro asked, "You're the boss."

"Obviously, we need to figure out who this fucking hacker is and get rid of them before anything bad happens...I'm just trying to think of something. How in the hell are we going to hunt them down?"

"If they've struck once, they're bound to strike again," Spyro continued.

"Are they a part of Alpha Company?" Terrias asked, also seeming deeply concerned.

"That's what we don't know, and we need to figure it out."

"If they are," Dash began, "You just told them that we knew of their presence and were after them."

"That's the thing...I have the belief that they _want _us to suspect they are from Alpha Company," Crash began.

"Why?" Alex asked.

"Because we bugged the computer they hacked while we were tracking where it was coming from...they were still online, they knew we were searching for them...yet they weren't doing anything...they only stayed online long enough for us to get the IP address, then they scrambled it and terminated it," Crash continued.

"How do you know they didn't make a mistake?"

"They aren't stupid," Spyro added, "They knew we were hunting for them, and they wanted to taunt us by showing us where they were."

"Why?"

"Probably to prove that they are better than us."

"They didn't even really reveal themselves though," Terrias said.

"I understand that, Lieutenant, but, to be frank, that doesn't mean shit. The fact they let us get an accurate track tells me they want us to know who they are, or at least suspect who they are...and without any actual proof, which they will _not _give us, we can't accuse anyone of anything."

"So you think they're trying to prove they're dominant over everyone else?" Aria asked.

"Yes I do," the purple dragon said, "And so does Crash."

The bandicoot nodded in agreement, "I don't know what they're doing...but suspicious hackers really trouble me."

"Was anything taken or planted?" Alex asked.

Crash shook his head, "We can't figure that out...virus scans didn't pick up anything...but that won't tell us if anything has been stolen."

"What do we do?"

"Well...if they're wanting us to find them, I think they'll probably strike again, we just need to wait for them to strike...y'know, monitor all computers and shit, and get them in the act."

"What if they're Alpha Company though?" Terrias asked.

"Then they know our plan, and they know that we won't let them get away with this."

"And if they do?" Aria asked.

"Oh, they won't," Spyro said, "These hackers might be good, but they won't win, I guarantee it."

"Hmm..." Terrias said, "Well, so what should _we _do then?"

"Keep an eye out for any suspicious activity, Lieutenant, then we can strike when they show themselves again."

"Sir, yes sir," the servine said with a nod.

"Excellent," Crash said.

"Dismissed," Spyro finished.

Once everyone had left, Alex, Cynder, and Piermont walked up to Spyro and Crash, who were talking to each other in hushed whispers. "Listen," the Commander whispered fiercely, "I want you guys to help me keep an eye on everybody here...we'll nab this bastard no matter what."

"What should we do about your mate?" the purple dragon asked.

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb, Alex," Crash began, arms crossed, "We all know about you and Dash."

Alex frowned, but shook his head, "She means nothing more to me than a student that I have to train...keep an eye on her as well."

"What if she's the traitor?"

"Then we'll end her, just like we'll end anyone else."

"Speak of the devil..." Crash began, checking his phone, "Our hacker is online now!"

"Where are they?"

"I'm running the scanner now...we'll find them...got it!"

"Where are they?"

"Well...we're wired through several proxy servers...but I think I found the base IP hiding."

"Where?"

"An office complex on 34th Street, about seven or eight blocks east of our current position."

"Let's get over there now! Arm up, we've got a hacker to nab."

Less than twenty minutes later, all five of them were in front of the building, clothed in black body armor and armed with silenced AK47s equipped with laser sight and flashlights, "Let's go!" Alex hissed over their radio, and they burst through the door, rushing through the darkened lobby and towards the stairwell.

"They're still in there," Crash said, checking his wrist computer, "Looks like they're in either the second, third, or fourth floors."

Alex kicked open the door to the second floor, and they entered from the stairwell, splitting up as Crash and Alex found the security center. Alex nodded towards the door, and, pressing his back to the side of the door, Crash kicked it open as the duo rushed in...it was empty. Lowering their weapons, Alex walked to the desk where the two guards were dead, small puncture marks in the back of their necks. "Precision assassination, looks like with a stiletto knife, or something of the like" Alex said, "Stabbed right in the damn spinal cord, never knew what hit 'em. Crash, can you hack the security cameras, see if you can find them?"

"I can surely try."

Tossing one of the corpses off of the chair, Crash sat down, frantically typing as he managed to gain control of the cameras, moving the joystick as he manually scanned with the cameras, searching each individual room floor for any sign of someone who wasn't supposed to be there.

"Nothing..." Alex hissed.

"Wait a moment!" Crash began, puzzled look on his face, "I don't have control over this one camera..."

"Can we even see it?"

"Yeah...there's someone..." suddenly, the camera went to static. "Shit!" the bandicoot hissed, grabbing his radio, he said, "Suspicious activity in Room 414 on the fifth floor...looks like it could potentially be our guy or guys. Proceed with extreme caution, it's hard telling who we're dealing with, try to get the drop on them."

"Can you search past footage to see when they entered?"

"Yep..." and Crash stood up, running over to one of the terminals along the wall of the room. Opening the glass door, he revealed a cabinet of VCR recorders. Each one was labeled for a different floor, and as he tried to withdraw tapes, he found that the one for the first floor was missing... "Alex..."

"Yo," and the Commander walked up to him.

"Slight situation, any clear picture of our guy would be on the first floor...problem is...tape is missing."

Glancing over at the corpses, Alex said, "Well, it seems we know why our guy was here."

"Yeah...problem is, obviously these guys _were _alive before our guy got here, so why didn't they try to apprehend him before they were killed? The building is closed, nobody save the guards and a few patrols are supposed to be in here, especially at this hour."

"Unless the guards recognized our guy...maybe thought he had the clearance."

"Could be one of the night watchmen."

"Could be Alpha Company as well...we all have clearance...we're the _only _team that has clearance into these buildings after hours, considering we run the whole damn city."

"Do you really think..."

"I think anything is possible, Crash."

"Call back to Club Camelot, see if anyone is missing."

"Way ahead of you," and as the bandicoot turned to face his CO, Alex already had his phone to his ear. After several moments, he swore and checked his phone, "Wonderful..."

"What?"

"Cellular communications are down, go figure."

"Try radio."

Alex walked away, tapping his earpiece as he left the room, trying to contact Club Camelot. He returned several minutes later, while Crash was still searching for the missing tape.

"Nothing," the Commander said.

"What? The hell do you mean?"

"I mean I'm not getting through to anybody, everybody must have their radios off."

"Maybe the dish is offline? Could our hacker of cut off communications as well?"

"Only cellular, and we _know _he or she did that, everybody probably has their damn radios off, and I don't remember which of the thousand channels that Club Camelot is connected to."

"We probably should refine that."

"Ya don't say!"

Alex's radio suddenly buzzed, and he quickly answered the call. "Alex," Spyro began, "We got nothing man. Our hacker is gone...shot up the goddamn computer on his way out."

"The cameras?"

"Wires have been cut, that's probably why you lost them."

"We saw one in the frame, but they were dressed in black...are you saying there's two? One in center frame, the other slicing the wires?"

"There might be..."

"Surely our hacker guy passed you."

"Negative...we're searching now for any sign of 'em. I'll get back to you once we find something."

"Any luck?" Crash asked.

"Nope, hacker is gone, and shot the computer to pieces to hide whatever they were doing."

"Did they escape?"

"They didn't pass our guys anyway."

"And we have the damn exit covered...they must still be in the building somewhere."

"Alex," Spyro called again.

"Lay it on me, Spyro."

"Pierre was searching the janitor closet up here..."

"And?"

"Come here."

"Son of a bitch!" Alex hissed.

Spyro walked around the metal grate laying on the ground, looking up into the duct where their hacker escaped. "Smart as hell, whoever they are."

"Walking around in the ventilation ducts is far from quiet," Piermont grumbled, "Mythbusters proved that...so the question is, how in the bloody hell did they get away so quietly? To further add to that, how in the hell did they get off the roof, unless they had some other kind of transportation arranged?"

"I don't know, but wherever they are, they made off with the video tape that presumably caught them."

"That's just lovely, so we _still _have no idea where he is."

Alex shrugged, "We have every computer system in the city under watchful eye, if he strikes again, we'll catch him, as well as his accomplice."

"How are you so sure there is more than one here?" Spyro asked.

"Because we had the hacker in center frame of the camera, but someone else off screen cut the wires. Obviously he isn't working alone. Now, whether it is a partner in crime, a bribed or threatened security guard, which is entirely possible, I have no idea."

"Damn," Crash said, looking out the room's window, "Sun's coming up, business will be opening soon and our hacker is long gone, time to head back I would think."

"Unfortunately," Alex said, "I'll have to agree with you."

"So, any luck?" Terrias asked, greeting Alex once he emerged they emerged inside the suite. He was holding a plate of pancakes, "Food is on the stove if you're hungry, Dash can cook, it's a Christmas miracle," and the servine laughed before sitting down on the couch.

"Howdy," Alex said, placing his weapon on the table, "Smells pretty damn good."

"Think so?" Dash asked, sounding bored, annoyed, and less than amused, "Hope it tastes good."

"Everything okay?" the Commander asked.

"Oh yeah, everything's just fine," Rainbow Dash said, handing Alex his plate before returning to the stove.

"I have the queerest feeling that you are lying to me."

Dash shrugged, "Eh...just tired, that's all. Not used to waking up at the crack of dawn."

"You guys went back to sleep didn't you?"

"Yeah, all of us, and I thought you guys did, too...until we woke up and saw you gone."

"Who was the first up?"

"Yours truly, I couldn't really sleep anyway."

"Anybody come and go?"

"Not that I can remember."

"Hm..."

"Why? Do you really think that someone from Alpha Company is involved?"

"I don't know, I'm just trying to explore all possibilities."

"Crash was sayin' that it might be a rogue guard."

"Whoever this is, they're getting into all these big buildings where we're storing our databases. Only Alpha Company knows of every single database we have, plus, the guards in either scene apparently failed to react to somebody breaking and entering in the dead of night, even when the security cameras caught them."

"What?"

"The recordings for the first floor were found stolen, the guards in that particular security center, on the 2nd floor, were found murdered. Obviously, our guy managed to bypass security without any need for worry. We think he was caught, 'unmasked' so to speak, on tape, then he assassinated the guys watching the cameras and made off with the tape to ensure that nobody figured it out. Only the guards and Alpha Company are given access to the buildings in the city after dark. Each building has its own guards, and obviously those guards aren't allowed in other buildings after hours. Meaning, that for this to happen to four different facilities, all without any question from the night watchmen, it would have had to been someone from Alpha Company."

"Four? I thought there was only one...well, _two _now apparently."

"We uncovered more data. Our hacker buddy accidentally left a few fragments of data that we traced back to two other complexes."

"So four buildings have been hit, but only these two have caught our attention?"

"Precisely."

"Who is it then?"

"I don't know, we had a view on our hacker when Crash and I hit the security center, but someone unseen by the camera cut the wires while our hacker was doing his thing."

"So he has an accomplice?"

"I think so."

"Where are they now?"

"I don't know _that_ either. Our hacker and his buddy got away through the ventilation ducts. All ducts lead to the roof, and there was no sign he emerged anywhere else, so somehow he manged to escape from the roof, but there are no fire escapes leading up there."

"He had a ride waiting for him?"

"Apparently."

"If he's Alpha Company, maybe he's a part of your wing?"

"...I never thought of it that way."

"That's how he could make a last-minute decision to escape from the roof, just call in his dragon to take him away. Question the dragons, you'll get your answer."

Alex shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Those dragons don't listen to me, or follow _my _commands, they're stubborn that way. They answer only to their riders, and they will never tell us anything...despite what we end up doing to them to wring out that information."

"Torturing and questioning will yield nothing?"

"No, they are so loyal to their riders, they'll die before we told them anything, Piermont is the same way towards me."

"Well..._that _throws a few wrenches in your plan."

"Nah shit."

"What now, then?"

"We can only just sit back and wait for the next hit...that's all we can hope to do."

"Alex!" Crash suddenly exclaimed, running in, "It's happening again!"

"What?"

"Hurry! We tracked them to an abandoned complex just south of here!" and he ran out of the suite.

"Wait! Wait for me dammit! Dash! Let's go!"

Alpha Company stormed the abandoned office complex, searching for the saboteur who hid somewhere inside. "This way! Upstairs!" Alex called as he, Aria, and Terrias rushed towards the top floor. Spyro, Schakri, and Cynder remained on the bottom floor, Rainbow, Kovu, Kiara, Sonic, and Twilight took the second, Piermont, Simba, Nala, Spike, and Crash took the third, while Rapid, Applejack, Cheet, and Rudolph claimed the fourth.

"Clear down here," Spyro said over the radio, adding a swear beneath his breath.

"Same," Sonic replied not too long after.

Alex, on the stairs to the fourth floor, then called, "Pierre, how do things look where you are?"

"Empty so far, but we haven't checked everything yet."

"Report ASAP."

"Understood."

A minute later, Alex and Terrias stood on the steps between the fourth floor and the fifth floor...the attic. A solid, sturdy, steel door blocked their path as the pair stood to either side of the door, and Aria guarded them from the bottom step. "Ready?" Alex asked, arming his satchel charge.

"Aye, let's punch on through."

Alex planted the breaching charge as he and Terrias hit the floor. With a subtle explosion, Alex and his group both turned their gun-mounted flashlights on and charged through the breach, immediately running for cover behind the heavy, solid oak reception desks that blocked advance into the rest of the floor.

The attic was a mess of falling roof, cobwebs, and a suffocating layer of dust. Yet fresh footprints covered the floor, overlapping each other, thick blue tarpaulin cover the holes in the roof, designed to let little light in or out. Black trash bags covered two of the attic's windows, while the third and fourth were frosted over. The open attic space was roughly 20x20 feet, and the ceiling slanted to either side, meeting the a small two-foot tall wall that connected it and the floor.

The various desks and cubicles were lined neatly to either side, and a conference table, covered in dust and new-looking dossier folders was in the dead center of the room. A screen sat neatly between the four windows on the wall opposite the door, and a projector was on the center of the table, lit by two office desk lamps. Papers littered the floor, crunching beneath Alex and his comrades' feet.

File cabinets lined the wall to either side of the door and beneath the windows. "Watch yourselves," Alex told his two companions, "This is a good place for an ambush, and our enemy has nowhere left to run..."

Suddenly, an overwhelming feeling of dread settled over him, and he realized as the room seemed to darken...something was wrong...very wrong.

"Terrias? Aria?" Alex queried.

Silence.

"Guys, can you hear me?"

Dreadful silence.

"I'm serious, answer, now!"

Still nothing.

Swearing, Alex moved further in when he heard a shuffling and a thud behind him. He barely had time to react as he felt a massive, heavy object smash into the back of his skull. He went down almost instantly, as searing pain overwhelmed all other senses. He heard running footsteps and a loud thud as the object that had hit him...a dusty fire extinguisher, rolled into view, the caked dust now painted red with his blood, as the floury floor beneath him slowly grew red.

Without another thought, he passed out.

The Commander slowly came to. His senses returned, one by one, and an annoying drone filled his ears. He tried to cover them, but his body was stiff, completely numb, pins and needles shot up his body, meeting inside his head where instant pain and heat flared, blossoming out towards each part of his body. He was on his stomach, head turned to the side, arm awkwardly outstretched...the handle with which he had been dragged.

It was mid afternoon, overcast, dreary, and he was on the roof of the building. He soon identified the drone as belonging to an idling helicopter. Moving, just barely but enough to bring a fresh spike of pain, he could see the pitch-black Chinook nearby. He heard a faint squeaking an turned to see the rusty metal door to the roof open up. A tall figure, male by the shape, and cloaked in a pitch-black hooded robe appeared from within, approaching and kneeling beside the Commander.

Alex was tired, could never recall feeling more so, and the warm breeze felt soothing to him. As he closed his eyes to sleep, he was alarmed to feel the cold barrel of a Colt revolver pressed firmly against his chin. His jaw knocked against his teeth, pinching his intruding tongue and bringing on the taste of hot copper. "Stand," the man said angrily.

Unsure of what else to do, Alex ignored the pain in his bleeding mouth and burning head, standing so quickly that he experienced a red-out. The hooded figure then ordered, "On your knees!"

Alex submitted without question.

He then spotted Terrias and Aria, both had apparently been knocked unconscious as well, dragged up here along with him. The two servines stood, tentatively at first, then abruptly as they spotted their captor.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Terrias asked astounded.

"Be careful, Terrias!" Alex cried, only to be pistol whipped by the cloaked man.

"Be quiet!" the figure hissed.

Terrias slipped out of his shackles, charging the man and punching him aside, picking up the dropped revolver.

"Oh Terrias!" Alex sighed with relief, "Thank God! Now get me out of here."

"Hm...I don't think so," Terrias began, as he cocked the revolver and aimed it at the Commander.

"What-?" Alex gasped, he was speechless, "What are you-?"

"Enough talk!" Terrias hissed as the hooded man picked himself up.

"What was that for?" the man hissed.

"I think I deserve the honor."

"But you said-" he was cut short as Terrias fired three shots into the hooded man, one in each side of his chest, and one in the head. The man collapsed to the ground, laying still in a growing pool of scarlet liquid.

"You..." Alex began in disbelief, "It can't be..."

"Surprise!" Terrias said with a sinister laugh, "You should learn not to trust someone so fully."

"But..."

"Surprised aren't you?"

"Terrias!" Aria cried.

"Aria! Your fucking mate is insane!" Alex called, placing hard emphasis on the hard consonants, "Help me!"

Aria ran to her mate, hugging him as they kissed, "Hey, Lover," Terrias said happily.

Aria then sent a sadistic, twisted glance at Alex, "Can I please shoot him? Please?"

"Nah, but I'll let you blow the rest of Alpha Company away."

"Really? I can?" She asked excitedly.

"Sure."

"You're the traitor..." Alex began, "But...why?"

"Buddy, I've been playing you like a card since day one."

"What?"

"You think it was coincidence or Fate that I ran to you?"

"But Bob..."

"...Was another unfortunate pawn. I do admit, however, my evolution was a bit of a surprise. The _Maxia_ told me to grow friendly towards you, to get inside your heart and head, then strike once the time was right."

"How could I have not known? Even Jazz..."

"...Was a rookie at best. The little dickweed fucked up in several areas. The most obvious being his lack of subtlety. Then again, my little close-knit experience with you...y'know, our 'executions', brought us closer, and I did enjoy our bonding, I really did, but mission first, friendship last, I'm an assassin, not your ass-buddy."

"No...I...I trusted you!"

"Exactly your downfall, now, we best be off. Don't want to keep your friends waiting now should we."

_If I can just...reach...my radio..._ Alex thought.

"Don't bother, I set off a short-range EMP bomb shortly before you woke. And if your friends try to leave, I've got a little present for them. Once one person tries to leave through any door or window, they will trip an invisible, infrared tripwire that will...well...send the whole building up in flames, making this eyesore a pile of rubble in less time than it takes to blink an eye."

"You won't get away with this! People will know!"

"I doubt it. You see this?" here Terrias held up a videotape, "This is the security footage from that office building we hit last night." Aria then pulled up a barrel, full of twigs, lit a match, and tossed it in. The fuel caught fire instantly. Terrias walked to the barrel and tossed the tape into the fires, watching as the plastic melted away. "Once you and your friends die, there will be no evidence pointing to us. Hell..." here he finished pulling whatever the hooded figure had been pulling through the door...a sack of concrete. A neat drag mark now went across the rooftop. Terrias then revealed a dagger and slit his wrist. He allowed his blood to drop along the drag marks before he continued, "Any evidence remaining after the explosion will make it appear that I was dragged away by the enemy and offed somewhere else."

Then, Terrias walked to the heli and rummaged around before pulling out the emerald-encrusted scabbard...the blade he had forged not two days prior. As he pulled the ruby blade from its sheathe, the dim sunlight permeating the cloud cover shined off of the leaf stone that he had inset in the handle...a stone that he had treasured as his mate's family heirloom that she had given him. "Oh," Terrias began, walking towards Alex, "And thanks for the blade."

Alex cried out in pain as Terrias slashed open his torso, from his sternum and down to his groin. The wound burned fiercely, like acid, and it wouldn't heal...Terrias had poisoned his blade with the anti-mutation serum developed by Necro. Blood quickly pooled around Alex as he struggled to keep the lips closed, to keep his entrails from falling out. Already he could feel a slimy, rope-like object poking from his wound.

He saw through a haze of red, everything occurred in slow motion and had an aura. He watched as Terrias and Aria happily crawled into the chopper together, kissing and acting like two newlyweds on their honeymoon. The chopper began to take off, but not before Terrias peered out from the helicopter and shot him in the head. He was vaguely reminded of _Modern Warfare 2_, his stabbing putting him in a 'final stand' mode, while the bullet was, like in the game, being shot while in final stand. He felt instantly numb, and collapsed on his back.

Within seconds, he passed out.

He came to once more. Piermont, Spyro, and Cynder stood beside him, and beyond their heads, he could see the dirt-and-plywood ceiling of a bunker. Around him, he could hear explosions, muffled this far underground.

"He's coming to!" Piermont's distant, muffled voice cried, "Get a medic over here! Now!" Crash was immediately at his side, but he closed his eyes again, and he heard Piermont cry, "We're losing him again!" Before he blacked out once more.

When next he awoke, he was alone in a tiny room below ground. Covered trenches branched out like mine shafts from where he was. He could still hear the muffled explosions, and he gathered the strength to sit up. The pain in his head and torso briefly flared before settling into a dull, hot throb. He glanced down at his chest and saw that he was topless, wrapped up in dirty, bloody bandages. A bowl of ice water was beside him, and he greedily drank, the water feeling good on his feverish body. Now more alert, he looked around. The room was small, empty, lit by oil lamps. He was on a bedroll placed against the corner of the circular room, a bedpan and the porcelain bowl of water was next to him, along with a pile of wet rags, and another, larger pile, of bloody rags. He stood, overcome by dizziness and nausea.

Once that passed, he stumbled like a drunkard into one of the trenches, and he could hear speech and the occasional laughter from the other side. The trench, though short, felt like miles to him, and once he emerged onto the other side, seeing the rest of his company sitting on bedrolls arranged in a circle, he fell forward, exhausted.

Crash and Piermont were immediately at his side, supporting him as they brought him to the group. Almost immediately he was attacked by an onslaught of questions.

"Enough!" Crash boomed, his voice frightening in the bare, enclosed space, "Give him space."

"Terrias..." Alex managed, his parched throat emitting little more than a hoarse whisper.

"Get him some water!" Crash demanded, turning his attention back to Alex, he asked, "What about Terrias?"

"He's...he's..."

"He's what?" Crash asked, taking the tankard from the private who had brought it and handing it to Alex. The Commander held onto it with both hands trembling. More water splashed out than into his mouth. But the little he got immediately soothed his throat, and he felt as if he was experiencing the best orgasm of his life.

"He's the traitor..." Alex said, his voice now a little stronger.

"What?" The others said in unison.

"Are you serious?" Spyro asked.

Alex nodded before grimacing in pain at the fresh wave of pain in his head.

"What happened?"

"He was with the Maxia the whole time. His...his time with Bob was nothing more than a cover."

"Jesus...I don't believe it..." Crash said, shaking his head as his face looked almost dreamy.

"We arrived in the attic...and he hit me with a fire extinguisher. While I was out, he dragged me to the roof before he stabbed me, shot me, then got away in the helicopter..." Alex's face suddenly lit up, as if he had just experienced a revelation.

"What?" Piermont asked excitedly, "What is it?"

"How did you survive? The building was a trap..."

"Lucky for us," Rainbow began, "Twilight is amazingly observant, she noticed the transmitter and alerted us before it was too late."

"How did you escape?"

"We flew off the roof."

"Any sight of Terrias?"

"No, none. But the good news is is that nothing has entered or left the city since last night. You were only out for about six hours."

"He's still here?"

"Yes. He's probably waiting for the perfect time to escape unnoticed...or to see the results of his handiwork. Surely by now he knows that we're watching the roads and skies for him. He's not stupid."

"Explosions?" Alex asked.

"Ah yes!" Crash said, faking good humor, "The whole damn city is experiencing a bit of...mutiny. Civilians are throwing an uprising. Riots all over the damn place. It's worse than a goddamn battlefield out there. That's why we quickly made this bunker, and moved under here. It's dangerous. Already a few would-be arsonists scored a couple of lucky shots on Club Camelot. Lucky for us, we managed to extinguish those damn Molotovs."

Alex stood and abruptly waved off the offered help of Piermont and Crash, "C'mon," he said, "Let's go find that bastard."

"Alex, you aren't in any condition to go," Rainbow Dash said.

"Listen to her, Commander," Piermont replied, "She's right."

"No...it's time I finish this with Terrias...unfortunately, I think Elliot was right about him. Maybe he _is _more trouble than he's worth."

"Where do we even start?"

"I don't know...that's why we need to move out!"

They were on the streets above ground for no longer than a few minutes when a call came in, apparently Terrias had been spotted back at the office complex that he had hit the previous night with Aria. He had ordered an armored gunship and was claiming that he was under orders to escape from the city as the dangers caused by the explosion of the building earlier that day, as well as Elliot's fury over the traitor, had thrown the city into chaos and anarchy. Now knowing where he was headed, Alpha Company quickly made their way across the dangerous city, heading towards the building, avoiding the rioting crowds as much as possible, hoping to reach the escape gunship before Terrias did.

On their way to the building, they were fired upon by a group of Terminator soldiers, and Alex roared, "What the hell are you guys doing!"

Over the radio, a voice said, "I'm sorry, Commander...but Terrias informed us that _you_ were the saboteurs...Elliot ordered an SOS on all of you."

"God dammit! _We _aren't the traitors! Terrias is! Both he and Aria are here on _Maxian_ business! They set you up!"

"I saw the proof...Terrias and Aria are innocent, besides, they said you might accuse them of this."

"Proof? What proof! Terrias and Aria must have set us up! We're innocent!"

"I'm sorry..."

"Son of a bitch!" Alex hissed, "Oi!" he addressed Alpha Company, "Listen up...as much as I disapprove of friendly fire...kill anybody that stands in our way! Elliot has ordered an SOS on our heads, apparently Terrias and Aria set us up, we need to stop them! I don't care the cost!"

"Are you sure, Alex?" Spyro asked, concerned.

"We have no choice, it's either them or us. The whole damn militia is after us because Terrias and Aria somehow managed to sway Elliot against us."

"So..."

"Kill them..._all _of them! We need to stop Terrias before he escapes the city!"

"Ura?" Dash asked.

"URA!" Alpha Company roared as they sped out of cover, firing upon those that fired upon them.

"Quickly!" Alex roared, "They're making their escape as we speak!"

After a hellish half an hour fighting on the steps of the building, Alex and the rest of Alpha Company managed to fight their way up to the entrance, and Alex paused in his tracks, turning to address the mutant division spread out before him. "He's in there! Let's finish this once and for all! URA!" Alex cried as Alpha Company charged into the ruined skyscraper. They encountered amazingly low resistance as they advanced to the roof, searching for any sign of the traitors.

Alex made straight for the roof, knowing very well that if Terrias was anywhere, he'd be there, or at least higher up, scanning the surrounding environment for his hole of opportunity. He soon charged onto the roof. Terrias was refueling the helicopter, loading spare tanks of diesel onto the craft while Aria loaded crates of supplies.

"You..." Alex hissed, feeling rage well up deep inside him. With a roar, he charged them. Terrias jumped with a start as Alex tackled him, pinning him to the floor. "You bastard!" Alex shouted, tears streaming down his face, "I trusted you goddammit! I trusted you!"

Terrias nervously smiled and said, "Hehe...easy Alex...we're all friends right? All in good humor?"

"You tried to kill me, and then you sent the whole damn army on our asses! Now the whole goddamn city wants our heads!"

Alex was then startled by Aria's menacing voice from behind, "Obviously it didn't work."

He then felt another object smash against his back and he fell forward. Aria threw down the pipe, picking up Terrias' dropped blade. She pulled it out of the scabbard, tossing the sheathe to the ground as she held the razor-sharp blade to Alex's neck.

"You have a nasty habit of surviving, Alex. Neither you or your friends should have walked away from that trap. But of course, you are just too stubborn to give up and die like a nice little soldier."

"Fuck you, you worthless bitch!" Alex managed, placing emphasis on the 'F'.

Aria retaliated by punching him in the jaw. He heard a disgusting crack as his neck turned painfully to the right and he went down.

Aria now stood over him, blade over her head as she prepared to make the killing blow. Just then, she gasped as her face adopted a scared look. She made choking sounds as she looked down, where a bloody, emerald blade poked from her torso. Her legs gave out and she fell, held standing only by the sword. It was pulled out, and her bladder emptied as there came the music of metal slicing through flesh. And her head fell backwards as her body fell to the side. Piermont stood where she once did, his mouth twisted angrily. He was covered in blood, more of the splatter from Aria than his own or the other enemies who fell to his blade.

"NOO! YOU BASTARD!" Terrias roared as he shot up, tackling Piermont and pinning him to the ground, sitting on his chest. He delivered a constant barrage of punches to the helpless Piermont's face as Alex slowly picked himself and tried to figure out what to do.

He stumbled to Terrias, grabbing the servine by the collar of his trench coat as he threw him off. Terrias recovered quickly and launched himself at Alex, wrapping his strong arms around the Commander's neck, choking the life out of him.

"YOU BASTARD, YOU STUPID CUNT, I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY ARIA!"

Alex punched and elbowed him, struggling to break free as Terrias backed towards the helicopter, stunning him with a painful blow to the chest and effortlessly tossing the breathless Commander into the back of the helicopter. Terrias climbed into the pilot seat, taking off as Piermont stood up, running after the helicopter and firing his AK47 at the black machine.

Once Piermont was at the edge of the roof, and the helicopter now was nearing the horizon, he transformed into his dragon form and charged after it, quickly catching up and spewing white fire at the black bird.

With ace precision, Terrias swung the chopper around in a hairpin twist, firing a slew of rounds from the twin, wing-mounted Gatling mini guns.

He finished his attack with a missile, and Piermont was abruptly blown out of the sky, spiraling to the ground, wings now bloody stubs. Terrias turned the helicopter around and continued towards the rising, full moon.

Alex, regaining consciousness, attacked Terrias furiously. Punching and scratching in a blur of attacks. Terrias swore furiously and tossed Alex aside as he turned the autopilot on and charged at the Commander. They fought viciously, Alex resorting to throwing anything within his grasp at the approaching servine. A metal rod swished past Terrias' head, leaving a deep, six-inch-long gash across the side of his head. Blood poured from the wound, and the moonlight reflected off of the clean white bone of Terrias' skull. However, it was unfelt, and Terrias seemed to be unstoppable.

Alex then had a dawning revelation. There was only one surefire way to defeat Terrias, or at least weaken him. However, it could very well cost Alex his own life. Accepting his fate, Alex reached for, and found, a machete. Quickly, he launched forward, scoring a bullseye as the machete ran Terrias through, punching through the helicopter's hull and pinning him in place.

Knowing his window was small, Alex found Terrias' AK47 in the copilot's seat and unleashed an entire clip into the control panel. Flashing red lights went on throughout the gunship as a deafening klaxon sounded, and sparks fired from the control panel. A resounding explosion broke Terrias free and sent them clumsily to the ground as fire shot from the wings and turbine engines.

Another explosion ripped through the machine and the helicopter went into a dizzying death spin. "You will burn in hell, Commander!" Terrias said, laughing maniacally, "We will both die!"

"Allow me to ensure you go first, my friend."

Alex and Terrias fought hand to hand once more. Terrias was weakened by his wounds, and moved more clumsily, but he fought almost blindly. It was as if he felt no pain. Alex, however, saw a breach in his opponent's defenses, and exploited it. With a roar, Alex revealed his dagger and jammed in, to the hilt, in Terrias' throat, breaking the blade. Terrias gargled and clutched as blood spewed like a jet. He backed towards the open side door.

"Goodbye, you son of a bitch!" Alex hissed, and kicked Terrias in the chest. The servine yelled in terror as he fell out of the spinning chopper. But, the tail of his trench coat caught in the turbines, and his eyes widened with dawning realization as he was pulled in. A loud explosion obliterated the helicopter as blood and gore rained down from the wreckage, and Alex freefell through the dark, starlit skies.

His life flashed before his eyes, and right as he accepted death, Spyro appeared beneath him, and Alex landed painfully on the purple dragon's back. While Alex healed, Spyro flew him carefully to where Alpha Company gathered in the center of town. Alex, legs shaking, clambered off of his second-in-command's back as he ran to where Piermont lain.

Crash was over the semi-conscious dragon, and once Alex appeared, the bandicoot glanced up and said, "He'll be fine. He won't be flying any time soon however."

Alex's attention, however, was towards the massive fireball in the sky.

"You okay?" Spyro asked, approaching and affectionately nuzzling Alex's side. Rainbow Dash was beside him soon after.

"Fine," Alex side, but his voice seemed strange.

"It wasn't your fault," Dash said, hugging him gently.

"I thought I could call him 'friend'."

"He had us all deceived."

Alex didn't reply, just shook his head, stood, and walked away. Spyro stood, prepared to go after him, but both Cynder and Crash shook their heads. "Leave him alone for awhile," Cynder said soothingly, "He has had a hard day."

"Haven't we all," Spyro began as the moon rose, and the fireball continued to illuminate the sky.

Terrias shot up, breathing heavily. Hid body was slick with sweat, and he abruptly kicked off the blankets, he was careful not to disturb his sleeping mate as he ran outside and across the suite to the bedroom where Alex slept.

Still breathing heavily, and feeling guilty for the dream, he stared at the sleeping Commander for several hours, worried and never loving him more. He was no traitor, and he didn't have the heart to deceive a close friend like that. However, he knew and understood that Alex probably did. If he didn't have the heart, he wouldn't have survived Jazz's betrayal.

"I am not a traitor," Terrias whispered, "I would never do that to you or anyone else...especially you." Then, with a final sigh, he said, "I'm sorry," before he returned to bed, finding that sleep refused to return.


	28. Chapter XXVII: Heroes Also Fall

_**Chapter XXVII**_**:**

**-''Heroes Also Fall''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_29 July 2012_-**

**-_0829 Hours_-**

Spyro sat in front of the television, idly playing _The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim_ while everybody else remained asleep. He heard one of the bedroom doors open and Ember stepped into the living room, stretching. The pink dragoness looked sleepy, and she walked to him, sitting down on the couch. "So, Spyro..." she began, "Mind if I talk to you about something?"

"Sure," he said, still concentrating on defeating the ancient dragon, "Lay it on me."

"I hope you don't get mad at me, or feel bad or anything...but I've met someone..."

"Really?" and he struggled to shelter his joy, "What is his name?"

"Well..." and she looked away like a little girl about to tell a secret, "He's a really nice dragon, a fire dragon, and his name is Flame..."

"Does he know about me?"

"Of course, Sweetie!" and Spyro cringed, "I wouldn't lie to someone about that! He also knows about you and Cynder, Cynder and Alex, and even you and Alex!"

This made Spyro even more humiliated and angry, but he put it off, listening to her constant rambling.

"But he doesn't mind, he still has this huge crush on me, so I was wanting to ask you if maybe I could date him?"

Spyro pretended to be sad, and struggled again to contain his excitement as he pretended to ponder her request, even though he had already made up his mind. "Sure, I guess," he said in mock annoyance, "But, you can only have one mate."

She frowned and stuck out her bottom lip, pouting, "Why?" she moaned, "You have two!"

It took all of his power to keep from containing his anger, and he silently cursed Cynder for pleading for him to mate with this immature girl to keep her from killing herself, and he sighed, "Yes..._I _might have two, but I'm sinning, very, very badly. I don't think I'm going to go to Heaven once I die," and he manged to fake a sigh, "But I still think you can be a good girl and go to Heaven if you stay with Flame, and leave me."

"But...but...Spyro! I love you!"

"And I..." and he swallowed, "I love you, too! But it is probably best if you stay with Flame and leave me alone."

"Won't you miss me?"

"Of course I will!" he lied, "But I understand that he loves you, and the fact that he's not a soldier means that he can always be there for you and always take care of you!"

"Well..." and she looked away, blushing, again, "Funny story...he wants to become a Terminator."

"Why?" and this struck, as well as disappointed Spyro. He was hoping that Ember wanting to stay with this Flame meant that she could go away and the purple dragon would never have to see her ever again. No such luck, because now this Flame character wanted to join Alex's ranks...Grinning mischievously, the dragon then said, "You know what? Go ahead and allow him to join!" _Not like he's going to get anywhere_, _I'll make sure that Alex doesn't bring him in!_ he thought, grinning again.

"Really? Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" and she anxiously kissed him, before running off. He maintained his grin until she was gone, then he spit, wanting to get the strange taste of her saliva out of his mouth.

"Disgusting..." he mumbled, and he shuddered, "Dammit, Cynder," he said to himself, "I hope you are happy."

Terrias finally sat up, squinting at the sunlight, "Damn..." he sighed, shaking his head.

Aria sat up sleepily, hugging him, "Morning, Love," she said, kissing him.

"Good morning, Sexy..."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah...just had a nightmare."

"Same here..."

"What was it about?"

"I dreamed that somebody was sabotaging the militia...and that that someone was you and me..."

"Yeah...I dreamed we were traitors, too."

"Oh no! Terrias...you don't think that Alex..."

Terrias abruptly shook his head, "No, I think that if Alex _did _dream that..."

"Which he probably did!" Aria interrupted.

"Yes..." he nodded, "But I think he knows that it was only a dream. He's seen our hearts, he's looked into them, he should know the truth. Nothing slips by him after Jazz's betrayal...NOTHING. Surely if there was any truth to that dream, he would know...obviously we don't have betrayal in mind."

"Obviously...I know _we _don't...I just hope that he knows as well."

"I'm sure he does, Aria..." and he hugged her and kissed her briefly. Now, let's go greet the others."

"Alex!" Spyro called once the Commander had entered.

"What do you need, Spyro?"

"Can I talk to you in private for a few minutes?"

"Sure..."

Once both of them were on the empty balcony, Spyro ensured that they were alone before he began, "Listen, Ember found herself a new boyfriend...thank God...but he wants to join, I need you to ensure that he doesn't."

"I can't do that, Spyro..."

"But you can! You are the Great Commander!"

"Why don't you want him to join? Odds are Ember will be too caught up with her boyfriend to worry about you."

"If she still sees me every damn day, she might remember how I was and want to mate with me again! I want to be rid of her!"

"Sorry to say this, Spyro, but don't flatter yourself, if this new guy treats her right, she won't worry about you."

"And what if he doesn't?"

"Do you honestly believe she would do that?"

"Yes I do, I don't want to deal with her anymore!"

"What's wrong? Don't love her?"

"Hell no! I only mated with her at Cynder's insistence...or forcing rather...I hate her! She's immature and just...really creepy. Please, Alex, don't let him join!"

"Spyro...it doesn't work that way."

"Please!"

"No, if I see fit, he will join, Ember won't leave forever like you are hoping, but you shouldn't have to worry about her as much."

"You just want to keep Cynder!"

"Not true! Just...please try to understand, okay?"

"Fine..." and Spyro sighed, "I just hope Flame will completely take her mind off of me."

"Flame eh? When is he scheduled to join?"

"I have no fucking clue."

"Anyway, is this all you wanted?"

"Aye..."

"Then let's get back inside."

Alex and Dash were in the dojo, training, when Spyro suddenly appeared, "Guess what?" the purple dragon began, "I have some bad news..."

"Can't it wait?"

"Unfortunately, no...Elliot wants to see us."

"Elliot?" and Alex seemed surprised, "So the old dog decided to talk to us again?"

"Maybe he has some kind of mission planned," Dash began.

"Actually...that's probably what it is...dammit."

"Actually, it is," Spyro said, "He wants us in the conference center in an hour...come prepared."

"Son of a bitch..." Alex groaned.

"I thought Alpha Company were the last ones to be deployed, being the commanding unit and all that..."

"We are, Dash...apparently Elliot thinks differently. Last I checked, nobody else is deployed."

"Maybe he's still mad at us for the whole incident with Terrias?"

"I don't think so...but what the hell do _I _know...Elliot plays by his own rules. I mean...damn girl, Elliot and the military is every bit as bad as...if not worse than...Gordon Ramsay and fucking cooking."

"I don't get it..."

"We'll have to watch Hell's Kitchen or Kitchen Nightmares together sometime."

"Sounds boring."

"Oh hell no, it's entertaining as hell...pardon the puns."

"Maybe we'll check it out sometime..."

"Yep."

"Maybe we can also ma..." and she cut off, frowning.

"Huh? Did you say something?" Alex asked, turning back to face her.

"No...I didn't say anything," she sighed, and she continued following him.

Alpha Company anxiously waited in the conference center, unsure of how Elliot would act towards them. Neither of them had been in contact with the hotheaded general since the incident in New York City, and all of them, especially Terrias, were worried about how he would act. The servine himself was sitting in his chair, as small and hunched over as anyone had seen him, and he looked down at the top of the table, unhappy. Alex wrapped his arm around the Pokemon's shoulders, half-hugging him.

"Okay!" Elliot began, walking into the room, "None of you bastards are gonna like what I have in store for you...but it's time that you guys make up for all the shit you've caused."

"We've done nothing, Elliot," Spyro said, sounding annoyed.

"Precisely! While the rest of the militia is at war, you idiots are sitting on your lazy asses playing video games! So, I want you all to head down south of the _Fiernes Curtain_ to the wastelands in Nebraska, and I want you to quell riots that are going on in and around the little post-apocalyptic settlement of Requiem. Now, a little history lesson on settlements along the lines of Requiem...after Beta Company surrounded the northern United States in a wall of dragonfire back in '09 or '10, much of the cities and towns on either side of the _Curtain_ dried out and inevitably died. There were a few...eager...explorers who attempted to resettle those dead lands by building aptly named settlements such as Requiem, Perdition, Purgatory, and the likes. However, these settlements usually didn't last long, as recolonizing wastelands obviously isn't very successful. Requiem is a sister-village to Perdition, which is a few miles west, and there are all kinds of riots occurring all over the fucking place. We have no idea what these riots are about and we don't care, just get in there and bring peace to these areas...that is all."

"When do we set out?" Terrias asked.

"You move out at 1200 hours sharp! I expect you to report to me from Requiem by 1230 hours."

"Do we go along as well?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Of course you do! You're Alpha Company aren't you?"

"Well..."

"You've been mutated?"

"Y...Yes..."

"Then you a re heading out! Get moving! Now, dismissed!" and Elliot left.

"Well, ain't _he _a happy camper!" Applejack exclaimed sarcastically.

"Nah! He's just pissed off still at that crappy situation."

"Talk about holding a grudge..." Twilight said, shaking her head.

"Let's just get on with our mission and let it be...he'll get over it eventually. His grudge will be much shorter if we just smile and nod and follow orders."

"So...off to Requiem?"

"Off to Requiem!" Alex said in mock cheer.

By 1130 hours, they had emerged a mile north of the _Fiernes Curtain_, in the middle of the Southern Wastelands. "Let's keep moving, folks," Alex said over the radio as they pressed on, "We'll get there bright and early so Elliot won't have anything to complain about..."

Once they arrived at the _Curtain_, meeting several guards, Alex poked out from within the command tank, depressing the button on his pokeball as he said, "Viktor return!" the crobat flapped happily, landing on his shoulder as it was engulfed in a red light before the beam disappeared back within the ball. The guard nodded and returned to his post, waving for them to continue on.

Alex disappeared back inside the hull of the tank, returning to the radio and saying, "Okay, everybody get back to safety, we're about to pass through the wall!"

"All in, Commander," Spyro said, "And now I am as well."

"Excellent...now, through the wall! URA!"

A steady stream of the Terminators' battle cries answered Alex's, and the tank went into full throttle as it charged forward. Within several minutes, they already could feel the metal shell heating up, and Alex warned through their breaking radio connection, "Do not touch any metal part of the tanks unless you want third degree burns."

The replies from the other tanks were lost in static, and soon, the world began to shake as the tanks entered the curtain, passing through the magical heat-containment barrier and through the washboard ground, deformed and destroyed by the ever-burning wall of fire. After several minutes, they finally emerged on the other side of the wall, re-tempered metal hulls of the tanks glowing bright orange.

"Thank Christ for Swizzle Firmian steel!" Spyro said over the returning radio communications.

"Amen," Alex replied with a laugh, then, sobering, "Alright, were approximately 13.5 miles northeast of our destination, we have to head through another one of those abandoned settlements...so expect anything."

"Even ambushes?" Rainbow Dash asked, she was in the same tank as Alex.

"Yes, _especially_ ambushes," back on the radio, he said, "Keep your heads down and inside the tank at all times, no doubt we'll be entering sniper alley, we are now approaching the small village of Damnation, Nebraska, everybody be on your guard, we're entering dangerous, uncharted territory."

Everything suddenly grew quiet, as the tanks slowly trudged through town, surveying every area. Suddenly, Spyro came on the radio, alarming the Commander, "Uh...Alex? I'm seeing movement in the shadows of those destroyed buildings...creepy fuckin' area...shouldn't we have somebody out looking for IED..." a loud, dull thud shook the entire tank. "What the fuck was _THAT_!?" Spyro roared, "Commander, please report, over!"

"I'm here, Spyro...a little shaken, but okay...so is everybody else. Red! Gold! Blue! All teams report!"

One by one, the tanks reported, all except for Blue 8.

"Alex," Spyro came back on, "Blue 8 is down, repeat, Blue 8 is down!"

There was a hissing sound that filled the air then, and the tank driver of Alex's command tank-Gold 1-yelled out, "AMBUSH!"

The Commander immediately sprinted into action, grabbing the HMG mounted to the turret as he fired through the enveloping smoke from the ambush's smoke grenades and upon the large group of violet-cloaked men. Once they were all down, Alex emerged from the tank, as well as Spyro, Cynder, Sonic, Cheet, and Tails from Red 1, and Terrias, Aria, Simba, Nala, and Rudolph from Blue 1. The rest of Alpha Company emerged from the other tanks, they had been put into each team's first seven tanks, while eight through ten saw various infantry. Alex knelt before one of the fallen assassins, feeling around in the cloak, searching for any identification. What he pulled out of the pocket was a strange patch showing a white Sigma sign with a smaller, black, Omega sign overlapping its center, both Greek symbols were centered on a teal background. The hell is this?" he asked, tracing the fine stitching on the base of the patch.

"Better question," Terrias said, skirting the bodies, shotgun in hand as he kicked and checked each one, ensuring they were truly dead, "Who are these people?"

"_Maxia_?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Negative..." Alex answered, crouching beside another one of the corpses, "They aren't holding anything either...they just have these patches. He revealed his switchblade, cutting the patch off of the cloak's breast."

"Oh yeah buddy!" Rainbow Dash said cheerily, removing a small book from another corpse's cloak pocket. She tossed to Alex, who skimmed through it.

"It's all in Latin..."

"Can you find a translated version anywhere?" Spyro asked.

"No, none of these guys have them..." Rudolph-in his human form-said, holding an AK47, walking around the pile of bodies and over to Alex, "Commander, we should probably get going...before Elliot gets pissed."

"I agree, Rudy..." then, to the assembled crowd, "Okay! Back to the tanks, we have a deadline to keep, let's get our asses over there!"

"Wait! Alex!" Terrias began, "Can't you read this? You guys know Latin, don't you?"

"Only a few phrases...this is much older than the version we know anyway. Now, enough chatter, back onto the road!"

It was another twenty minutes before they finally strolled into the city. Unlike the last town they had gone through, this one looked like a full-fledged city, complete with glass-walled skyscrapers and stone homes...unfortunately, this city had obviously seen better days, many of the buildings were in ruins, and there wasn't a single unbroken pane of glass in the city. "Well," Terrias began, "I wouldn't really consider this as some enthusiastic entrepreneur's attempt to recolonize the south...it seems this was already an existing city before someone decided to move in again."

"Obviously...nearby Perdition is much the same way," Alex replied.

"Pathetic."

"What is?"

"The fact that people want to live in these shitholes!"

"Well...think about it for a moment, Terrias. If you lived and grew up in a city, and all of a sudden your hometown was wiped out, wouldn't _you _want to try and rebuild? To live in the city of your childhood again?"

"Not really. Then again, I've lived in New Alexandria my entire life, and obviously, it's still standing...growing every goddamn second, but still alive."

"Well, try to put yourself into the shoes of these kind of people."

"I really don't like it here, Alex," Crash spoke up, "Didn't Elliot say there were riots going on?"

"Yeah..."

"Dude!" and Rainbow Dash dropped from the skies, landing on the turret of Alex's tank, "This place is empty...there ain't a soul in sight!"

"Something feels very wrong, Commander..." Crash continued, "We need to get out of here..."

"INCOMING!" Piermont roared, and Alex dove into the tank as machine gun rounds deflected off of the turret. The sound of mortars filled the air, and explosions occurred all around them, sending columns of dust into the air that settled inside the tanks via the open hatchways.

"The _fuck _is Rainbow Dash!" Alex cried out, "Dash! The hell are you, Girl!"

"Alex!" the pony cried, and Alex peeked out, quickly dropping back in as a rocket whizzed over his head, and a grenade suddenly dropped into the tank. Alex saw the pineapple roll to a stop, and he cried out as he immediately clambered over to it, picking it up and tossing it out as far away from the tank as possible. Looking around, Alex leaped out of the tank, Crash...who was in the same tank as Alex...complaining. He hit the side of the turret, rolling down the slanted side, his head smacking into the lip of steel covering the top of the tread. He landed painfully on the broken street, dust from an approaching sandstorm blowing into his eyes and mouth. Coughing, he wrapped a strip of cloth that was in his pocket around his face as he crawled, laying prone, across the empty street and to where Rainbow Dash was laying, between the command tank and the tank to Alex's immediate right.

"Dash! I'm coming! Just hold on!"

"Alex!" and he stuck out his hand, feeling around for the pony. Dash grabbed it, and he pulled her close to him, holding her face against his chest as she coughed violently. Lowering his goggles, he opened his eyes, blinking away the stinging sand as he held his breath, removing the cloth over his face and tying it firmly around the Pegasus' muzzle.

"Listen!" he yelled into her ear over the hellish rain of fire and explosions, "Keep your eyes clothes and keep a constant grasp on my hand!" and he turned his head away from her, coughing as he continued, "I'm going to escort you to safety! Hold on!"

Crouching, he dashed back to the tank, quickly climbing on as he lowered Dash up and over the turret and into the hull, "Watch the ladder!" he yelled, and once she was down, he, too, mantled over the turret and into the hatch, smacking his knee into the repeatedly firing barrel of the turret. Pain currently unfelt, he scurried down the ladder, jumping off of the third-to-bottom rung and falling on his stomach onto the rubber-matted floor. He clumsily crawled over to Rainbow Dash, climbing on top of her as a grenade exploded at the edge of the still-open hatch, causing hot shrapnel to rain down on them. Luckily, the Commander's body armor caught most of the shrapnel. He immediately shot up then, climbing back up the ladder, pulling Spyro and Cynder inside as he closed the hatch and locked the steel bolt. Instant silence overcame the room, save the dull thud of the explosions and ricocheting bullets. The room was dark, and there was a hiss as Crash lit a road flare, filling the room with pink light. Visibility was next to nothing, and he hurried to turn on the vent to pull out the dusty air. After several minutes, the dust dissipated, and he shut off the vent, extinguishing the torch once he found and lit a lantern.

"Everybody okay?" Alex asked.

Rainbow Dash, still coughing covered her mouth as she sat up, "I'm fine," she said in between hacks.

"Well this was surely interesting!" Piermont said, lifting his goggles as he tied a handkerchief around his face, lowering his goggles again, "The hell do we do now?" he removed his steel, digital desert-camouflage helmet, shaking dust from his sleek black hair.

"First we need to find out where these bastards are hiding out at."

"I can't see anything out there...so much dust..." Crash said, peering through the periscope, "Looks like they have maroon smoke grenades also."

"You think it's more of these cloaked guys?"

"It's possible, _Maxia _do love ambushes...but they usually charge in barking mad..."

"Under Jazz they did," Spyro said, "They were much brighter under Necro...and both are gone now."

"Looks like the bullets are slowing now," Crash said, "Let's get out there and secure the area."

"You do that, I'll report to Elliot," Alex added.

The Bandicoot nodded, "Let's go."

As they continued through the eerily abandoned city, the ambush dead and far back behind them, everyone was on high alert, searching for any sign of ambushes...or the mythical riots that they had been sent after. "Yo, Alex..." Sonic began.

"What's up, Captain?"

"I'm starting to wonder if Elliot sent us out here to die."

Alex shook his head, chuckling, "He isn't _that _insane...at least...I don't think so."

"Well...he _does_ want us gone..." Rainbow Dash began.

"_To refrain from trouble_, not dead," Alex corrected.

"That's beside the point."

"Well, I see nothin'," Applejack said, sitting on the tank, against the turret.

"Alex!" Piermont roared, landing beside the command tank, "I think I found those riots..."

"Really? Where?"

"Hop on!" Alex climbed off of the tank, quickly scaling the emerald back of his dragon as Piermont rose into the air, the flap of his olive wings sending dust shooting into the air. Rainbow Dash, Spyro, Cynder, and Terrias and Arian followed him as the tanks followed from the ground. The emerald-green dragon landed on the roof of one of the destroyed skyscrapers on the edge of the city, watching as several hundred citizens appeared to be fighting an unknown amount of those cloaked soldiers.

Piermont leaped off his perch, landing on the street beside the parked tanks, the tank commanders peering at the distant riots through binoculars. "Rudy!" Alex called, "Get up in this building with a sniper rifle, the place is crawling with those cloaked guys, take 'em out."

"Yes, sir."

"Hold on...I see someone walking to the front of the crowd," Spyro said, peering through his binoculars.

What appeared to be an elderly man, clad in elaborately designed cloaks stepped up to the front of the stage, "My fellow Southerners! Why do you rebel against our cause?" he began, "We mean no harm to anyone. We are only here to bring peace to this warring nation, to settle the dispute between the progressive _Maxia _and the ultra-conservative Terminator Militia! The Brotherhood seeks no violence or bloodshed, only peace and prosperity!"

"You bastards! You call ambushing our defenders bringing peace to our nation!?" one of the civilians, a woman, about late twenties or early thirties called out.

"It is a dark choice for us...but some must fall to achieve our ultimate goal! That is all the Thirteen Sages request!"

"Well you and the rest of you 'Sages' can take your goal and shove it up your asses! We don't need you idiots! The _Maxia _and the Terminator Militia are nowhere around here! Leave _us _the hell alone and take your preachings to the firewall, or fucking New Alexandria itself!" another one of the civilians, a twenty or thirty year old man, roared out.

And the crowd broke out in cheers and roars of approval.

"Should we do something?" Crash asked.

Tapping his earpiece, Alex said, "Rudy, it seems that the garish geezer up front is the leader of this band of assembled assassins."

"No shit, Sherlock. Unfortunately, he has a few bodyguards blocking my line of sight."

"Can't you shoot through them?"

"I suggest you roll in there and take them out."

"Let's move!" Alex roared, and the music of all of the tanks hitting full throttle filled the air as they charged forward. The Brotherhood looked around, frantically searching for the source of the sound, and when Gold Command, Alex's tank, punched through a building and into the square, scattering the citizens, they ran forward, revealing hidden Uzis as they opened fire on the approaching Terminators. "Fire at will!" Alex commanded over the radio, and each tank fired in consecutive order as they annihilated the fleeing Brotherhood.

"Chase 'em down," Spyro ordered, and the tanks charged forward.

"Spyro, Cynder, Piermont, Terrias, I need you guys on me, we're going to intercept their leader."

"What about me?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Too dangerous."

"To hell with that! I want to come with you!"

"No!"

"I'm your mate!" she hissed, "I'm coming with you!"

"Say what now?" Piermont began, "Did I just hear correctly?"

"Not now, Dash!" Alex hissed.

"Why do you continue to deny it!"

"Wait...you mean...they actually _did _it?" Spyro began, astounded, "Holy crap!"

"So the truth comes out..." Cynder said, "I figured as much."

"It doesn't matter," Alex interrupted.

"To hell it does!" Piermont exclaimed, "When did it happen?"

"The concert...we were both drunk, it meant nothing."

Terrias and Spyro both shook their heads, and Piermont, crossing his arms, said, "Dude, you are seriously fucked up."

"What? Why?"

"Never mind...Jesus, you're a dick."

"What-? I don't understand!"

"'Course, you don't," Spyro said, "He's only human."

"Fuckin' humans...let's just get this shit over with, we'll deal with this little newsflash later."

"He's on the run!" Terrias roared.

The four of them, with Rainbow Dash chasing after them, sped into the square, following the fleeing sage as he entered one of the destroyed buildings. They dashed through the ruined skyscraper, racing to the top of the building where a helicopter was idling. The sage's bodyguards charged after them, Uzis blazing while the sage leaped onto the chopper. Swiftly killing the guards, Alex jumped off of the building, grabbing onto the helicopter's rails as he tossed the pilot out, bringing the chopper back onto the building. He opened the side door, kicking the sage out, and Spyro and Piermont grabbed him, dragging him back down the skyscraper. He instantly became a dead weight, purposely causing the dragons trouble in dragging him. "Stupid fucker is pissing me off."

"You won't get me! My brethren will avenge me!"

"Shut the fuck up, queer," Piermont hissed, punching the sage in the gut.

Now on the ground floor, they dragged the sage onto the street, kicking him in the back as he fell down the steps and landed on his stomach on the street. Piermont put one boot on his back, pinning him down, and reached into his pocket, picking out a cigarette as he jammed it into the corner of his mouth and using his pyrokinesis to light it.

"You will not stop us!" the sage began, "I will not be captured!"

"Too late numbfuck," Piermont grinned, "I'll make sure you have a nice life in prison."

Through some powerful type of telekinesis, Piermont went flying across the street. Alex and Terrias ran at him, but they, too, were sent flying across the street. The sage wrestled Alex as he took the Commander's gun. He held the pistol to the Commander's head as he swayed side-by-side.

"I...I won't be stopped by you."

Alex jumped at the sage as they wrestled for control of the gun. Eventually, Alex was bested as he slid across the ground. The sage stood up, picking up the gun and aiming at Alex.

"Goodbye, Commander," he said as he turned the gun around, jamming the barrel against the roof of his mouth and pulling the trigger. His head shot back in a cloud of blood and gore as he fell forward.

"_Shit_!" Terrias hissed, jumping up and to the fallen Sage. "Medic!"

Crash shoved his way forward, trying to heal the sage. "Jesus, these rounds..." he began, "They're coated in some kind of poi-" his voice was cut off a crack of a sniper rifle broke the silence and his eyes grew wide. He leaned against the wall, clutching his chest and choking as he slid down, leaving a smear of blood and revealing a hole the size of a softball in the wall behind him.

"_CRASH_!" Spyro cried out, running to him.

Alex, Terrias, and Piermont scanned the surrounding cityscape, searching the skyscrapers for any sign of the sniper.

"He's flatlining!" Spyro called, trying to heal the wound in Crash's abdomen. "It won't heal!"

"Oh no..." Cheet began, locating and picking up the bullet. "Silver round, coated in some kind of...water?" he sniffed it, "Water..."

"NATO?"

"_Maxia_..."

"A...Alex..." Crash began weakly.

Alex was immediately at his side. His face was splattered in blood and he looked terrified. "I...I..." and his head turned slowly to the side as blood dripped from his mouth.

"He's gone!" Spyro cried, "Get someone here! Now! Bring him back!"

"Where in the hell is that sniper!?" Alex roared.

"I can't see him anywhere!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, sounding hysterical.

Sonic, who was at the bandicoot's side, observed the wound, finding a strange, gel-like residue with spots of white in it at the edge of the wound, suddenly adopted a grim look. "Guys..." the hedgehog began

"What?" Alex hissed.

"I know this substance."

"What is it?"

"Necro's mutation serum, more refined than what is normally used."

"We need to make an antidote."

"Problem."

"Which is-?"

"This refined version deteriorates extremely fast. Not only does it prevent healing, it actually targets and destroys cells with a certain mutation...one our serum gives. Also, I think it has some kind of chemical reaction with our blood that breaks it down to water...it was also used during the attack on New Alexandria when you and Terrias were...absent..."

"We couldn't save him..." Alex replied grimly.

"No. Our last window would've been a fraction of a second after he was shot. We would've needed to have the antidote already prepped and distributed exactly when and where he was shot. Even our powers can't tell us that."

"Can we even make an antidote?"

"Sure, if I managed to get a full blueprint the moment it came off the assembly line."

"How did they preserve it?"

"For one, it's a powdered version, if that means anything? I don't know. Two, they would have needed to keep it at subzero temperatures until they were ready to fire."

"So our sniper isn't any soldier."

"He was an assassin."

"Great."

"The sudden increase in temperature from being fired would have thawed the powder enough to react when it came in contact. This is precision killing at it's best. If he had been an inch further back, the bullet would have been clean before it hit. An inch closer, and the bullet would have ripped through Crash before the powder was released."

They had all fallen silent now, and Alex walked over slowly to his fallen ally, crouching at his side as he closed his eyes and removed his dogtags, clutching them tightly, and praying silently.

They emerged north of New Alexandria, heading out into the heart of the Burned Lands, where they set to work on building a funeral pyre. After an hour, the pyre, fashioned from sticks and hay, had been constructed, and Alex carried the body of the fallen soldier over to the pyre, placing it gently down as Spyro, Piermont, Arian, and Cynder ignited it. They stayed by the pyre until nightfall and well into the night, returning to the city only once it had completely burned itself out, and the early morning breeze blew the ashes away.

Without a sound, Alpha Company headed back to the city, until only Alex, Rapid, and Terrias remained behind. "Goodbye, my friend," the skunk said, crossing himself as he and Terrias left, leaving Alex alone. Alex reached into the pocket of his vest, revealing the bloodied dog tags, and he stared at them for several minutes, thinking nothing. As the sun began to rise in the horizon, he clutched the dog tags and stuck them deep into his pockets again, turning and slowly walking towards the distant city.


	29. Chapter XXVIII: The Paradise Effect

_**Chapter XXVIII**_**:**

**-''The Paradise Effect''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_30 July 2012_-**

**-_0518 Hours_-**

"Warhorse, this is Shadowknight reporting a magnetic disturbance approximately 2.5 miles northwest of our current position, please report, over."

In the skies above the Burned Lands north of New Alexandria, a reconnaissance plane on a routine patrol noticed malfunctioning instrumentation.

"Warhorse to Shadowknight," General Elliot answered, "Do you have an idea as to what is causing the disturbance?"

"Negative, sir. Onboard instrumentation is malfunctioning, compass keeps pointing at a five hundred yard strip approximately two to three hundred feet thick."

"Is it around the _Fiernes Curtain_?"

"Negative, Warhorse, right in the middle of the Burned Lands."

"Anything else unusual around the area?"

"Affirmative, there is a large and very overgrown strip of grass and small bushes around it, but that's about it. Oh, and the air seems to shimmer over the area, but that could just be our imaginations."

"Any other issues aside from the compass?" and Elliot walked over to a computer terminal, aiming the command center's radar dish at the sight and commencing a scan using coordinates picked up from the aircraft's current position.

"Thermal cams are identifying a thirty to forty degree difference in temperature, as are our thermometers, and we're picking up unusual amounts of gamma radiation from the area as well."

"How much?"

"Eight to ten rads, sir."

"Stay away from the area..."

"Sir, we...losing..."

"You're breaking up, Shadowknight. Repeat, avoid the area!"

"Losi...communi..."

"Shadowknight! Shadowknight! Please report!"

"Electro...pulse...systems...off..."

"Shadowknight, report! Repeat, Shadowknight, report!"

Only static.

"Son of a bitch!" and Elliot smacked the terminal, "Carter!"

"Yes, sir," a colonel began, walking over to Elliot.

"Send an exploration unit over to this magnetic disturbance, we lost contact with one of our reconnaissance flights, I need you to head out there to figure out what the hell is going on, then report back to me at once!"

"Yes, sir."

* * * * * *

Alpha Company ate in silence that morning. Not a word was spoke between them, and none of them had received much sleep following Crash's untimely death and funeral. When Elliot contacted them, expecting them to meet him at Club Camelot's conference room in approximately an hour, there was no complaints, no snide remarks, the atmosphere around the company was that of mourning and and somberness.

"Okay, you aren't gonna like what I have in store for you today," Elliot said, entering the room, "But we have a crisis on our hands. Last night, one of our reconnaissance planes was downed shortly after reporting a strange magnetic disturbance out in the Burned Lands, as well as malfunctioning equipment," and he replayed the recorded message between him and 'Shadowknight', "We sent out a scouting party to the crash site, hoping to figure out what caused it, but we have no idea, there was no evidence of foul play, or any evidence of malfunctioning equipment. So, we next need to explore this area they reported, but it may or may not be too dangerous for us, so, before you guys bitch and moan...I know, and I am truly, deeply sorry over Sergeant Crash's death, but we must move on. You guys are the elite of our army, the top mutants, I need you all to head on out to the site reported by our downed plane and figure out what the hell is there...if anything. Once you do, report back to me on your findings, now, without further ado, move out!"

Less than an hour later, Alpha Company rolled over to the coordinates Elliot had given them, still not speaking. The silence was dreadful, but there was nothing to be said. When they arrived at the given coordinates, the first thing Alex noticed was that the air was tinted a slightly glowing blue, and was shimmering. The atmosphere was also thicker, and it was harder to breathe, adding to that was an alarming temperature drop from the ambient temperature of about eighty two degrees of a dry heat, to around forty or fifty degrees Fahrenheit. They also noticed that their communications were down, and electronics weren't working properly.

"Spyro," Alex said, turning to face his second-in-command, "Get to a place where we have communications again and report this to Elliot...there is definitely something here."

"Yes, sir," and the purple dragon flew off without question.

"Piermont, Terrias, you two are with me, we are gonna go through this. It acts almost like a portal."

Hesitantly, the trio stepped towards the disturbance, and, holding their breaths, they walked through it, squeezing their eyes shut. They felt themselves passing through the wall...the feeling of a heavy weight sitting on their chests, and there was a strange warble that emitted from the wall. As soon as they passed through it however, the passage taking their breaths away, they instantly felt the weights on their lungs disappear, and the warble dissipated. The only sound they heard now was the chirping of birds, and a faint warm wind accompanied by the feeling of sunlight beaming down on their bodies. They opened their eyes...and their jaws dropped at what lay before them. They were in front of Bismarck High School, Alex's old High School. The sun was bright and angled east in the clear, blue, cloudless sky, at about 0830 to 0930 hours, and the world around them showed no sign of the war that had ransacked the country since 2009.

"What the..." Terrias began, the servine completely in shock now, mouth agape, "Where the hell are we?"

Spyro returned to the base of the portal, "I called Elliot...he's gonna send a whole party of researchers out here to figure out what this is," and he looked at the Geiger counter he held, "Nothing. Whatever this is...it isn't deadly...at least from this side of things. There is some radiation here, but not enough to do serious damage, you have more exposure during an X-ray, I just wouldn't make a habit of living near here."

"Alex and the others have been gone for a _really _long time..." Cynder said, sounding worried.

"I hope they're okay..." Rainbow Dash said, concern obvious in her voice.

"Where did they go?" the purple dragon asked.

"They wanted to see what was on the other side of this...Alex said it seemed like a portal."

"Well..."

"It apparently is...they walked to it, and as they passed through it, they just vanished in a flash of a bluish-white light," Rainbow Dash continued.

Suddenly, the shimmering air morphed and twisted, appearing like a puddle of water with ripples spreading out from the point of contact where something was coming through and in another flash of light, the trio reappeared, out of breath, with looks of pure amazement in their faces. "Whoa!" Piermont said, "That was freaking awesome!"

"What is it?" Spyro asked.

"It's a portal alright," Alex nodded.

"Where does it go?" Cynder asked.

"To a parallel universe."

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on! Back up for a moment..." Elliot began, forehead lowered and resting in his hand as he paced around the room, looking up, he questioned, "You did _what _now?"

Alpha Company was back in the conference room, reporting their findings, "We crossed through the portal," Piermont said, sitting down with his feet propped up on the table, leaning back, chewing tobacco, "Took us to some random-ass world _not _torn by this war. _Fiernes Curtain_ wasn't there, landscape wasn't scarred. Hell, _New Alexandria_ wasn't even there! It was just a bunch of cattle farms and grazing lands in the foothills of a chain of mountains, with a river running through the middle of it, and a pretty cool, pretty big, old-looking stone bridge crossing the river."

"That was really reckless of you!"

"Hey, it's safe. It's pretty cool though...at least we managed to go back, plus, we still have our powers there."

"How did you get back?"

"Like I said, we just used our powers to head back to New Alexandria...it took us to that valley, and this time rip or time wound or whatever was still there, in the exact same place as it is here. We just crossed through it and _voila_! Wasn't hard to find over there either, you have all of this beautiful grazing land, and boom! A dead spot, dried, baked earth, right in the fuckin' center of the farm."

"Hmm..." Elliot began, pacing around the room, chin in one hand while the other was against his thigh, "We might have something beneficial here..."

"What's your plan?" Alex asked.

"If it _is _indeed a parallel universe, free from this war and the _Maxia _like you say..."

"Oh!" Piermont interrupted, "DC's in one piece as well, same with San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. Southern Wastelands don't exist, and neither does Requiem."

Elliot nodded at his thoughts before finally saying, "I will need to think about this...for now, you just take it easy, I'll get back to you by noon on what we're doing."

"Yes, sir," Alpha Company replied in unison.

"Good, move out, gents."

An hour later, Elliot contacted them again, wishing to meet them at the base of the portal. They were there as quickly as they could, and Alex looked up to the sky, groaning. Here it was, at high noon, and the sky was frozen in this midnight darkness, thick, black and maroon clouds obscuring all view of the sky and sun. Already he longed to see that brilliant sunlight again, the likes of which he hadn't seen for so long...although the immediate twenty to thirty miles on either side of the _Fiernes Curtain_ was frozen in this eternal night, other areas outside of that given radius were still largely normal days, even if the sun was a little dimmer than normal, and there were more clouds than usual, most of them being a darker gray and more red in tone...and he hoped that Elliot's idea would send them through the portal again. New Alexandria was unlucky enough to be less than five miles south of the northern expanse of the _Fiernes Curtain_, thus it almost always looked like this. If they _were _sent through the portal for any reason, and had to stay multiple days there, Alex _knew _it would be hell to sleep or wake up. They were so used to this eternal darkness, that the sudden change to a normal cycle of day and night would destroy their internal clocks...not to mention, the nights over there would _still _be brighter than the nights over here, because the stars and the moonlight would be visible, and even _moonless_ nights would still be much brighter than the nights here...then again, the _Fiernes Curtain _did act as a wonderful, warm night light, a bright strip of reds, oranges, and yellows that cast its warm light over the city, like a giant fireplace.

"Okay," Elliot began, snapping Alex from his thoughts, "What we're gonna do, is send Alpha Company through here to spend a few days in this other world...your mission is to both scout this area as well as colonize it, so as to give us a safe haven to retreat to...as well as a second home free from enemy threats. Obviously, you want to maintain your anonymity, so you _must _remain in human form at all times! I also _strongly _suggest that those of you with serious battlescars-I.E Alex, Spyro, Piermont, and Terrias- to start wearing makeup to hide your scars. We don't want to arouse suspicion here...but you have a lot of leeway, not much objectives, just enjoy a little vacation to escape...recent events...as well as do the small favor for us of scouting and colonizing this area. In light of recent events, this is a huge reason why I'm sending _all _of Alpha Company, and _only _Alpha Company away for some R&R for so long. I _do_, however, want you back here after a week, understand? Remain anonymous...try to update us...or at least me...once a day, but I won't throw goddamn fit if you don't report for a couple of days...and in the event that one or more of you have...eh...'doppelgangers' over there...STAY AWAY FROM THEM! I don't want any suspicion aroused, and two identical people with identical names is not a good way to avoid attracting unwanted attention. So, without further ado, I bid you _adieu_ and _bon voyage_! Hopefully, I'll hear from you soon, good luck and God speed!"

Alpha Company returned to New Alexandria where they packed for their vacation, and after an hour spent packing, they all adopted their human forms and crossed through the portal...

Alex, along with the rest of Alpha Company, opened their eyes upon Bismarck High School, still frozen at 0904 hours on 21 April 2012, according to the Alex's updated Blackberry. Terrias suddenly appeared at Alex's side, wearing a toothy grin as he slapped his friend on the back, "Boy, this will be interesting!"

"Ya don't say..." and Alex observed his human-form companions, "Unfortunately," he began, addressing them, "The big issue with our human forms...your eye color doesn't change. So I suggest that you guys get some colored contacts, or find a way to hide your eyes. Humans with maroon, red, pink, emerald, gold, purple, or teal eyes..." and he addressed Terrias, Aria, Rainbow Dash, Piermont, Cheet and Cherub, Spyro, and Cynder in order as he addressed the eye colors, "Are going to attract suspicion."

"Yeah..." Terrias said, putting on sunglasses to hide his maroon eyes, "And your scars aren't going to help us much," he hid his shotgun in the trench coat that he still wore, but now he was wearing a white undershirt and blue jeans beneath it.

Alex, clad in a clean, black t-shirt, dark blue jeans, combat boots, and a leather jacket, removed his CASE IH ball cap, shaking his head as his long hair fell down, completely covering the right side of his face, and hiding his scars in shadow. "Obviously," the Commander continued, "Hide your weapons...the last thing we need is for the school to think we're here to kill people. It would also probably be best if we hid our tattoos as well...don't want the populace to think we're some kind of gang, we're already joining together, throw in identical tats on _all _of us and...well...yeah..."

"Wait..." Piermont interrupted, hiding his Marlboros, his switchblade, his now-broken-down AK47, and his P2K in his faded green military rucksack. As per usual, he was of average height and weight, he had sleek black hair, greased back, a plain white t-shirt, black slacks, black combat boots, and he wore a cross necklace, a brand new leather jacket, and black sunglasses over his unnatural, emerald eyes, and he stood in a provocative, teenage pose, legs apart, leaning on one leg, with his arms crossed, "You mean we're going _in _there!?"

"Yes."

"What the fuck? We already graduated!"

"Not according to this," and Alex held up his phone.

"April 21st, huh?" Spyro began, looking at his own Blackberry, he, ironically looked like the his video game voice actor as he appeared in the movie _The Lord of the Rings_, only his hair was shorter, slightly less curly, and his eyes were a bright amethyst. "Apparently time runs slower here, awesome. That means a week in _our _time might equal a month here!"

Cynder, slightly resembling the character Katara from the anime _Avatar: The Last Airbender_, nodded in agreement.

"Maybe, maybe not?" Alex said, "Still, we'll report to Elliot every night before we retire...just in case."

"Hopefully we maintain communications," Simba said. He was tall, lanky, with long, dark brown hair, nearly flawless white skin, wearing a dark blue polo shirt, nice jeans, and new, clean white sneakers, his golden eyes were behind wire thin, professional-looking glasses.

"Agreed," Cheet replied, scratching his black, curly hair. His golden eyes shined out from his chocolate-brown face, and he wore a black polo, blue jeans, combat boots, and a studded leather jacket.

"We shouldn't have a problem...the same radios we use are the ones that Swizzle Firma uses to communicate with their City Minecrawlers, which, obviously, can be picked up anywhere in all of the universes."

"Cool," Sonic said, sapphire eyes peeking out from a tanned face. He wore combat boots, jeans, a white polo, and a leather jacket. His black hair was short and spiked, sunglasses covered his eyes, and he was chewing on a toothpick.

"Another very important question..." Rainbow Dash began. She was average-height, thin, with shoulder-length, dark brown hair, flawless, white skin, and a confident, if not arrogant, smile. She had purple eyeliner on, as well as black-painted fingernails, and she wore a Pink Floyd _The Dark Side of the Moon _t-shirt, ripped blue jeans, and converse shoes, "What about names? And how are you going to explain forty-something new students all joining at once?"

"I'll figure something out..." Alex began, "As for the names, get creative...just make sure they are _normal _human names? Obviously, make them appropriate to your given sex and apparent nationality...I.E, Pierre, you aren't a girl...at least...I don't think so, so don't call yourself, 'Penny' or 'Mary' or some shit. You also aren't a Frenchman, so you aren't 'Pierre' unless it is a nickname..."

"I'm a ladies' man, bow-chicka-wow-wow! That's why I'm called 'Pierre'. BAM!"

"No, more like _GIGGITYGIGGITYGIGGITY_GOO!" Terrias interrupted.

"Yokay, so Terrias' name is Glen...let's say...Henderson!"

"What?"

"Don't forget last names, too. Make them appropriate American names or at least appropriate for your apparent nationality...most of you can get by with American names, except maybe Cheet, Prancy, and Kovu. You could get away with African-American, British, and Spanish or Mexican... respectively."

"I'm Canadian, eh," Rudolph said, and he talked in an amazing Canadian accent, he was tall and lanky, with shaved red hair, freckled skin, deep maroon doe-eyes, a dingy white t-shirt, faded, hole-filled blue jeans, and muddy steel-toed work boots, made of yellow leather.

"Yeah, but I'll just call you Rudy, normal name."

"Well..." Piermont began, "Onward unto the breach, my friends!"

"I agree, mate," Alex agreed with a nod, "Let's go."

"Ya ain't Australian, Alex..." Applejack said, looking every bit like a classic American farm girl.

"Bah! Minor details!"

"Here's a 'minor detail' you apparently have overlooked..." Rainbow Dash began, "_Any _idea how to get enrolled here?"

"I have a...bit of a plan."

"Lay it on me."

"Terrias? Aria?"

"Yeah?" the two servines said in unison.

"How good are you at...age makeups?"

"As you can see Principal Benjamin," Terrias said, appearing like a fifty or sixty year old monk. Aria, appearing like a sixty or seventy year old nun, stood beside him, "These children of the orphanage are starting to run into trouble...and private education is becoming much to expensive for them. I know this may seem sudden, but it would be very kind of you to accept them."

"I'm afraid, Brother...uh...Terrence, that it is much more difficult than that to enroll them...we have classes full and, we are already suffering from a lack of teachers."

"Oh please, Principal Benjamin, the orphanage is willing to put forth an additional grand in our budget a month if you would accept this offer."

Benjamin sighed then said, "How many more did you say there were?"

"Only two others in addition to these are needing an education, they are just at the physician's office," Aria said, pulling off the old nun voice very well.

"Perhaps I can divide you...we will know tomorrow. For today, maybe you can get a feel for the school, perhaps shadow some other students."

"Oh God bless you, kind sir!"

"Please, it is my honor to help such a wonderful organizations as yours Sister Anri."

As they turned and left the building, Terrias called for Alex to hold up, "Okay, Commander, Aria and I are gonna ditch this makeup and hang around for a couple of hours, we'll be back."

"Yes, sir," Alex said with a nod, and he watched as they left.

The day was spent walking around the school, following random students that Alex remembered during his time here, and wasting the day. Once night fell, they left the school, heading out into a pasture several miles outside of town as they made camp beneath the stars. Rainbow Dash was the last one asleep, and she looked to Alex, her reluctant mate who _still _wasn't willing to accept what had happened. As she watched him sleep, the need for his gentle touched burned hotly down her body, she wanted him, very badly, and just watching him made her feel warm and moist...

"Why won't you love me?" she whispered, "I gave myself to you...and you don't want me? You took my innocence, the only thing I could call my own, and you just left me in the dust? Did I make a mistake in choosing you to be my mate?" she sighed before turning her back to him, pulling her sleeping bag up against the cold wind as she tried to fall asleep...but still it didn't come. She turned to face him again...sleeping so soundly, despite the betrayal that should weigh so heavily on his heart. Here _she _was, the only one losing sleep over Alex's cruel, heartless decision. A harsh, cold wind blew through the open camp, making her shudder and grit her teeth. Eyes narrowing, she grumbled as she sat up, moving her sleeping bag beside Alex's. There she crawled back in, and she felt him shift positions as he turned around...and placed his arm around her. She blushed, but enjoyed his warm touch, and warmed by their combined body heat, as well as his involuntarily actions, sleep finally overcame her, as she nuzzled his warm chest.

Alex, sleeping on his back was wakened early by a harsh blast of cold wind against his side. Realizing that his front was mysteriously warm, as well as feeling an odd weight against his chest, he looked down and saw Rainbow Dash, sleeping soundly, smiling, her head buried in his chest. He couldn't help but smile, and he hugged her before kissing her briefly...she really was the girl from his dreams...but how on earth could they mate with Alpha Company around? Piermont had pestered them relentlessly since her joining...and not only had they conformed to what was being hammered down on them by cruel jokes and harsh insults, but he had...enjoyed it...as had she. He felt bad for leaving her out in the cold, but he didn't want them to be the laughingstock of the army. "Someday..." he whispered to her, stroking her mane with a gentle caress. She mumbled something in her sleep, burying herself even deeper into his body as her breathing slowed and she fell into a deep slumber again, "Someday...we can finally admit our actions without fear of the aftermath," and he laid back down, still, enjoying the feeling of their contact, thinking about the day, and about the portal that had brought them here...as well as the harsh reality of Crash's death, someone who had been there since the very beginning...the one who had been there during the militia's baptism by fire...and now he was no more. Never again would they see him, hear him...but that was a lie. Of course they would, in death, they would all still be united.

Instantly, he thought of Necro, and how Bleu and Elliot had saved them during the Parallel Crisis. Was it possible that Necro's teleportation through time during the attack on New Alexandria while Alpha Company was away had caused some sort of time rip? Alex had been told by both the baby dragon as well as the old general that they had lured Necro into using his time-teleportation ability...the same that had sent Alpha Company to the parallel world to begin with, to send the both of them to the world, to rescue Alpha Company. Maybe Necro's explosive usage of the ability that had not only cast Elliot and Bleu to the alternate universe, but also Necro, Malleas, and half of the invading _Maxia_ as well, had damaged the metaphorical time-space continuum? Regardless, this was not the time or place to worry about their homeworld. Elliot had sent them here to take their minds off of the war and Crash's death...but he still couldn't get over it. He always needed something to divert his attention, it was the same way with the girl...he lost sleep over the puzzle unless he thought of something else...

The girl...

The thought of her ignited a certain fire beneath his body, and he suddenly wished he could spend the night with Dash again...even if they had been drunk...both had been so overjoyed for the event...until the shock of realizing she was a virgin had awoken him from his drunken stupor enough to realize what exactly he had done to her. He understood the whole code of mates standing by each under until death, and even beyond...but everything had still come as a shock to him. "I'm sorry, Dash..." he sighed, squeezing his eyes shut as he blinked away tears, "I didn't mean to offend you..."

He couldn't bring himself to accept the error of his ways, he just wanted to forget about them. The odds of Dash wanting him again after he freaked out the _first _time were slim to none, or so he thought, but all he wanted was to just touch her. What had Jazz said about the girl? Back when he, Spyro, Piermont, and Schakri had been held captive?

"_... You two begin your relationship with you neglecting her, even if she pines for you. You don't care, you ignore her, and then the spirit of one of your fallen friends decides to help you win her heart __back..._"

"She pines for me?" Alex said beneath his breath. "That's it...I need to tell her."

He nodded abruptly, accepting that he would tell her the truth come the following day. He closed his eyes again, sighing as he tried to relax...but Rainbow Dash shifted again in her sleep, and the hairs on the back of Alex's neck shot up straight when he felt her sacred regions brush against his hand, warm and wet to the touch. Within her deep slumber, he heard her sigh at the touch, and he immediately forced his thoughts on a different subject to prevent the all-too-familiar sensation in his loins from coming to fruition. Luckily, he managed to fight it off before his excitement showed itself, and he relaxed again, waiting for sleep to return. The final phrase that went through his conscious mind before he fell asleep was, _Soon, Dash, we will be together again...soon, but not yet._

Everyone awoke before the sun had even risen, the biting cold wind had become far too much for them, so they finally surrendered and decided to stay up. Alex's sleepy promise to Rainbow Dash had been forgotten, and although he didn't notice her obvious unhappiness at the lack of attention, love, and respect, she was still deeply hurt by his feelings towards her, even if she didn't seem to be. She was tough, not afraid to get dirty, and had as much of a twisted mind as everybody else, plus, her confidence won Alex's admiration, but when something as sensitive a subject as this one was brought up, she was deeply hurt. If there was one thing that deeply affected her emotionally, it was the thoughts her idols, the Wonderbolts, had towards her...and Alex, her mate, whether or not he was admitting of the title. They had done the deed, and so, they were mates. She tossed the thoughts aside, angry with the Commander at his denial of their sacred bond, and deciding that now wasn't the time to think about those domestic issues.

"Well," Piermont began, leading everybody to the high school, "Hope you all are ready for school today...I know I sure ain't."

"Ah! It won't be _that _bad, Pierre, y'all will get used to it..." Applejack said, trying to sound comforting.

"I spent four years in this crappy place, I _really _don't want to have to go through it _all over again_!"

As they walked into the classroom, the teacher, which they remembered as their old Government teacher, all looked towards the crowd. Alex, Spyro, Cynder, Piermont, Rudolph, Cheet, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Terrias were all in the class together, and were being eyed by everyone else.

_Lovely_, Piermont thought at the rest of Alpha Company, _I _hate _the 'new kid on the block' routine!_

They introduced themselves before sitting down beside one of their old school friends back in their world. "Dude," the kid whispered to them, "What's up with your eyes?"

"Birth defect," Piermont answered.

After class, they headed to the gymnasium for the next class. In the locker room, Spyro, bare-chested and muscular, with well-defined pecs, biceps, and triceps, walked over to the Commander "Yo, Alex," he began.

"What's up, Spy?"

"Did you notice that Wheezy was staring at us?"

"Yeah..." the Commander said, remembering his old rival in high school, Wesley, who also happened to be staring at them suspiciously last class period. "The fuck was up with him? You think he suspects something?"

"I hope not...but whatever. Now, about this trip to Chicago tomorrow? It's a multi-day affair..."

"Good place to build our new army."

"Not even that! Three days at Navy Pier? Fuckin' for the win, man!" and Spyro clapped him on the back.

"You're sure excitable aren't you?"

"Bah! I love it...maybe you can get some...playtime...with your girl if you know what I mean..." and he elbowed the Commander, winking and chuckling.

"Probably not."

"Y'know, you really should mate with her again soon...I think you kinda hurt her feelings."

"She sure doesn't act like it!"

"Yeah...but there is a funny thing about that. Just the way she looks at you...very hurt, and even kinda, mistrustful...I think you really hurt her feelings by rejecting that anything ever happened, especially if it did."

"My sexual escapades with members of this army is none of your business. I don't question your relationship with Cynder."

"No, you just go off on me for always sleeping with her...or acting less-than-professional when around her."

"I do not!"

"Bullshit!" after several minutes of silence, Spyro then whispered to the Commander, "So...was the sex not good?"

"Will you just lay off of it already!" Alex hissed.

Spyro raised his hands in surrender, "Hey! Hey, I'm not trying to start anything...just tryin' to figure out why you're denying Rainbow Dash as your mate."

"Because we didn't 'mate'!" and everyone in the room glared at Alex. He slouched over, hissing in a harsh whisper, "We didn't mate!"

"Then why does _she _seem to think so?"

"Because she's a little fucked up, maybe?"

"Alex...I know you did _something _with her. I might have been drunk off my ass that day, but I could have sworn I felt passion between you and her."

"Well, you couldn't have, because _nothing happened_!"

After everyone was dressed, they all stepped out into the gymnasium, and Terrias, with a sudden, stricken look on his face, shook Alex.

"The hell do you want, Terrias?" he asked harshly.

"Red alert! Look who's coming in!"

Alex turned to see himself, the same version he saw in the mirror during the Parallel Crisis, and his heart sank as he said, "Oh _shit_!"

"The fuck we do?" Terrias asked.

"Keep smile and stay away from him."

"Alex...if he has the same schedule we had back when we still went to high school...we're gonna run into him for every class, every damn day!"

"We have the trip tomorrow...we'll lose him then."

"Or will we? We don't know Alex!"

The day continued as normal, with them somehow successfully avoiding Alex's doppelganger. The hot topic of conversation was the impending trip the next day that would last until the end of the week. Everybody was excited, even Alpha Company, and by the time noon came and they climbed onto the bus heading towards Connorsville Community College, where Alpha Company, like in their homeworld, were going to attend foods class, the main topic of conversation between them was what they would do during the trip. When this world's Alex walked onto the bus next, immediately spotting his doppelganger, he walked over to the group to confront them. "You!" he hissed, "Who are you? Why do you look like me!?"

"Eh? What, Alex?" Piermont began, turning to face this world's Alex, then, "Oh shit!"

"How do you know my name?"

Piermont opened his mouth to speak, but Spyro interrupted, "Misunderstanding?"

"My name _is _Alex though! How on earth did you get it right?"

"Alex is a real common name?" Terrias said, grinning nervously.

"Who are you?" this world's Alex questioned, sitting down, "And what is with your eyes...it's not just you," and he pointed at Piermont, "It's all of you!"

Piermont opened his mouth to speak again, but Alex interrupted, "No use lying any longer."

"But Elliot..."

"Who gives a fuck what Elliot thinks! He's the one who's trying to destroy Alpha Company to begin with!"

"Alpha Company!" and this world's Alex seemed extremely alarmed, "You don't mean the...Terminator Militia...do you?"

"Aye," Piermont replied, "We're Alpha Company of the Terminator Militia...I thought we didn't exist here!"

"You don't...well, kinda...you see...I made up the story..."

Everybody fell silent, Alpha Company staring at the young boy. Finally, Terrias spoke, "Well...this is awkward!"

This world's Alex sat down, stunned, in disbelief, "I...I can't believe you are...you are _real_!"

"Eh...should we leave?" Piermont said, "Before this gets _any _worse?"

"Nonsense!" Commander Alex said, "Maybe my...doppelganger...can help us establish a foothold here."

One by one, the other students boarded the bus, ensuring they dropped a few snide remarks Alpha Company's way. "This sucks..." Terrias began, "The laughingstock of society! Methinks I like our little hellhole better, at least New Alexandria respected us!"

"New Alexandria is real, too?" Alex said, astounded.

"Of course!" Commander Alex replied, "I'm almost positive that everything you have ever thought of concerning us is very real."

"I can't believe it...can you show me your _true _forms?"

"Eh..." everybody else said, nervous and unsure how to reply.

"Maybe if we got ourselves more privacy..." Spyro replied.

"Yeah..." Rainbow Dash added.

"Okay, so I know _most _of you...who are _you _guys?" and Alex pointed to Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Spike, and Twilight Sparkle.

Commander Alex nervously laughed, "Funny story, actually...you see..."

"They're _My Little Ponies_," Piermont interrupted, arms crossed and nodding, "Yeah, I know, fucked up right?"

"I don't like MLP...I ain't a brony..." Alex said.

The forest dragon laughed, "Oh, son...apparently you will be soon. Our little Commander here thought the same damn thing, and now he's mated to Rainbow Dash!"

"Wait...mated? As in..."

"Oh yeah," Piermont nodded, "They fucked, bedded, got tail, mated, got laid, had sex, made love, pleasured, slept with, pleased, spent the night, hit a home run, pounded, made babies, committed adultery, fornicated, had sexual relations, had intercourse, had coitus, went 'all the way', penetrated, violated, banged, boned each other, nailed each other, danced the tube-stake. Don't matter how you put it, he put his dingaling in her kitty cat."

Commander Alex and Dash both glared at Piermont, who struggled not to laugh.

"What?" Piermont asked, "I'm only telling the truth!"

"Em...fucking...barrassing!" Commander Alex groaned, and this world's Alex just shook his head.

"Hey, at least I'm not talking about you and Spyro..."

"SHUT IT!" both Commander Alex and Spyro yelled in unison.

"What? You mean the whole sucky-sucky thing?" Alex queried.

Both the Commander and his second-in-command glared at this world's counterpart of the Great Commander, "Yes. We mean the whole '_sucky-sucky thing_'."

"This may sound awkward...but what was it like?"

"Horrific..." both said in unison.

"So...then you've banged Cynder as well?"

"What a question! But yes..." Commander Alex murmured, "I did."

"And it was..."

"Totally, completely, amazing..." Cynder said, winking at the Commander. Spyro only shook his head, grinning, embarrassed.

"What she said," Commander Alex replied.

"Lucky...what I wouldn't give to..."

"DON'T...finish that sentence..." Cynder interrupted, "Please..."

"So then what are you doing in this world?"

"Some kind of weird time-warp thingamajig," Piermont began, scratching the back of his head, "Don't know what the hell it is, all I know is we came through it and _voila_! Here we are. Our mission is pretty damn simple, maintain a low profile, and build an alternate headquarters here...our world is...kinda in the middle of a big-ass war right now...and the _Maxia_-that's the president's, who, for my safety as well as my companions, I'm not going to say the name, secret army-have really fucked shit up. Not to mention, every goddamn day is a fight to survive, and, frankly, we like a little vacation every once in awhile, as well as to head somewhere except for staying locked up in the middle of a city thrust in damn near permanent night."

"What he means is that we would like to have a little change in scenery every once in awhile," Terrias replied with a nod.

"Ah," Alex said, "So you are..."

"Captain Terrias...at your service. Here? I'm called Glen."

"...Glen?"

"As in Glen Quagmire! _Giggity giggity giggity goo_!" Piermont said in a perfect copy of the infamous cartoon character's voice.

"Oh...like in _Family Guy_?"

"Yeah," Sonic said, inspecting his nails, "Like in _Family Guy_...funny ass show right there I don't care who ya are."

"Agreed. So..." and this world's Alex turned to face Rainbow Dash, "Am I really a brony in the future?"

"Couldn't tell ya..." the human-form Pegasus replied, "But yes, the Great Commander _is_, in fact, mated to me..." and she murmured beneath her breath, "Even if he isn't willing to accept it."

"So...where are you guys staying?"

Commander Alex shrugged, "We make camp out in the pastures north of town."

"Well..._maybe _I can arrange for you guys to stay with me tonight...hiding forty-something people might be a...bit of a challenge to explain to my parents...but still, I can try?"

"Be my guest...just so long as _your_ parents don't recognize _me _as _their _son."

"Maybe, maybe not...but I guess there is ways around it, so that it can be explained."

"Pfft, I wish you luck then."

"You would _at least _be able to stay with us until tomorrow, when we're gonna be in Chicago for three days...you are going, aren't you?"

"But of course!" Piermont replied, the others of Alpha Company nodding in agreement, "We wouldn't miss it for the world! Plus," and he balled his hands together, adopting a mad grin, "It gives us an excuse to scout out places for our new headquarters...mwuhahahahahaha!"

Commander Alex painfully elbowed his dragon's ribs, to which Piermont exclaimed in pain, frowning unhappily as he rubbed his sore side.

"Enough!" Commander Alex hissed.

"What the fuck was _that _for?" Piermont said, sounding near tears, "That hurt like a motherfucker!"

The rest of the day was uneventful, and when Alex took Alpha Company home to his parents, they were full of questions, but Commander Alex managed to avoid most of them. He also found it difficult to do much, as this world's version of his parents weren't very trusting of strangers, which made sense...except that Alpha Company was now on the stranger side of their viewpoint. At least they had a family-sized camping tent that was pitched in the backyard, and Alpha Company was allowed to sleep in there that night. It turned out that Commander Alex and Rainbow Dash were the last ones to go to sleep, both were quite excited for the trip that was scheduled to occur that next morning, and both found it hard to sleep. So, they instead sat on the swings together, gently swinging in the hot night as they looked up at the stars. The back porch light of the house, as well as the street lamp, had gone out, so they were faced with endless amounts of stars. "It's beautiful..." Dash commented, "I've never seen so many stars before."

"The curse of living in the city," Commander Alex replied, "The city lights obscure the stars from view...it's even worse over in New Alexandria...we haven't seen the sun, the moon, or any stars since we put up the _Fiernes Curtain_. As you've seen, it sometimes gets a little brighter during the day, but the skies are usually a deep dark maroon during the day, and pitch black at night.

"Hey, Alex? Can I ask you something, and not get a smart reply or anything?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"About our...relationship...I know you don't want to admit it...but please hear me out."

"I'm listening..."

"Is there any remote chance that you would think we would mate again?"

"Maybe someday."

"Ah..."

"Well," and he stood, stretching, "I'm finally starting to get tired...goodnight Rainbow Dash."

"Yeah...goodnight." and she watched him leave.

Still sitting down on the swings, she decided to relieve her sexual tension, and once she was satisfied, she climbed into the tent, curling up beside her reluctant mate as she fell asleep.

The next morning, they awoke very early and immediately began getting ready for the trip. After everything was prepared, they set off to the high school, being the first ones to arrive. They were allowed inside the building, and they sat around, resting until the others began to arrive, and less than an hour later, they were ready to leave. After everyone had boarded the bus and it began to leave, the Terminator Militia, sitting in the back of the bus, chatted amongst themselves, oblivious to Wesley who eyed them from across the bus.

"You guys better be careful," Alex said, walking over to them and hesitantly sitting down beside Spyro and Terrias, "Wheezy is suspicious of you guys."

"We know," Commander Alex replied, "Let him wonder who we are, I don't give a rat's ass."

"I thought you were wanting to stay under the radar?"

"We do...and we are," and the Commander grinned, "One sorry bastard spying on our every move doesn't classify as blowing our cover. In _our _reality, Wheezy is notorious for exaggerating on things, and being the quote 'boy who cried wolf'."

"Yeah...same here."

"Then we don't have a problem! He might call us soldiers and warriors, fuck, he could call us rapists and terrorists, nobody's gonna believe him will they?"

"No...the other kids think you are weird, true, but I don't think they see any dangers around you."

"_That's_ a mistake," Piermont replied, swiftly removing a can of snuff from his pocket as he placed a wad of chewing tobacco into his mouth.

"You _are _aware that's illegal here?" Alex said, sounding worried.

"I don't give a fuck! I smoke, and I've had to get used to using chew as a substitute, especially since our college allows chewing, but not smoking. Yeah, go figure."

"You at least have a spittoon?"

"Of course!" and Piermont revealed an empty Mountain Dew bottle, spitting into it.

"Disgusting. That's worse for you than smoking!"

"But it's so, so good for my cancer!"

"Pierre?"

"Yeah, Commander Alexis?"

"Shut up."

"Fuck you!"

"I love you, too."

Two hours later, they were still on the road. Everybody on the bus, save Alpha Company, this world's Alex, Wesley-who still spied on the group in the back-and the bus driver were asleep. Rainbow Dash, sitting next to Commander Alex, was nodding off, her head resting on his shoulder, and he paid no heed. The Commander sat, guitar in hand, as he idly strummed _The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim_'s'_Out of the Cold_'. After several more minutes, the bus slowed to a stop in a rest area, and everyone on the bus climbed out to stretch their legs. Wesley pulled the Commander aside, despite his protests.

"I know who you are!" he hissed, "Somehow, you are Alex, I just know it!"

The Commander raised an eyebrow, "I think you are a little fucked up in the head, boy."

"I'm watching you!"

"Creepy pedophile!"

"You fuck up and make one little mistake, and I will expose you for the frauds you are!"

"Bite my shiny metal ass!" and the Commander shoved him away, rejoining his bemused clique.

A few minutes later, the buses took off again, continuing towards Chicago, everyone, fresh from their break and wide awake once more, chatted amongst themselves, while Alpha Company remained silent and the Commander, relaxing and meditating, tried to forget Crash's death. Unfortunately, other haunting memories filled his mind, and he blinked as memories of his traumatic experience with Terrias during the Siege of New York, as well as fragments of memories of Terrias' brutal stabbing and the bombing of the town center in Champaign where only he and Spyro survived out of their five hundred men, flooded his mind, and he rubbed his eyes and forehead of sweat. "Hey..." Spyro began, sitting next to him, "You okay, Alex?"

"I'm fine, Spyro...just...had a hot flash."

Terrias, sitting across from them, suddenly turned to face his mentor, "Was it New York again?"

The Commander nodded, "Yes...unfortunately, that and a few other things..."

"I know the feeling...it comes whenever my mind isn't occupied with something else..."

"It would be very bad to go into a fleshed out flashback here...especially with _you know who _trying to expose us."

"Well..." Spyro shrugged, "If you think you're gonna lose it...let us know and we'll keep you out of sight from any suspicious people."

"I appreciate the offer, Spyro...I just hope my fears don't come into fruition."

"Same here...just in case, when we arrive, we'll wait a while until we go on the hunt. At least you have the privacy of your hotel room to completely lose your mind."

"Thanks...that means a lot," and the Commander forced a grim smile.

"Hey..." and Rainbow Dash moved up the line. Spyro stood back, allowing her entry, and she climbed into the seat next to her mate, "It's okay..." she replied, hugging him, and he looked away, embarrassed.

An hour later, they stopped at another rest stop, and once more, Wesley confronted them. This time, Commander Alex walked back onto the empty bus, even as Wheezy chased him down, demanding to know who he really was. "You want to know who _I _am?" Commander Alex hissed.

"Tell me!"

"I'll show you," and the Commander smiled maliciously as he revealed his shining dual swords.

"What...?"

"I am the Great Commander Alex Vaughn of the Terminator Militia, soldier here on assignment to find a safer home for my army, since ours is torn by war from an evil president and his secret army of twisted, fucked up US soldiers. My suggestion? Don't cross me or any of my men, else you might find this blade through your throat, _comprende_?"

"That's bullshit."

"I suggest you shut up, Mister Allison...he tells the truth," Spyro said, approaching as he folded up his sunglasses, revealing his amethyst eyes, eerie on his human face.

"Who are you!?"

And Spyro transformed, as well as Terrias, Cynder, Spike, and Aria. Cynder looked braced to attack, and the bipedal troops held swords, preparing to attack.

"WHAT?" he exclaimed, jumping back. "Sp...Spyro the dragon?"

"In the flesh, _hombre_, now, I suggest you stop pestering my commander, or _I _will personally rip your throat from your body. Trust me, I've killed hundreds of people since I joined this army...I'm not afraid to drop one more body."

"You see..." the Commander began walking around, and Wesley turned at a sound behind him, revealing Sonic, Rapid, Tails, and Knuckles, all who had AK47s, fully cocked and loaded. Seeing he was surrounded by armed soldiers, he raised his hands and carefully knelt onto his knees. "Every single one of us, is a soldier of the Terminator Militia, specifically, the legendary Alpha Company, who are the highest of the highest in terms of ranks. I am the founder and supreme commander of this army, but we're all in this together...and my friends would be more than willing to off you for your annoyance. They are merely waiting for my signal."

"Soldiers..."

"Yes, we are soldiers."

"Hey, Commander! What would you like to eat at Sub..." this world's Alex said, running up onto the bus steps. Immediately, Sonic and the others of his quartet transformed, quickly breaking down their weapons and hiding them. Alex froze in place, mouth agape, once he saw, the Commander standing, swords drawn, with a natural-form Terrias, Spyro, Cynder, Spike, and Aria around him, said, "Whoa...you really are..."

Spyro nodded, "We told you."

"Terrias, Spyro, Cynder, and Aria..." Alex recited, "Who are you, little guy?"

"Little? I'll show you little!" Spike roared, green eyes narrowed unhappily at the insult.

"This is Spike..." Twilight interrupted, "My apprentice."

"Oh, so _you _are with the ponies then?"

"Yes he is...rescued after the Battle of Installation 07," the Commander replied, sheathing his swords as he strolled around the back of the bus, leaping at Wesley and causing him to jump back and cry out in fear. The Commander stopped himself, laughing heartily as he kicked the bottom of the boy's shoe.

"Installation 07? You mean, like the _Halo _array?"

"Precisely what it is."

"Wow...so New Alexandria..."

"Yes," Terrias replied.

"And the Ring?"

"Aye," Spyro nodded.

"Oh my God...you gotta take me there! It's paradise!"

"That's not paradise, my friend..." Spyro said, walking up to the boy and looking at him sympathetically, "It's hell."

"Nonsense! I've dreamed that I could actually go to New Alexandria and meet you guys!"

"It's not that easy, I'm afraid."

Alex extended a hand, "Mind if I-?"

Spyro playfully rolled his eyes and nodded, "Yes..."

The expression on his face was like a kid in a candy store as he petted Spyro's back and flank, "So weird..."

"Never seen a dragon before?" Cynder asked, teal eyes alight with amusement as she grinned widely.

"No..."

"So, I assume you still have some creepy sexual fetish with methen?"

"Uh...I didn't say that!"

"Cynder, the hell are you doing _now_, girl?" Spyro asked, laughing, "Forgive my mate," he said, turning to face the startled boy, "She's always horny as a motherfucker."

"Ha...yeah..."

"Please don't start boning each other!" Wesley exclaimed, voice shaking, "I don't what to see it!"

"I'll show you something just as sweet," Cynder began, grinning maliciously. Both Wesley and Alex looked confused, and she turned around, seductively flipping up her tail and rear in the process, showing off what she had.

Alpha Company broke out in laughter, and Alex's eyes widened as Wheezy nearly passed out in disgust.

"Holy...horny..." Alex exclaimed, eyes wide.

"I'll take that as a yes," the Commander replied, stretching out on the backseat. "Careful Cynder, he'll want to tap that shit now."

"Wha-?" this world's Alex began, at a loss for words.

"I know," the dragoness nodded, climbing onto the Commander's lap and stretching out like a cat getting comfortable. She rubbed her head against his side, purring, and gently rocked forward, as if wiping her natural musk on his pants leg to mark her territory. Her spike in excitement at the show of exhibitionism transferred over to the others in Alpha Company, and one by one, they all tried to shelter their excitement.

"Oh God!" Wesley cried, hiding his eyes, "The fuck is _wrong _with you!"

"We share thoughts, feelings, pain, and the most extreme of emotions," Terrias began, "Fury, Ecstasy, Depression, Passion, and Lust."

"So she gets horny off of showing off her pussy, and you ALL get horny as well?"

"Ayup," the Commander nodded, idly caressing the sleepy Cynder's back and flank. Her scaly body, very soft under his touch, vibrated with her purring, and was hot, almost feverish, to the touch, a clear sign of her apparent arousal. There was also a certain scent, the odor of arousal, of a female in heat, that surrounded her as well like an aura, it was all that Spyro, who had returned to his seat beside them, could do to keep from instinctively pouncing her and mounting.

"Seriously, Cynder," the purple dragon began, trembling as he struggled to restrain himself and his natural urges, "Turn down the heat and the emissions, girl, you're killing me over here!"

The dragoness chuckled, "Sorry," and Commander Alex slowly began to feel the heat die down as her purring stopped and she relaxed, flipping onto her back and pawing the air, acting like a kitten. Her heavy tail slapped at the Commander's shoulder and arm, and he rolled his eyes as he scratched her bright red belly scales. _Lower_, she thought to the Commander.

_What? Why?_

_Spyro, _she said, _I'm...kinda too far along..._

_Great..._ he groaned, and he transformed back into his human form, walking off the bus and into the restaurant adjacent to the rest stop.

"We're gonna get some breakfast as well," Piermont said, and the others of Alpha Company walked off of the bus and to the restaurant. Alex and Wesley left as well, and soon, only Commander Alex and Cynder remained.

"Dammit, Cynder..." the Commander said, playfully rolling his eyes.

"C'mon! I'm almost there!"

"Fine..." and he caressed her belly, gingerly stroking and twisting each one of her rock-hard nipples and down to the swollen, moist spot between her rear legs. His fingers entered her, and he was briefly alarmed by the intense heat and moistness of her, as well as the extreme tightness as she began to involuntarily milk at his intruding fingers

"Might want to hurry..."

"Yeah, yeah..." and he quickly brought her to a silent climax.

"Thank you, Teacher," she said in a childlike voice, and she chuckled as she sat up, stretching and transforming back into her human form, sitting comfortably beside him, head on his shoulder.

"The funtime over yet?" Spyro yelled, knocking on the emergency door between the two back seats. The Commander knocked back, nodding, and Spyro yelled, "Finally!" before walking around and reentering the bus, taking his seat across from them. "God..." he said, shaking his head and scrunching his nose, "The smell of arousal is _still _thick back here!"

"It shouldn't be as strong should it?" Cynder asked, sounding worried now.

"Not strong enough to cause me to go all apeshit at least."

"Good..." and she sighed, "What about you, Alex? Can _you _still smell it?"

"A little bit, but only because you're sitting right next to me. I doubt that anybody else will really notice it, save those with sensitive noses, and maybe whoever sits in the seats directly in front of us. Unfortunately, now _I _smell like it...and I may need to wash my hands."

"You know how _we _dragons wash our hands, right?"

"I'm well aware," and he shook his head again as she sucked his fingers.

Spyro, feigning a smile as people began to flood onto the bus again, abruptly kicked both the Commander and Cynder in the legs, causing them both to stiffen and sit straight up again. Cynder sat up, crossing her hands in front of her and smiling like an innocent girl, and the Commander brought down his ball cap over his eyes, slouching in his seat and crossing his arms, trying to fall asleep. Terrias, Aria, and Rainbow Dash took the seat directly in front of them, and the male servine sniffed the air, saying, "Jesus! It smells like a fucking whorehouse back here!"

"Fuck you, Snake!" Skorpion hissed, plopping down into the seat across from the trio, he too sniffed the air, and said, "Holy moley! I smell dragoness in heat...that you, Cynder?"

"Shut up, Negro," Cynder replied.

"Oi! Fuckin' racist! You're black, too!"

"That's the point," and Cynder grinned victoriously.

Schakri sniffed the air again, "_Dayum _girl! That's some fine quality dragoness fragrance right there! Can _I _get some of that?"

"Aww...you just missed the opportunity," and Cynder stuck out her bottom lip, feigning a pout, "Alex here already tapped me dry."

"Goddamn, late as always...I need to stop getting the giggity on with McDonald's overcooked, rubbery hamburgers and start hunting for fresh meat...or at least...freshly _used _meat. Maybe I'll start on crack to up my speed, up my booze content to make every ugly-ass fat virgin on the planet look sexy as hell, then start on pot to forget that those fat-bottomed girls I bicycled ever existed!"

"Quiet, Retard," Spyro groaned.

"Heeheehee, FUCK YOU _PURPLE FAGGOT!_"

"Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go 'round!" Terrias began to sing.

"Quiet, Snake," Schakri replied, cleaning his teeth with his switchblade.

Silence fell between them for a few moments, then Terrias began to sing again, "Bicycle! Bicycle! I want to ride my bi_cycle_, I want to ride my bike!"

"Shut it, Snake!"

Silence fell between them again, and after a few moments, both Terrias and Schakri broke out in song, Terrias singing backup and Schakri singing Freddie Mercury, "_We _are the champions! My friends! And we'll keep on fightin' to the end! 'Cause we are the champions! We are the champions! Ootza! Palootza! 'Cause we are the champions of the world!"

Minutes later, the bus driver took the wheel again, and the bus took off, heading towards Chicago, still an hour out. As the Commander slept, he once more dreamed of Rainbow Dash, her identity no longer forgotten, as with the dreams...only in these, she was heartbroken, sobbing by herself at the banks of a river, for some reason, in her human form and wearing a white wedding gown, covered in mud and wet clay. Alex sat beside her, trying to comfort her, but she didn't hear him...didn't see him...didn't address his existence. Confused, he looked into the river, and was alarmed to see Crash's reflection looking back at him, eyes burning hotly with a furious glare, face speckled in dried blood, "Look what you've done!" he roared at the Commander. "LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!"

"_CRASH__!_" and Alex fell back in alarm, pawing the ground as he tried to crawl away from the apparition. Crash's orange-furred hand, dripping wet and soaked, grabbed the soft clay of the bank, and the bandicoot, dripping wet, with a massive hole through his heart, one that Alex could see all the way through, climbed out. Alex's gaze was divided between the clean hole through his friend's chest, and the furious glare of hatred in his eyes, and the bandicoot stepped towards him, bloody officer's uniform in tatters and rags, mud, clay, and algae dripping off of his matted fur.

"Look at what you've done!"

"I didn't do anything to you!"

"LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!"

"Alex!" and the Commander shot up, panting heavily. He abruptly turned in his seat, spying Cynder looking at him with a worried look, "You were twisting and turning...are you okay?"

He nodded, "Just...just a nightmare...that's all."

"Well...now that you are awake..." Terrias began, looking over the seat and at the Commander, "Take a look outside..."

Commander Alex did and watched as Chicago, looking unscathed and unharmed, rolled in around them.

"Looks mighty different from the Chicago _we _all know and love, huh Alex?"

"Ain't _that _the truth!"

The bus drove through the city, heading to the opposite side that looked out over Lake Michigan. "Okay," the teacher overseeing everything began, "We're almost to the hotel, I want you guys to act professional and considerate, you are representing the school here. Once we get there, we will have lunch, and then we will all go together as a class to the play, understood?"

Groans erupted from the crowd, and Rainbow Dash turned to face the Commander, "We're not gonna follow them are we?"

"Of course not!" and the military leader grinned, "We're collegians, not high schoolers, we'll go when we want to go."

"Won't that crazy bitch try to make sure we're all here?"

"Odds are, we didn't make the roster, send up a few of our guys, and they won't know there's others missing."

"What if they do?"

"If worse comes to worse," Spyro interrupted, "We'll just go with them, then teleport back here once the play begins, and teleport back _there _after a couple of hours."

"That could work..." Rainbow Dash shrugged, "I don't feel like sitting through some random play anyway."

"I think they're gonna see _A Midsummer's Night Dream_, it _was _a good play when we saw it, I'm just not in the mood to see it again," and the Commander shrugged.

"Besides," Terrias began, "We need to head on out and explore the city, our goal was to search for a new headquarters, not to enjoy medieval theater."

They arrived at the hotel and settled themselves, and after lunch they were quickly herded up and shepherded back onto the bus where roll call was made before the bus left, heading towards Navy Pier, and the Shakespeare Theater. They drove through the heart of the city, and while the rest of the kids were restless and entertaining themselves by picking on their fellow peers, Alpha Company was looking out the windows, constantly scanning all of their surroundings as they searched for a suitable place to build their new headquarters.

"Is it bad that I can't look at the city and _not _think of our world?" Piermont asked.

"Not at all...same here," the Commander replied.

"Y'know..." Spyro began, "I kinda miss how things were before the _Maxia_...I just hope that it ends soon..."

"Someday it will," the Commander replied with a nod.

"Who else must fall before its over? And why do I get the impression that the Brotherhood is the new, evolved form of the _Maxia_?"

The Commander shrugged, "I don't know..."

"It's gonna be hard without Crash...before we came here, to this new world...to Beta World...I looked over to Crash's room...I can't believe he's gone..." Spyro said sadly.

"You think he'll come back?" Terrias asked, "Like Rapid and myself?"

"I don't know, Lieutenant, I don't know."

"Hey!" Spyro suddenly interrupted, "Look over there!"

Alpha Company looked out the window and towards where the purple dragon was pointing, an abandoned factory, surrounded by a twenty foot tall stone fence topped with barbed wire.

"I don't know about you," the dragon continued, "But that, to me, looks like a prime spot to establish a base of operations."

"Well done, Spyro!" the Commander replied, "Once we get to this damn play, we'll escape and check out the interior, if its good, I'll contact Elliot and we can send our boys down here tonight."

Several minutes later, they arrived at the underground parking lot of the pier, and the teacher overseeing the trip immediately began shepherding everyone out of the bus and into the theater. For an hour, they stood around, wasting time while they waited for the play to begin. Finally, one of the theaters employees led them on the tour through the theater, and once they entered the massive, dome-shaped auditorium, with four floors of seating around the room, and a stage that poked out into the audience like one of those fashion show walkways, Alpha Company began to shy away from the rest of the students. By the time the play began, they activated their invisibility as they slipped out of the theater and out into the chilly afternoon. In several flashes of light, they teleported away, startling the few guests that were in the park and appearing just inside the walls of the old factory. The Commander set to work on picking the lock, and once it was unlocked he quietly opened the squeaking steel door and entered the damp darkness.

"Smells like fuckin' mold," Piermont remarked, removing a flashlight from his pocket and turning it on, sweeping the beam across the room.

"I'm not surprised," Alex added, sweeping his own flashlight beam across the opposite side of the massive room, "Well...let's get to work!"

"What exactly are we looking for?" Terrias asked.

"Any structural weaknesses...or anything else that could hinder converting this into a base of operations," Spyro replied, "Plus, we're looking to see what is here exactly."

"I doubt the owners will be very happy if we steal this thing from under their noses..."

"We won't _steal _it!" Alex interrupted, "Once we clear it with Elliot, he'll contact the owner, pull some strings, cast some cash beneath the table, and _voila_! This building will be ours, and the owner will be sworn to secrecy."

"How will we keep him from talking?"

"Say it is a governmental affair, and that if he informs anybody about the sale, he'll be under arrest for treason and whatever else we decide to slam him with."

"But we have no authority to do that here..."

Alex chuckled, "I know."

"So you'd lie?"

"Hell yeah! And secrets are secrets...we'll bribe the utility companies and everybody else and issue the same threat...nobody will suspect what's going on, besides, this factory will remain here, our operations will occur inside, we can be efficient as well as stealthy."

"Elliot?" Alex called over his radio.

The general's voice returned, almost lost in static, "Status report?"

"We found our base, I'll send you the coordinates in a few minutes."

"Excellent, well done, Commander, I'll send out troops tonight."

They returned to the rest of their group right as the bus was about to leave, and as they rushed onto the bus, the teacher overseeing the field trip glared at them angrily, "You're late!" she hissed, "Take your seats!"

Piermont began to say something, but the Commander quickly covered his mouth as Alpha Company walked to the back of the bus. This world's Alex turned to face them, "Where have you guys been?" he asked.

"Preoccupied..." the Commander replied, "With our assigned mission."

Without another word, the bus took off, heading back to the hotel, as the sun in the sky began to sink to the west. They arrived a few minutes later, were given free reign in the hotel, and Alpha Company spent the remainder of the day in their room, relaxing while the Commander stood on the balcony overlooking the dark city. Distantly, he could hear the distinct sound of the drone of Terminator tank engines, and he could see several flashes of brilliant blue light in the distance. Opening the sliding glass door, Alex yelled inside, "Elliot's here!"

Alpha Company had been assigned in several suites across the top floor, but all stayed together in the Commander's suite, one he shared with Spyro, Piermont, and Terrias. "When do you think we should reveal our identities?" Cynder asked, "Obviously, we probably should soon, especially since we'll need people to lead our base here."

"Maybe..." the Commander replied.

"Well...I wish I could help you," this world's Alex said, overjoyed to be in the presence of everyone he had cared for, all in their natural forms, "But I can't even drive...and I don't have time to lead."

"Don't worry, I don't intend to leave you here," Spyro said, "I'm sure Elliot will send a contingent or two of our troops to run things here, and we'll start to recruit new members."

"What will you guys do tonight and for the rest of our stay? We're supposed to see a series of plays for this festival thing going on."

"Sounds fun!" Terrias replied with a grin, "I'm being sarcastic by the way."

"Yeah...I kinda figured that out. Lucky, you guys get to hang out and sleep together."

"Bah! It ain't as wonderful as you think," the Commander replied, limping over to them, cane in hand.

"So _you_ might think...my God, you guys are...well...kinda like my imaginary friends, y'know?"

"Well, if it will make you feel better, maybe Spyro and Cynder or Terrias and Aria will spend the night with you."

"Huh? The hell are you gonna do without us?" Spyro asked.

"I have...some things...I need to take care of tonight."

"What?"

The Commander looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was out on the balcony, excitedly observing the massive city surrounding her.

"Oh...I think I understand..."

"Yeah."

"What? Are you going to mate with her or something?" this world's Alex asked.

"Well that's not really your business is it?" the Commander asked.

"It is _my _body...isn't it?"

"_Touche_, but to be frank, you might not like the answer I'll give."

"That's disgusting..."

"I never said I would..."

"Well...it's...eh...time for me to go then."

After he had left, an awkward silence fell over the room, broken once Spyro said, "Well, THAT's a way to clear the room. I guess I need to find someplace else to stay for the evening."

"You don't _need _to."

"I'll leave you two alone..." and Spyro left, Cynder in tow. Once the room was cleared out, Alex looked over to where Rainbow Dash still stood on the balcony, and he sighed as he stood up, walking across the room and onto the balcony.

"Hey..." he began, standing beside the excited Pegasus.

"This is so freaking cool! I've never been to a city _this _big before!" and she laughed, "And I thought _Canterlot_ was huge!"

"Listen..." he began, "I have something to ask you..."

"What's up?"

"Well, it has been awhile since we...you know."

Her eyes widened and she turned to him, "You mean..."

"Yes I do..."

She embraced him tightly then, "Let's go!"

He allowed her to lead him through the bedroom and into the bathroom. He looked away, embarrassed at what he was about to do. She ran the water, and he slowly undressed himself, climbing into the shower with her.

"Thanks," she said, smiling widely.

"Yeah...you're welcome..." but he seemed distracted, and although she was unhappy that he still didn't want to accept that they were mated, she was at least happy that he was willing to mate with her again...she just hoped it wasn't the last, and she also hoped that maybe this time, their mating would ignite in him the spark of love and joy that she felt for him, so that maybe he would finally accept the truth, and they would be truly mates, not just 'friends with benefits'. This time, he gave Dash full control over what happened, and throughout the whole event, he tried to express happiness...but the thought and guilt of what he was doing was just too much for him, and he was more like a statue than anything. He remembered the first few times he mated with Cynder, it was odd...but he had secretly always had a strange fetish towards the black dragoness, and it wasn't as hard to overcome that realization than it was here...

She came first, nearly losing control as she finally brought him to climax. On the edge of pleasure, he once more realized he loved her, and he was truly happy to be with her, but as soon as that was over, that love diminished, and once more, he was embarrassed...and disgusted at himself...for wanting to do this in the first place. At least she received the pleasure she deserved.

After they had finished, he climbed into bed, and she climbed in beside him, curling up around him and using his chest as a pillow. He stroked her mane gently until he fell asleep, but she remained awake. _What is wrong with me_? she thought to herself, unhappy. _Am I just...am I doing something wrong? Why doesn't he love me back?_

Unhappy, she broke their embrace and fell asleep, her back to him.

Piermont, in his human form, stepped out of the shower, shaking his hair dry. His dog tags around his neck clanged in protest, and he held them together, keeping them quiet, as he tiptoed across the room where Cherub slept, towel wrapped around his waist, water dripping down his bare chest. He could sense that Spyro and Cynder were together again, same with Terrias and Aria, and now the strange, alien sensation of Alex and Rainbow Dash. He thought about the base, wanting to take his mind off of the sexual escapades going on within the militia, but not wanting the flood of thoughts concerning Crash to take over him. "Hey, Sweetie..." Cherub whispered, freezing him in his tracks.

He turned to face her, "Oh! Hello, Sexy!"

"Will you come to bed with me? Everybody else is going at it...and I feel really lonely.."

"How will this work? Not really much room for two dragons of our size..."

"Well...I was thinking that maybe you can stay in your human form...I can stay in my current dragon form..."

Piermont grinned, "_That'll _be a strange adventure!"

"C'mon now! I doubt your size differs _too _far from your sexy dragon self?"

"Well..."

"I've been wondering what it would be like to have a human inside of me...either that or we could go on a mating flight...we haven't done that recently."

"Hm..." and he pretended to ponder the two ideas, "I think I like the human-on-dragon thing."

"Then come on over here," and she laid seductively on her back, spreading her rear legs as she revealed herself to him, already prepared, "Come get some then..."

Early that next morning, Alex quietly slipped out of his suite, tiptoeing across the darkened hall and to the elevator. "Well, and I was afraid that _I _was the only one awake!" Piermont said from behind him, and the Commander turned to see Piermont, in his human form, with a wide grin on his face and his eyes alight with life, hug him tightly, "What a night, eh?"

"You slept with Cherub, didn't you?"

"You're damn right I did! How could you tell?"

"You're never this cheery or awake unless you got some tail the previous night."

"Oh...well...never thought about it that way...anyways, so how was your night with Rainbow Dash? She your mate yet?"

"Eh...no..."

Piermont then adopted a fierce demeanor, "You know, you really shouldn't treat her like that...we all know she's your mate, you're denying it to us...but I hope to God that you aren't at least denying it to _her_!"

"I'm not!" he lied.

"I hope not..."

"Morning everybody," Terrias said, suddenly appearing, "I'm surprised you are all up this early."

"We were all up late..." Piermont replied, "Some of us didn't even _go _to sleep!"

"If you're referring to the fact that our girls all got lucky last night, then yes...by the way, where's Spyro?"

Piermont chuckled, and said in a mocking tone, like that used to little babies, "Little purple novice got all tuckered out from sex."

"Ouch..." Terrias replied.

"He's just fucking around with you, Terrias. Spyro and Cynder mate nearly every night, so sex is just a routine. Obviously, they still need sleep, so they have managed to condition themselves to get a full night's rest after sex, no surprise they're asleep right now. The rest of us enjoy a little...tail...about once every few weeks to a month, we haven't conditioned ourselves yet."

"Since when did _you _become an expert on sexual behavior, Alex?" Piermont asked in mock amusement.

"Since my friends and brothers-in-arms started their constant sexscapades."

"And that started with...?"

"You and Cherub, Pierre...if memory serves correctly."

The dragon, who had adopted an arrogant smirk, suddenly sobered, obviously, the answer was not what he was expecting. "You sure about that?"

"I'm pretty damn sure."

"What about Simba and Nala or Kovu and Kiara?"

"Both couples were too young when you and Cherub decided to mate. Crash is and will forever be a virgin now, Jazz died before he was even able to tap someone, Sonic thinks he's too cool for chicks, Tails wasn't with Cosmo until about two or three years ago, same with Knuckles and Tikal. Then came you. Rapid is single and a virgin, Cherub joined and you guys banged a year or two later, Prancy's a virgin, Cheet _was _a virgin until last January...remember that little adventure he had to undergo before he realized Keisha's intentions? I don't think Rudy or Clarice have done anything yet. Shadow is emo, he don't give a crap about chicks, Spyro and Cynder were the next couple, but they joined in '08, a year and a half after your son was born, Bleu is still too damn young to mate, Ember hasn't done shit save for Spyro, and that is a recent endeavor, about the same time as me and Cynder, Sarah won't touch me until we're married, Skorpion and Charra joined way after you and Cherub mated, same with Terrias and Aria, Spike's single, then came me and Dashie, Twilight is single, and Applejack is single. So yes, Piermont, you were the first one of Alpha Company to get laid."

"Hot damn...oh, and HA! You admitted to nailing Dashie!" he sang like a bully at a school playground, and he snorted.

"_Apparently _you knew the truth already."

"I was fuckin' with yo head, Jack."

"Quiet before I kick your ass."

"Fuck you, Cracker!"

"Kiss my ass, Greenie."

Piermont laughed. "Greenie? That's the only insult you got? Boy, you suck."

"I might...but at least I don't suck as much dong as _you _do."

"Hey! Hey! Don't you even go there, _amigo_! _You_'re the one who went all sucky-sucky on Spyro, not me."

"_ONE _little incident with pleasuring a male does not make a man gay! Especially when held at gunpoint..."

"...By two gay males who can't even touch the ground for fear of breaking a nail? Man, that's pathetic. Besides, it's gay in my book, _amigo_."

Alex narrowed his eyes in anger.

"Oh don't hurt me, I'm as fragile as glass! Oh ho ho!" the dragon said, pawing the air like a homosexual man, pulling off an amazingly homosexual voice, much like the one used by the homosexual neighbors on _American Dad!_, or Jasper from _Family Guy_.

"Why are you so sparkly?" Terrias asked, chuckling.

"Ooh! _Thparklyyyy!_"

"Seriously, Dude," Alex began, "That scares the shit outta me."

"_Ooh la la_! Can I taste some of that? Oh ho ho!" and he covered his mouth with the palm of his hand, "Oh, pardon me. I can get _soooo _dirty sometimes, I crack myself up," and he laughed.

Alex placed his head in his palm, rubbing his temples with his thumb and forefinger, "Christ, Pierre..."

"The boy ain't right..." Terrias said, shaking his head, his voice sounding just like Hank Hill's from the old cartoon _King of the Hill_.

"Well," he began, still in that horrifically perfect tone, covering his mouth with his hand, "They don't call me '_Pierre_' for nothing!"

Terrias then hunched over, twisting his face as he spoke in a high pitched, elderly tone, a clear whistle to his vowels, sounding amazingly like Herbert the Pervert from _Family Guy_, "Why don't you come here a second, Chris, I've got a Popsicle in my pocket."

"Oh! Well that's just funderful!" Piermont replied in his homosexual voice. He then walked up to Terrias, reaching into the hunched servine's pocket.

Terrias' face adopted a look of joy, and he closed his eyes with a smile. Still in Herbert's voice, he said, "Oh that's nice..._mmmmmmmmm_."

Piermont chuckled, still in that tone, he whispered, "_Ewww_! It's so _squishy_!"

"It might be a bit melted...just a little faster now, Chris. _Mmmmm_!" he then began to sing in Herbert's voice, high-pitched, "You know it's you, Babe! Whenever I get weary and I've had enough...feel like giving up! You know it's you, Babe, givin' me the courage and the strength I need! Please believe that it's true...Babe I love you!"

Alex's head was still in his hand, and he rubbed his temples even harder now, shaking his head, "Oh God...scarred for life."

"Yo, peoples, what's haps? Geh! HOLY SHI-!" Schakri began before Alex sped over to him, covering his mouth. He finished his sentence, his voice now muffled before he growled, eying the Commander angrily.

"Quiet!" the Commander hissed, "You'll wake everybody up!"

The black dragon growled again before clamping his razor-sharp fangs down on Alex's hand. The Commander hissed and swore, shaking his hand as blue sparks danced along the red pinpricks, closing them up again. "Oh my God!" Skorpion replied, eyes bugged and mouth agape once Alex had removed his hand, "I've seen a lot of fucked up shit in my day...but _dayum_!This takes the cake!"

"Oh hi there little black boy, wanna Popsicle?" Terrias continued, still in Herbert's voice.

"Scarred for life, yet?" Alex asked Skorpion.

Eyes still bugged, mouth wide open, Schakri slowly nodded, "Uh huh," and in a schoolgirl's voice, he recited, "I will never think of the snake and the green draggy the same way ever again..."

As Piermont removed his hand, seductively licking his palm and sucking his fingers, Terrias crawled close to him, singing in his face, still in Herbert's high-pitched, soft voice, "Restless hearts, sleep alone tonight. Sendin' all my love, 'long the wire. They say that the road ain't no place to start a family. Right down the line's between you and me! Lovin' a music man ain't all it starts to be. Oh, Girl, you stand by me! I'm forever yours, faithfully!"

Piermont sang to him next, still in his gay voice, "Circus life...under the big-top world, we all need the clowns to make us laugh. Through space and time, always another show. Wonderin' where I am, lost without you. And being apart ain't easy on this love affair! Two strangers learn to fall in love again! I get the joy of rediscovering you! Oh, Girl, you stand by me! I'm forever yours, faithfully!"

They sang the end together, and Alex only sighed and turned away.

Terrias, now speaking in a normal tone of voice, called back, "What's wrong? Too much? Here's another one for ya!" the servine's voice then returned to Herbert's, and he sped over to Alex, standing in front of him and blocking his path as he sang, "When you make love, do you look in the mirror? Who do you think of? Does he look like me? Do you tell lies and say that it's forever? Do you think twice, or just touch and see? Ooh babe! Okay!"

Piermont joined in, "When you are alone, do you let go? Are you wild and willing? Or is it just for show? Ooh c'mon!"

Both the dragon and the servine sang together now, resting their heads on each others shoulders as they sang, "I don't wanna touch you too much, Baby! 'Cause makin' love to you might drive me crazy! I know you think that love is the way you make it...so I don't wanna be there when you decide to break it, no! Love bites! Love bleeds! It's bringin' me to my knees! Love bleeds! Love dies! It's no surprise! Love begs! Love pleads! It's what I need!"

"Way to go..." Alex groaned, shaking his head, hands in his pockets, unfazed, "You succeeded in creeping me out even further _and _destroying two of my favorite songs."

Alex, Piermont, and Terrias stepped onto the balcony as Piermont extended his wings, and in several powerful flaps, took to the skies. "Kinda weird..." the servine began, sitting behind Alex.

"What is?" Alex asked.

"Riding on Piermont..."

"Giggity..." Piermont said beneath his breath, then he called over the wind, "Nah! You're family, I'm not complaining, trust me, there's nothing to be worried about. If I didn't want you on here...you would know."

Piermont flew through the early, predawn skies, pulling off corkscrews, barrel-rolls, and loop-the-loops, showing off his agility. "I've never had so much fun before!" Terrias exclaimed with a laugh, "Arian doesn't do any of this!"

"He's still young and inexperienced as a dragon with a rider," Piermont replied, "Don't worry, once he grows more comfortable and confident with his abilities, he'll start doing these same tricks. I'm only doing it now because I've been flying Alex, and even multiple passengers, barebacked, for years. Not to mention, this is one helluva adrenaline rush!"

"It truly is!"

"Now you see why Piermont and I just go on random flights sometimes?" Alex asked.

"Of course!" and he laughed again, "This is...this is awesome!"

"Tell me," the dragon continued, "Has Arian done this yet?" and Terrias' vision suddenly grew sharper and more intense, zooming in on spots as he could even make out thermal heat signatures, and everything was tinted a mossy green.

"What are you doing!?" Terrias asked, astounded, normal maroon eyes now a brilliant emerald.

"You are looking through my eyes, _amigo_."

"Arian hasn't done this either..."

"I'm not surprised. This was a trick that I actually had to do a bit of bonding with Alex before I discovered I could even do it. In fact, I discovered it by accident, so I wouldn't be surprised if Arian hasn't even realized he could do it yet."

Still seeing through Piermont's eyes, Terrias watched the dizzying effects as Piermont continued his complicated aerial tricks and maneuvers. "Whoa...easy there, Pierre. This is _really _nauseating."

"Alex?"

"I'm on it..." and Alex twisted in his seat, gently placing his palm against Terrias' chest as his hand glowed with an aqua aura. Terrias felt his nausea drain away, and Alex slightly winced.

"What...the hell did you just do, Alex?"

"We call it the 'Pain-Puppet', we also use it for any of us who are in pain as well. Basically, I agreed to transfer some of your nausea to myself, therefore we share it, and you feel less effects from it. It's like having two cylinders or tubes adjacent to each other, connected by a hose leading out from the bottom of each one and both are full of water, normally, if you lift one higher than the other, the pressure will drain the higher one, causing it to flow into the lower cylinder and overflow it. You were the lower one, I was the higher one, I basically lowered the higher tube until it was level with the lower one, therefore evening out the pressure and preventing water from spilling out on either side."

"I didn't get a word of what you just said..."

"Don't worry about it. You weren't there for Chemistry or Physical Science over at Bismarck, so I don't expect you to understand. All that matters is that you feel better."

"I do...thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Yo, Terrias," Piermont began, "You might want to teach Arian some of these moves...they are _very _effective in avoiding aerial obstacles and dangers during aerial combat, plus, it's pretty damn stylish. Now, hold on!"

Piermont streamlined his body as they picked up speed, and he once more pulled off his aerial tricks, rotating until he was flying sideways. Beneath the dragon, his riders could see Piermont's mossy-colored belly reflecting off of the clean glass wall of the skyscraper mere feet beneath them. Piermont barrel-rolled back to normal, folding his wings as he dropped out of the sky, spreading them once more and speeding beneath a skywalk connecting two skyscrapers. "This is amazing!" Terrias screamed, hooting, "What a rush! I could get used to this!"

"Almost better than sex, am I right?"

"Hell yeah, Alex!"

"Now watch this!" Piermont roared, "One of my favorite tricks!" he shot straight as an arrow into the sky, arching as ice formed on the tips of his wings before dropping straight down like a stone, the ice shattering and raining down on them like tiny, glittering diamonds, glistening like liquid fire in the rising sun against the lavender sky. He spread his wings only partway, spinning into a pile driver as the displaced air around his wings formed visible lines shaped like strands of DNA. Tiny sparkles began around his muzzle, now almost punching through the air as they approached the speed of sound, spreading upwards across them, leaving a colorless, transparent outline of them in its wake. Once fully an outline, Piermont tucked in his wings again as they dove straight through the roof.

"LOOK OUT!" Terrias roared.

"Don't worry! We'll pass right through it like a ghost through a wall!" Piermont laughed, and sure enough, they did, soon finding themselves in the dark corridors and office rooms of a skyscraper. Piermont pulled off clean hairpin turns at each intersection, still going near the speed of sound, but amazingly pulling off sharp immediate turns without breaking speed or clumsily punching through the walls. Each impossibly sharp turn caused Terrias' stomach to lurch, and he felt one of Alex's hands touch his arms, which were around the Commander's waist, as Alex once more pulled off the 'pain-puppet' ability and Terrias felt his nausea dissipate.

Piermont flew down a flight of stairs, nearly bowling over a night watchman who was rushing to finish his final patrol before the day began. Piermont sped through this floor as well, as well as the next twenty floors until he finally emerged in the large lobby. He pulled off several helices before launching through the glass, rotating doors of the building and back onto the street. The sparkles reappeared, once more enveloping them, only this time, the sparkles left the dragon and his riders' solid forms in their wake.

Now, the dragon sped through the streets of Chicago, turning every few intersections as he circled back to the hotel. The sunrise was nearly complete when something roused Alex from his adrenaline high. "Choppers?" he thought, and he abruptly twisted back to see three spotlights down the street, shining off of the glass sides and walls of the buildings. "Oh no...PIERMONT!" Alex roared, "COPS!"

"What?" and the dragon turned, eyes widening as he saw the police helicopters, searching for them, "Oh shit!" he hissed, "Hold on!" and he increased his speed once more, finally breaking the sound barrier and causing car alarms all down the street to blare. His sonic boom only attracted attention from the pursuing police, and now they were hot on his tail.

He turned left at the next T-intersection, flying towards the distant Lake Michigan. After only about a minute, he shot out of the skyline, flying high above the lake as he turned towards Navy Pier. The police choppers emerged from the city a few minutes later, and Piermont dove lower, leveling mere feet above the water, so close that his riders could feel the cold water, now torrential due to the high winds generated from his immense speed, splash on their faces. Alex's hands began to slip on Piermont's spine, slippery from the misty spray that now covered Piermont in water droplets, as well as made him shine in the sun, as if he was made of thousands of small emeralds. He shot over Navy Pier and the Shakespeare Theater, standing straight as he dropped down from the speed of sound to zero in less time than it took to blink an eye, sending Alex painfully into his dragon's spine. The sound of cracking glass added to a sudden flare of heat in his chest as the wind was knocked out of him. The harsh winds generated from Piermont continued on for several hundred yards before finally dissipating and all three glowed blue as broken bones and whiplash from the sudden and dangerous decrease in speed healed.

Piermont, becoming ghostlike again, folded his wings and dropped through Navy Pier's atrium, landing amidst the trees and bushes as he quickly and clumsily advanced to the deepest, densest part of the atrium. Alex and Terrias leaped off, quickly covering Piermont in leaves and branches as they heard several men screaming and running around inside the mall-like shopping center on the floor below them. Flashlights shined off of the trees, and Piermont shook himself dry as his two riders crawled under his raised wing and against his warm side. Tucking his tail and head beneath his translucent wings, he closed them, pressing them tightly against his body.

Silence filled the room, alarming silence, "Stay quiet," he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. All three's hearts raced and pounded in their ears, and Alex feared that their pursuers could hear them. Through his dragon's translucent wing membranes, Alex could see LED flashlights shining through, showing off each rib, vein, and artery in a silhouette. "Shh..." Piermont shushed, struggling to control his rapid breathing. Amazingly, all three managed to slow their breathing, and terrified, they waited as the lights panned across them several times, and they listened...

"I don't see anybody here..." one man said.

"Surely we didn't imagine that? It looked like a...well...a dragon!" a second man replied.

"I saw it, too..." a third man added.

"Hm..." the first man began, "I could have sworn I saw it land here."

"There's nothing here," a fourth man chimed in.

"Check the trees!" the first man commanded, and the hiding trio cringed as they heard footsteps approaching. The sparkles reappeared, spreading over them as Piermont's wing before them shimmered and became transparent.

Horrified, Alex and Terrias instinctively flinched, and Piermont comforted through telepathy, _Don't worry...all three of us are invisible. They won't see anything._

_I hope you're right! _Terrias' thoughts cried out.

_He is...they won't find us... _Alex replied.

A man, clad in a police uniform and wielding a flashlight and a .357 Magnum passed by them, pausing right in front of them, frustrated eyes scanning the area before focusing on the huddling trio.

Alex felt Terrias stiffen as the servine's fight or flight response triggered, and Alex tenderly nudged the servine's arm with his elbow. The servine relaxed a little...but still remained ready to react.

"Humph..." the man began, "There's nothing here!" he yelled over to his companions, lost in the forest, "Either we lost 'em, or we just imagined the whole thing. Let's get outta here, nothing to see!" and he left.

They listened as the officers' voices and footsteps grew softer and more distant, and once they finally heard the atrium's glass doors slam shut, Terrias released the breath he had unwittingly held.

"Well..." the dragon spoke, shifting as he stretched out, popping his neck, "_That _was a little more excitement than what I was expecting."

"Let's...not do that again?" Terrias said, turning to Alex, "That was too close for my blood."

"Agreed..." and both the Commander and his former protege mounted the Martaanean forest dragon as Piermont spread his wings, leaping into the air and through the glass dome roof. Remaining invisible, he streamlined his body as he flapped towards the hotel, several miles away.

After a few minutes spent in silence, the dragon landed on Alex's balcony with a thud, lowering his head and crouching as Alex dismounted, extending a hand. Terrias grabbed it and slid off the dragon's back before Alex helped him up, patting him on the back. Both turned to face Piermont, who was looking nervously in the direction where they had come from.

"Hey..." Terrias began, "Thanks for the flight, Piermont, you're a pretty cool dude."

"I'm much different when not around the others," and he grinned and winked at the servine, "But don't you _dare _tell anybody, else I might have to make you my next meal."

"Don't worry," and Terrias nodded, "You're secret is safe with me."

"I'd hope so," and he leaped into the air again, disappearing as he flew over the roof of the building and to the other side.

Terrias and Alex remained on the balcony, both looking towards the sun. After several minutes of silence, the servine broke the ice as he turned to face Alex, "Thanks, man. It was fun."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"I...never expected Piermont to be so...I dunno, nice."

"He's really taken a shine to you, Terrias. Nobody, save me, his mate, and his son, have seen his true colors before you."

"You mean...that was really...him?"

"Aye. What? You thought he was as rough and tough as he acts? Hell no! He's one great big teddy bear, his 'badass' persona and over-exaggerated machismo is nothing more than a facade to make himself look cool around the others. Like I said, nobody, not even Simba and Nala, have actually seen Piermont as he really is. He's pretty...I don't know...self-conscious, even a bit shy and cowardly. What you saw was his true, uncensored self, I expect you to keep your promise. Nobody else knows who he really is, and he wants to keep it that way. The fact that he showed himself to you proves that he trusts you greatly and holds you in _very_, and I _mean_ very,high regards. You expose his true colors to everybody else, you will destroy his trust and respect of you beyond repair, and might even emotionally damage him. I mean it, don't tell _anyone_, even Aria, and _especially _not Spyro. He's looking for something to get back at Piermont...you reveal that to him and..." and the Commander shook his head, "It will emotionally destroy him. He's _very _shy about that."

"Whoa...I feel blessed."

"You should, friend," and Alex wrapped his arm around Terrias' shoulders, pulling him closer to him as he patted his back. They stood like that for several more minutes before Alex continued, "Well, we probably should head inside, odds are, everybody else is gonna be waking up soon."

As the day passed and became night once more, Alex called a conference with his troops, and once everyone gathered in his suite, he began, "Elliot has informed me that our mission has been successful, and we now have troops stationed within the city. He has also reported to me that the building's owners and the utilities have agreed 'without question' to meet our demands, I don't know what he pulled to get by that easily...and frankly, I don't care. According to him, if we want, we can reveal ourselves to the others."

Spyro, standing beside Alex looked out over the group before whispering to the Commander, "I think it's time we call a class meeting."

The students, restless and bored, gathered in the lobby of the hotel, chatting amongst themselves as they waited for this special announcement ordered by one of the new students. "What do you think he's gonna tell?" one of the kids asked Wesley.

"I think he's gonna come out and say he really is gay."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I do."

The overseer of the field trip was less-than-thrilled at the sudden assembly, especially since she had no say in the matter. After several more minutes of restlessness, the Commander, now clad in his usual military officer's uniform, stepped up to the front of the stage, adjusting his solid black, silk tie. Putting on his cap, he stood tall and erect at the front of the group as Piermont and Terrias, still in their human forms, erected two flag poles, flying the Terminator Flag. The flag was a solid black, with a red border and Latin script on the top and the bottom borders. Three blood-red symbols were sewn on the flag, flanking the gold-bordered, seven-pointed, midnight blue shield centered on the flag. Inside the shield, the Eagle was centered, with eyes of red and four gold stars and one silver star flanking it, representing the four members of the High Command and Alex's protege. Alex stood in a uniform vaguely reminiscent of the Nazi's black officer dress uniforms, only in place of a swastika on the red armband around his left arm, the Terminator Eagle, in black, centered on the band. Medals and ribbons decorated his breast, and he wore white leather gloves as he leaned against a tarnished brass cane, depicting a golden Chinese dragon wrapped around a tree branch, with the head of the dragon serving as the handle. The Commander had also put on the gold dragon mask that covered the right side of his face, badly scarred after being burned twice.

The rest of the High Command, Rainbow Dash, and Terrias, all still in their human forms, stood beside him, and the Commander walked up to the microphone, saying, "Welcome, friends!"

"What is this about?" the students roared and laughter, "What's with the gay get-up?"

"Well," the Commander began, "I have a bit of a secret to tell you...you see, I am a soldier...and not just any soldier, a leader, a commander. These guys beside me, as well as myself, make up the High Command of Alpha Company of the Terminator Militia, who you see here," and he waved towards all of the troops behind him. "We are the highest rank company in the entire militia...and the High Command lead the entire army, with me at the head of it all. Allow me to introduce the others," and he pointed at each of the High Command, "Commander Spyro the Dragon, my wing-second or second-in-command; Commander Piermont, my dragon; General Cynder, mate of Spyro, and a wonderful girl; 2nd Lieutenant Terrias, a servine, or a Pokemon for those of you idiots who know nothing; and Private Rainbow Dash, my current protege, and a very good friend of mine."

"Yeah!" one of the students called with a laugh, "And I'm Barack Obama!" and the whole crowd broke out in laughter.

Alex allowed the laughter to die down before he chuckled, "Friend, you know nothing! Soldiers!" and he turned to face his comrades, "Reveal yourselves!"

There were several blinding flashes of light, forcing the students to shield their faces and cry out, but once the light dissipated, they fell back in shock and alarm as their eyes fell upon Alpha Company, all in their natural forms. Terrias looked out upon the class, standing erect, arms crossed, mistrusting maroon eyes looking around. Spyro and Cynder walked side-by-side across the stage, observing the masses, as Piermont opened his mouth and roared to the sky. "Your terrified reactions warm my heart..." Piermont stated with a wide, mischievous grin.

"You see?" Alex continued, "I had an inkling that you wouldn't believe me...so that is why I decided it would be best if they proved themselves to you. Now, I will speak again. Collectively, these troops and I make up Alpha Company of the Terminator Militia, an army of incomprehensible strength, faith, and mass. In a universe connected to this one through a time wound, if you will have it, America...is different from this. Three years ago, an unnamed president built a secret army, laying waste to various villages and town across the country, framing it to look like our own doing...although we have been nothing but guardians and protectors of the United States since our founding in 1997. Few believed that these horrific and unimaginable attacks could be caused by the long-standing protectors of society and civilization. The attacks continued, those who were public about their disbelief either disappeared off of the face of the earth, or were brutally slaughtered as they slept. Eventually, morale for my army diminished until it was non-existent, and then, in 2010, a world leader addressed his nation as he lied to America and said, 'I declare a state of war on the Terminator Militia'. That very night, we surrounded the northern half of the United States in a wall of dragonfire for our own defense, and once assassins tried to murder us, we retreated to our already well-established capital city...and we've been at war ever since."

Spyro then picked up, "It's been two years since war was declared on our army...and we're still going through hell as we try to survive! We can't even fight back! Every day is a fight for survival, as the government made their secret army public, christening it the '_Maxia _Regime', propagandizing that they are only there for the good of America, to run the militia into extinction, to 'annihilate the menace that has plagued the world for fifteen years'. We came to this world to reestablish ourselves, and to find a safe haven away from war, away from violence, and away from the _Maxia_. Our country is a wasteland, we seek only safety and refuge from the war."

"We cannot do this without your help. Our army here is already established, but it is a seed. In order for this seed to grow, we need plenty of water, plenty of nutrition, and plenty of care...that is what I'm coming to you all for...help in establishing a healthy extension of the Terminator Militia here in..." the Commander frantically looked around, searching for a name to call the new world, and then his eyes fell upon Spyro, "In what we shall dub 'Beta World'."

"No!" the teacher roared, pushing her way through the crowd, "This is not some rally! Some assembly where you can throw around your propaganda! These are high school students, not soldiers!"

"Every good army started somewhere, madame," the Commander replied, bowing to her, "Many started in schools and colleges, why, even today you have military men advertising the Army, or the Navy, or the Marines, or the Air Force, at Bismarck during the lunch hours! Think of the our militia as one of these branches of the U.S Armed Forces, we aren't some ragtag cult or band of religious zealots and delusional, psychopathic killers. We are nothing more than the collected branches of the United States military, or _any _nation's military for that matter!"

"You will only rope us into your ridiculous, imaginary war!"

"That is not true," Terrias spoke up, walking over to her, eyes narrowed, fists balled at his sides.

"Back down, Lieutenant," the Commander comforted, "We don't want to start something...if this bitch," and the class, as well as the teacher, gasped, "...Decides that she's wants to nag about what's best for these students, which aren't even _hers_, mind you, then she can kindly _leave_."

"You take that back!" she hissed.

"With all due respect, ma'am. I don't feel threatened by dumb, uneducated blonde bimbos like yourself. I've been in wars, been fighting and killing, been watching as my brothers-in-arms were killed in gruesome, unimaginable ways, been holding my closest friends...my family...in my arms, as they bled out, and cried for mercy and help, as they were blown to pieces, shot, stabbed, wounded beyond recognition while I, helpless, just sat there and watched...since I was three years old. I've fought worse enemies, and dealt with much worse than anything and everything that you can possibly throw at me."

She gasped again, and the other kids laughed.

"High School is a _long _way from Kindergarten, you aren't here to be protective over them, they are all old enough to make their own decisions in life. So would you kindly stay out of this? Now, all kidding aside, our forces here in Beta World will _NOT _be involved in the Alpha World Theatre. You will only be called into action if the war somehow ends up coming here, which I pray to Almighty God that it doesn't."

"Now, that will be all," Spyro nodded, but the crowd remained in place, cheering, hollering, and clapping at Alpha Company, as the teacher, thoroughly humiliated, stormed off. Spyro turned to face the Commander, "You know what, Alex? I think things just got a whole lot better for us."

Terrias nodded, "I'm pretty damn sure we won some brownie points with these guys."

"Look out!" Piermont exclaimed with a grin, "The Terminators have hit the Golden Ages again!"

The rest of the trip and the weekend went by too quickly, most of it spent with Alpha Company setting everything up to build the Beta World branch of the Terminator Militia. With the rest of the time they had left, Alex, using his telegenesis ability-which is the ability to create anything by just imagining its existence-had managed to corner off a vacant lot neighboring Beta Alex's home, and he had constructed an entire house, modeled exactly after _The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim_'s house, _Hjerim_, in Windhelm, only with modern-day luxuries. The day of their return to Vermilion, the militia had moved into this new home and had already settled down after only an hour of finishing touches, including landscaping and a twenty foot tall, foot-and-a-half thick stone perimeter wall around their home, topped with wrought-iron spikes.

When Monday came around again, they unhappily returned to school, but were met with respect and admiration from the students, even if the teachers were a little skeptical. There was no need now to remain in their human forms, so they wandered around the halls in their natural forms, Piermont grinning mischievously whenever someone who had yet to see Alpha Company in their true forms passed by and ran away, terrified. "Man!" the dragon cackled, "I never get tired of seeing these people scared shitless!"

"Yeah," Terrias chuckled, "Especially when those terrified bastards are the same ones who fucked with us back before we revealed ourselves to the world."

"Amen, brother," and both the dragon and the servine bumped knuckles.

"Don't get used to it..." Alex replied, "Our time here is almost up...we only have a couple of days left."

"_What!?_" Piermont exclaimed.

"You're shitting us!" Terrias cried, unhappy.

"No I'm not..." and he rotated on his cane as he turned to face his troops, "We've achieved our primary goal here...our guys have a good foothold here already, and now we have a colonel from Gamma Company who Elliot gave the task of overseeing operations here, ensuring that all goes smoothly until they get used to it."

"C'mon, man!" Piermont replied sadly, "We were just starting to have fun!"

"I know...but all vacations have to end sometime. Who knows when we'll be needed back in Alpha World..."

"Elliot can just contact us whenever we're needed!" Terrias exclaimed.

"Exactly what _he _said!" Piermont replied, "That way we can still hang out here!"

Alex shook his head, "I'm afraid not...what if he _can't _get a hold of us? What if New Alexandria is thrust into a battle again? We aren't armed well here...we can't get safely get through the time wound and back to the city to arm up and fight again."

"That's bullshit!" Piermont hissed, "_Maxia _bastards can't do shit to us!"

"Besides..." Alex continued, ignoring his dragon, "What if Elliot finds a lead on Crash's killer? Also, apparently, Ember's love interest came by earlier, searching for us."

"Who?" Piermont questioned.

"Son of a bitch..." Spyro sighed.

"Flame came by!?" Ember cheered happily, "Oh I can't wait! When can we go back, Mister Alex? Will he join!? Oh please say he will!"

Spyro flinched and leaped back at the sudden appearance of Ember beside him. "Jesus!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"Well..." Alex began, speaking as if to a little kid, "There are still a few things that need to happen first before Flame joins...but if everything works out, he will."

"Yay! I'm so excited!" and she ran back to the end of the crowd and back the way they came, expressing her joy to the uncaring world.

Spyro grimaced, and Alex, grinning widely, asked, "What's wrong, Spearow? Afraid of your girlfriend?"

"Hell yes I am! She's a freaking creeper!"

"Aww!" Piermont crooned, "She only _wuves _her _wittle Spywo_."

"Shut up, Piermont," Alex sighed.

Spyro only rolled his eyes.

Terrias watched Piermont make a mockery out of Spyro, and as much as he wanted to, he just couldn't believe that Piermont wasn't actually like this in reality. He seemed like a genuine ass, but maybe years of practice had refined his skill...if it could be called such. He shook his head, amazed that this was the same dragon he had just seen scared for his life, and cowering from the _police _of all things...men and women who weren't even mutated, and didn't even pose any serious threat larger than a handgun with normal bullets, not even normal, untreated silver rounds.

Noon arrived, and the bus to Connorsville Community College pulled into the lot in front of the Bremer Conference Hall, where their foods class was held. No longer caring who found out about their true identities, Alpha Company followed Beta World Alex into the hall and to the classroom, where the students instantly reacted to the supposedly-fictional characters that now stared at them with looks of pure amusement on their faces, and hands on actual guns and swords. "I never get tired of this..." Piermont replied, sighing dreamily.

Class went by smoothly, with the entire class, and even the cruel bastard that was the instructor being careful around the menacing militia. After two hours of cooking and baking, they left the building, walking across the campus and to the Main Hall. There, they purchased a late lunch from the cafeteria before wandering across the building, terrifying the arrogant college students and idiots who attended.

"All of a sudden," Spyro began, looking around as he group of college students fled from them, "The big bad gangstas are terrified of us, and I thought that putting a college in the heart of a ghetto was a _bad _idea," he grinned, "Fuck, these guys are even afraid of goddamn _My Little Pony_!" and he laughed.

Rainbow Dash grinned as another one of them sped away from her, terrified, "I love this! Put a gun into the hands of _My Little Pony_,_ Spyro the Dragon_,_ Pokemon_, The_ Lion King_, _Rugrats_, _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_,and _Sonic the Hedgehog_, and they run like hell!"

"More than that..." Alex began, "Just seeing these proclaimed fictional characters real scares them away from you. They don't know what you'll do...whether you'll act like your fictional counterparts or if you will rape and murder them while they sleep."

"I don't mind...I feel safer than ever before..." Sonic began, "And _that_'s saying quite a bit actually."

Terrias replied, "You mean, because there is no _Maxia _here or..."

"Because seeing is believing these days...and since they _see _these supposedly fictional characters real when they aren't supposed to be, it terrifies them...warps their whole goddamn perceived reality."

"Reality, another one of life's greatest illusions..." Alex replied.

"URA!" Spyro roared at a gang of cowering collegians, "You bastards think you're so rough-and-tough _NOW_? I AM SPYRO THE DRAGON! AND I WILL _KICK YOUR ASS_!" they fled, and the purple dragon laughed.

"Somebody's having too much fun," Piermont grinned.

"Nah," Terrias replied with a grin, "He just has a serious God complex now."

"I love scaring the shit out of people!" and he spied three co-eds walking down the hall. He charged at them, sounding a vicious roar, and they fled. "Just like chasing away the pigeons and sea gulls in Chicago!"

Upon emerging outside in front of the Main Hall, eight co-eds and high schoolers ran up to Spyro, surrounding him and admiring him. "Oh c'mon!" Cynder groaned, "Talk about repulsive!"

"Go away, woman! Leave me alone!" Spyro laughed, "Girls! Worship Commander Spyro the Dragon! Ura!" they petted him, hugging and kissing him as they treated him like the world's cutest dog, "Everybody loves me!"

"Yeah...ask 'em to suck you off and see how many actually go for the rod, _hombre_!" Piermont called with a laugh, "Bitch slap those fine young chocolate truffles with your twelve inch manhammer and give 'em a nice pearl necklace! I guarantee they'll eat it all! You'll be eatin' out free for months!"

"Well, while Spyro's enjoying his groupies," Alex said, turning to Cynder, "Want to spar with me?"

"Nah, better keep an eye on my mate. Y'know, make sure he doesn't...get himself into trouble," and she walked over to him before another high schooler ran up to her, crying her name repeatedly. Several others appeared, and soon, like Spyro, she was surrounded by her own gentlemen friends. "On second thought..." Cynder called out to Spyro, "Just enjoy yourself, Lover."

Alex, chuckling, turned to face Rainbow Dash, one of the few who wasn't being gloated on or identified. "Yo! Dash! Wanna spar, mate?" Alex asked.

"Sure, why the hell not?" and Alex tossed her a sword.

Terrias leaned against the brick face of the building, arms crossed, watching as Alpha Company enjoyed the company of their followers. Although several people had identified him as a servine from the _Pokemon: Black and White Version _games, he didn't want attention, and he ignored him. He was already uncomfortable, big crowds of strangers tended to make him nervous...and for some reason, they brought back memories of his containment, causing him to shudder and tremble uncontrollably. Instead of exposing himself to a complete nervous breakdown cause by flashbacks, he chose to remain reclusive, watching the sunset as he tried to cast away all thoughts...if only thoughts on Crash's death weren't so predominant! He was a relatively new member, only been in Alex's ranks for about six months, but he had grown fond of Crash, and got to think of him as a good friend...and now the fact that the bandicoot would never be there...it was still all too much. Reaching into the pocket of his trench coat, he placed in earbuds, turning on his MP3 player as he played _The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim_'s song _Dragonsreach_...one that perfectly suited his mood and life as it was occurring...the song gave him a sense of deep thought, honor, of nobility, and of much experience...the theme of someone who had seen a lot of crap in their day...someone like Alex and himself.

"Everything okay?" Aria asked, walking up to him and standing beside him.

He pulled her close to him, hugging and kissing her forehead before turning to face the sun again and replying, "Everything's fine...just watching them enjoy themselves."

"Where's _your_ obsessive fanboys and fangirls?"

Terrias shrugged, "Don't have any I guess."

"Now _that's _bullshit, I saw quite a few of them around you earlier...then they ran to me."

"Okay, so I sent 'em away."

"C'mon, Tare-Tare! Enjoy it while it lasts!" and the hairs on the back of Terrias' neck stood straight as Aria referred to him by her pet name for him back when they were both still kids. A nickname he hadn't heard in years.

"Sorry, Sexy...I don't do autographs."

"Well...I'm your biggest fan...does that mean I won't get your autograph either?" and she grabbed his hand, placing it on her cheek.

Terrias grinned, holding her chin in the cup of his hand, "Honey, you can have my autograph anytime your little heart desires," and he pecked her lips.

She stood beside him, holding his hand in both of hers, resting her head on his shoulder as they both looked out at the preoccupied Alpha Company.

"Left slash, left slash, right slash, lunge, right slash, lunge, lunge, circle and swipe low," Alex chanted, "Excellent, Rainbow Dash, I see a warrior in you yet!"

She was out of breath and her fur was matted to her body in sweat, but she looked intent and ready to fight, "No breaks, I can go on!"

"Now, now!" and Alex walked over to the steps onto the covered deck in front of the front entrance way, picking up a bottle of Mountain Dew and tossing it at her, "If you don't rehydrate yourself, especially in this heat, you'll get sick, and I don't want my baby getting sick on me, a'ight?"

She downed the bottle in a minute, shaking her head as she threw it aside, "All right! I'm ready!"

"Glad _you _are, just hold on a minute..." and Alex removed his jacket and tie, pulling off his shirt until he was only wearing his undershirt, black slacks, and combat boots. His shirt was plastered to his body with sweat, and his muscles were very defined.

"Ooh! Me likey!" Dash replied, "You hot, hot, buff you."

"Meh..." Alex shrugged, telekinetically bringing his dropped swords to him, "Onward!"

Rainbow Dash turned around, as if walking away, and Alex asked, "Yo! The hell you goin', Dash?"

However, she continued heading back a few steps before suddenly turning around, leaping at him with a roar and slashing quickly. Alex narrowly managed to sidestep her lunge. She hit the ground, somersaulting to a stop as she dropped her sword. Alex picked himself up, a stunned grin on his face, wiping the dirt from his pants, "Holy crap! _That's _what I'm talkin' about, Dash! Good job!"

"I still failed," she hissed, angry.

"Regardless, that was a very, very, _very _well played move on your part. Now, _en garde_!" and he charged at her in a lunge. Dash rolled out of the way, telekinetically bringing her dropped blade close to her as she thrust it up, blocking Alex's dual-sword lunge and entangling their weapons. Remembering what the Commander had taught her, she circled the tip of her blade rapidly, tearing Alex's twin swords from his grasp and sending them flying away. "Excellent!" he said, a confident look on his face, crouched over, fists raised, "Come at me, now! You have the advantage!"

She lunged at him, and Alex, with alarming speed, grabbed her forelimb, twisting it so she cried out and her hoof involuntarily opened, dropping her sword. He continued twisting her, causing her to rotate as he lifted her off of the ground and slammed her on her back. Quickly recovering her lost breath, she clumsily lumbered away from him and towards her sword, but Alex used his telekinesis to send them flying even further away, at the same time bringing his own blades to him. She pawed away from him as he drew closer to her, crouched with his swords drawn. Soon, he was right on top of him, and seeing his compromised position, she kicked out, nailing him in the chest and sending him stumbling back where she leaped back onto all fours, knocking one of his swords from his hand with a roundhouse kick. The magically dulled blade spun out of control, sticking into the ground. Reaching into the pocket of his slacks, he revealed a bayonet, twirling it in his hand. Dash telekinetically drew both her sword, as well as Alex's dropped on to her. Alex then performed a roundhouse kick of his own, sending the spinning swords off target and into a tree.

"Try again," he grinned.

He lunged at her, emitting a roar, Rainbow Dash jumped into the air, flipping over the charging Alex, the tips of his blades barely missing her rear as she landed behind him, sending tongues of fire at his way. He slowed his charge, turning swiftly around, kicking the fireballs and causing them to explode. She clinched her fists, and fire surged up her arm, as she swiped her arm to the side, sending a horizontal arch of fire at him. He stomped twice, crossing his arms to his chest as stones punched through the earth, enveloping him in a dome of rock. The flames struck his rock barrier, breaking apart, and the Commander kicked the rock dome, sending large stones flying at the Pegasus. She falcon punched the stones, shattering them into pieces as she stood steady, flames still burning at her limbs.

"So!" Alex said with a hearty laugh, "Decided to turn this into an elemental showdown? Well, Sexy, _COME GET SOME!_"

She delivered a barrage of elemental attacks his way. He appeared as if he was about to attack, then relax, and just stood strong, spread-legged, head lowered, arms crossed on his chest. The attacks struck their target, stumbling him, but he quickly recovered, and returned to his position.

"What's wrong?" Dash teased, "You too terrified to attack? Come on and attack me!"

Alex said nothing, only remained in his statuesque position.

"Pfft! Too easy! And _I _thought you were tough!" she delivered another barrage of elemental attacks.

Once more, he didn't react.

Confused, and now becoming annoyed, she charged at him, punching and kicking him. He stumbled, but did nothing, said nothing.

"The hell is he doing?" Aria asked, confused.

"I don't know..." Terrias replied, "Unless he's trying to piss Dashie off to cause her to lower her defenses...like he did to me."

"No...there's something else here..."

"Oh shit..." Piermont remarked, suddenly appearing beside them, "I know what he's doing."

"Then what?"

"Just watch..."

"C'mon you coward!" Dash taunted, "You weakling! Show me that anger of yours! Show me the soldier!"

As Dash charged at him again, ready to throw another series of punches and kicks, Alex's head suddenly shot up, and he opened his eyes, now glowing red-orange.

"What-?" Dash began, but she was thrown back by a loud explosion. She stood up in alarm, seeing in horror as the Fire King, Alex's pure elemental form, appeared before her.

"_NOLOK IK CON FRALON!_" it roared, charging at her with supernatural speed. She had no time to react, and in an instant, she went flying to the side. She sat up again, seeing as the Fire King instantly recovered, turning to face her. He thrust his arms to the sky, and dark clouds suddenly appeared, circling over several eyes as pillars of fire shot down from the heavens heading toward her.

Screaming, she jumped up into the sky and sped away. Alex drew a circle in the air with his arms before punching the air in front of him, and a ring of fire shot from the ground, flaring and knocking Rainbow Dash to the ground. The ring of fire surrounding them, the Fire King unleashed another series of fire pillar attacks, and Dash attempted to avoid them, narrowly successful. The Commander then crouched to the ground, jumping up into a standing position as he threw his arms to the sky, and he exploded in flames. When the smoke cleared, all that remained was a small, hovering, sphere of fire. Flames flared from the sides of the orb, becoming almost like wings, and two fiery pillars sprouted from the base of the orb. From the back of the orb emerged a hundred tendrils of flame which formed together to form a plume, and another pillar of fire shot up diagonally from the front of the orb and to the sky, splitting horizontally as it took on the form of a beak. Dash looked at the beast that now stood before her, and she screamed. A massive, hundred-foot-tall phoenix stood before, roaring like dragon. It leaped into the sky, flapping into the air as it circled her at impossible speeds, creating a vicious fiery whirlwind that lifted her from the ground and tossed her into the air. She managed to steady her flight, and hovered in place, staring in awe, shock, and wonder at the massive fiery bird that hovered before her.

"Alex's Phoenix form!" Piermont cried out, laughing, "DASHIE'S FUCKED NOW, FOLKS!"

A sound, like the roaring of a healthy fire filled Dash's mind, sounding like words, and the Pegasus soon realized that it was the voice of the Phoenix. "GAZE UPON WHAT YOU SEE AND LEARN FROM MY WISDOM!" it said, its voice sounding like roaring fire, and crackling flames, sounding eerily like the _Fiernes Curtain_, "THIS IS THE _FULL _POTENTIAL OF THE ELEMENT OF FIRE! EVERY ELEMENT HAS A PURE FORM, AND EVERY ELEMENT HAS A BEAST FORM! ONLY A MASTER OF THE ELEMENT CAN WIELD THE AWESOME POWER OF THIS ENERGY!"

"So...as someone who has mastered all elements...you can do _all _forms?"

"NO. THESE ARE THE EXTREME FORMS OF THE ELEMENTS, IT CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED IF IT IS THE ELEMENT FROM WHICH YOU WERE BORN! MY TRUE ELEMENT IS FIRE, WHICH IS WHY I AM ABLE TO HARNESS THIS POWER! YOU CAN, TOO, EVERYBODY HAS AN ELEMENT OF WHICH THEY ARE BORN FROM, DISCOVER YOUR ELEMENT, MASTER IT, AND YOU, TOO CAN UNLEASH THESE ANCIENT FORMS!"

With another hellish, deafening roar, the Phoenix exploded in a massive flash of light. In an instant, the sky cleared, revealing Alex, human once again, collapsed on the ground. Rainbow Dash ran up to him, crouching beside him as she tried to help him up, but he pushed her away, "I'm fine..." he said, shaking head, "Takes a shit-ton of power to do that..."

"That was _amazing_! Can you show me how to do that?"

"No...only you can learn, unfortunately, every ability is unique to the individual."

"That was incredible! I've never seen such...such power!"

Suddenly, Spyro and Cynder arrived, both looking worn out and exhausted, "Damn you, Alex!" Spyro laughed, "You scared away our fans!"

"Bah! I'm sure they all have your email addresses now? Time to prepare for the nudey pictures."

The dragons laughed as Alpha Company gathered together and the bus arrived. Hugging the Pegasus, Alex winked at her before boarding the bus, and as they took their seats, they looked out the window, waving goodbye at the students who were unhappy to see them leave.

An hour later, the buses from the high school pulled into Vermilion's grade school's parking lot, and Alpha Company disembarked, along with the other students attending Bismarck. It was still early, and the grade school hadn't let out yet, so Alpha Company, instead of just walking to their home across the street, decided to stick around and enjoy the social time before they were forced to undergo the strict rules of Beta Alex's parents. The Commander excused himself from the rest of his troops, heading into the school as he looked for a bathroom, and as he settled in front of the urinal, unbuttoning his pants, he heard a voice from behind him say, "We need to talk."

"Uh...can't it wait? Kinda in the middle of something here?"

"Stop playing with yourself, Alex, I don't have much time, and I'll be _damned _if I'm gonna let you slip away again."

"Who the fuck are y..." and he paused as he found himself staring into the cold, angry eyes of an old friend of his... "Crash..."

"What is taking him so long?" Dash asked, impatiently, "We were supposed to spar again..."

"He went to take a piss...maybe he had to take a dump as well," Spyro replied, annoyed, "Besides, don't you think you've had _enough _sparring for one day?"

"I'm not going to stop until I'm as good as he is."

"You will be, but it won't be instantaneous! It takes time..."

"And lots and lots of practice!"

"Well...yeah..."

"I just wish he would hurry."

"Well...go ahead and empty _your _bladder while you're here! That way you won't have to take any fucking potty breaks while you're training."

"Good idea..."

"Dur dur dur!"

"Shut up, Spyro."

"Crash...what the hell are you _doing _here! I thought you were..."

"In Alpha World? I am. In Beta World? Here I am."

"I'm so glad you're..." and Alex walked to him, arms outstretched.

Crash, still angry, shoved him away, "No..._we _need to talk, _now_!"

"Jesus! Okay! My God...the hell did I do? I tried to help you...I couldn't...and that damn sniper got away!"

"This isn't about the sniper, Alex!" he roared, sounding pissed off.

"Then who is it about?"

"It's about Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow Dash, mumbling to herself, walked around to a small garden, private and hidden behind trees and bushes. Crouching down, she closed her eyes, waiting for it to flow. It took a few moments, but finally, she felt the wave of pleasure, and in an instant, she could feel the fluid leave, audibly splashing down onto the grass, and she sighed in relief. Alarmed to find her thoughts circling about what urinating would be like if used...perhaps...as a tie-in to sex?

She shook her head of those thoughts, or rather, shelved them for a later time, and once the flow ceased, she stood up, walking back and rejoining the others.

"What about...Rainbow Dash? Will she be okay?"

"Oh yeah, she'll be _just _fine. _YOU _on the other hand, are gonna have hell to pay!"

"Why are you so angry, Crash?"

"_Why _am I angry?" and he smirked, "_Why am I ANGRY!?_ I'll _TELL _you why I'm angry! You are a cruel, heartless, piece of shit! _THAT_'s why I'm _angry_!"

"What did I do?"

Crash smirked, "Don't you _DARE _act all innocent! You know damn _well _what you've done!"

Alex was stunned, terrified, and saddened all at the same time. Here his fallen friend was, someone who had tragically left them...and now an apparent reunion saw Crash mad at him for no reason? "No I don't...please, what did I do? I'm sorry for whatever it was..."

Crash's jaw dropped and his eyes widened, "You really don't know do you?"

"No, I...I don't..." and he struggled to hold back tears.

Crash, settling down, then sighed and began in a mocking, but more calm tone, "Your treatment of Rainbow Dash is...fucking ridiculous!"

"Wait...is this about our mating?"

"Yes..."

"Oh...then wh-"

"Just..._SHUT UP _and listen for a moment! _You_ might not understand the importance of a mating, because you are a human, so you probably think it's a simple, 'oh I just got lucky' deal. Guess what? It's not! Our mating is like you marrying your soul mate. When two animals mate, it is an unspoken promise to care for each other, to be there for each other, and to stay with them for the rest of their lives. She chose you for a reason, it wasn't a fucking one-night stand! She wanted you to take her as your mate, and even though she doesn't show it, she loves you.

"You need to show her more respect! The fact that you mated with her, only to reject her and ignore her? That is a slap in the face! It is the single most insulting, most..._repulsive_ action you can even _give_ to someone! She gave everything she had to you, Alex...everything...and you just threw it back in her face and booted her to the street! Though she doesn't talk about it, you hurt her, very badly. I know, I might be some zombified carcass who, even from death, follows his master around like some spectral lapdog, but I know how we animals run, and as a spirit I can feel her pain. You hurt her feelings. She doesn't mention it, because she doesn't want to offend you. True mates are always there for each other, care for each other, and _you_...you left her out in the cold! I died before I was able to feel the pleasure of a female's gentle caress...you've had two...will have three...one doesn't really count, another you actually seem to care about, but the third...which is Rainbow Dash...my God...she gave herself to you, Alex. She's almost like the trophy wife of mates...and you just...just rejected her. If _I _would have had the opportunity to be with Rainbow Dash...my God...I would treat her like a damn goddess. But no! Instead of someone who would actually _love _her, she gave herself to some arrogant asshole who thinks she is only a slut! If that is the case...I wonder what it would have been like...had _we_ switched places, y'know...you and me. If _I _was the one with Cynder, with lovely Sarah, and with Rainbow Dash, and _you _were the one who died a virgin...without ever feeling such power that is found in sex? You don't deserve her!"

He sighed then, "Listen...I know you don't understand, you're a human, you mate for pleasure and little else these days, the curse of intelligence, but Rainbow doesn't deserve it. She chose you for a reason, and she loves you more than you realize, it's time you come to accept her as a mate, like you accept Sarah as your wife. Even though I know _you_ wouldn't, _she _would sacrifice her life for you, because she's your mate.

"The bond between you two is a very sacred one. It's not a '_pity fuck_' like Spyro did with Ember, this is very much real, as real as Spyro and Cynder. You've seen how they are, you should take Spyro's treatment of Cynder as an example of how you should treat your mate. Rainbow worships the ground you walk on, Commander. You need to treat her as a goddess, not some slut or whore you ran into backstage while you were half drunk and half high off your ass. That's...that's all that I can say to you. Frankly, I don't want to see you, ever again. You've...you've really disappointed me, Alex. I expected better from you, especially given how compassionate you were in your courtship of Sarah, and when you played matchmaker for both Spyro and Cynder, and Terrias and Aria. I'm alive here, in Beta World, so I'm doing quite fine...but I'm not following you in Alpha World anymore...and I'm not returning back to earth either. Goodbye, Commander...this is the last time we will see each other," and without another word, Crash left the room, leaving the Commander alone, and in tears.

Alex, quickly sobering, sped out of the bathroom, calling for Crash to come back, but once he left the room and into the hallway, there was no sign of Crash anywhere...he was gone. Wiping his eyes, the Commander looked out the glass doors of the school, seeing Rainbow Dash sitting alone...and for the first time, he could see just how sad she looked. His eyes were open now, and he could see, quite clearly, just how hard the Pegasus had been hurt by someone she had loved and given everything she held dear to. Alex suddenly felt a deep longing for her...it was like a door that had just been forced open, or floodgates that had just blown. He was filled with an overwhelming amount of love for the Pegasus, and the need to comfort her, to express his deepest sorrow for his mistreatment...it was strong, overpowering, nearly crippling. This wasn't just a simple mating to him anymore...he could feel their destinies now locked together, bits of string now melted together until the end of time. Love, rage, protection...all of these emotions were now surging through his veins, giving him the same wonderful feeling as he had felt in his dreams. His relationship with Dash was no longer a simple sexual adventure...they were mates...and they were mates for life.

For the rest of the night, Commander Alex Vaughn said nothing to anyone about his encounter with Crash. He spent the night thinking over everything Crash had told him, and trying to formulate a way to make it up to the Pegasus...to seek her forgiveness for his actions, to win her trust back, and to express how grateful he really, truly was to have her by his side. At around 2330 hours, he was sitting, by himself, on his recliner in the parlor, in the darkness...when he felt a strange, subconscious urge, as if he was being told that the time had come. He stood up, stretching, as he walked to her room, then he stopped, moving, instead, to his own room as he opened the door and walked inside. Rainbow Dash stood on his balcony, staring out at the stars. Although Crash had sworn never to be with him again, the Commander could have sworn that he felt the gentle urging of Crash's spirit, leading him on to his date with destiny, the night that he would reaffirm his bond with Dash...the night that they would truly be united.

Quietly, he stepped onto the balcony, alarmed when he heard what sounded like...like crying...

"Dash..." he whispered under his breath, out of her hearing. Biting his cheek to prevent himself from crying, he walked over to her, gently taking her in his arms as he hugged her, "I'm sorry..." he cried, tears flowing down his cheeks, "God...I'm so sorry..." she buried her head in his chest, and they stood there for several minutes before he finally said, "I've been so...such a dick to you...you deserve better than me..."

"No..." she said, looking up at him with tearstained eyes, "You are the only one...you are...you are _him_...the boy of my dreams..."

"Forgive me, Dash...oh God...please forgive me..."

"I know you don't understand, Alex," she said, wiping her eyes, "I never should have even tried to mate with you. I just...I just thought that you would understand. I keep forgetting that you're only human...but like it or not, I am your mate and you are mine. You are the one who took me as your mate, who took my virginity, and Crash is right, the bond between two mates is a very sacred one. I probably should have told you...I'm sorry."

"How...how do you know about Crash!?" and he seemed alarmed.

She smiled sadly, "He came to me, too...Alex."

"Wh...when?"

"Probably...two, three hours ago..."

Alex's eyes widened, Crash _had _lied...he _had_ returned...

He smiled in joy, hugging her tightly, then, he said, "No, Rainbow. _I'm_ sorry. You didn't deserve how I have been treating you. You have been nothing but a friend to me, and I stabbed you in the back. I'm not worthy to have someone like you."

"I chose you ..for who you are. I love you, I love everything about you. That's why I chose you as my mate. I guess we can take it back...since I didn't tell you," and she looked away, saddened and worried about his answer.

Alex smiled, "No...I promise, if you will give me a second chance, I'll be the best mate I can possibly be. I'll treat you as I should, and not as a cast-off love interest I wanted only to use for pleasure. I'm sorry...do you forgive me?"

She startled him by kissing him, deeply, passionately. Her tongue tangled with his, and for a precious few moments, he treasured their combined taste. Breaking the kiss, she whispered to him, "I forgive you..."

He broke his embrace, holding her in front of him, checking over her. He placed his hands on her cheeks, and with the thumb of his left hand, he wiped away a tear, "Thank you..." they walked inside together, and as he closed and locked the glass door to the balcony, closing the curtains, he turned to face her, "So, how can I prove that you made a fine choice? What does a mate do?"

"Well..." she began, blushing and looking away shyly, "For one, love me. Two, treat me with kindness. Three, be there for me. And four, perhaps the most obvious..." and she fell silent for a few seconds, testing the waters and gathering the courage before she said, "Mate with me. The title is not earned by some petty proposal, it is earned by the action from which it is named."

"So...mate whenever you want?"

"Whenever _we_ want. We're a couple...we belong to each other. Your needs and wants are as important to me, as mine are to you."

"Ah."

"But, I _do _have _one_ request..."

"Go ahead."

She grabbed his hands in hers and, looking into his eyes, she said, sounding near tears again, "Sleep with me this one more time. If you truly want me as your mate, take me tonight, give me what you would give your fiance. Tonight we properly earn the title as mates. If...If you will have me, I...I will never leave your side. I will walk with you, by your side...even...even into the face of death, if you will have me. Is this what you want?"

"I want whatever you do."

As she slowly laid down on his bed, she said, "Then take me now, show me just how much you really care for me, and our promise will be permanently sealed in our throes of passion, as we are truly united, and you leave that small part of yourself within me."

He sat down next to her, kissing her, "I will."

She held him tightly, kissing him, crying tears of joy into his shoulder as he stroked her body, bringing his fingers close to her sacred area. The heat emanating from her was strong...and he felt a bit of a rush at what they were just about to do. Stroking her swollen, wet lower lips, she sighed and tenderly bit into his shoulder, her hot breath warm and comforting on him. He finally slipped his fingers inside of her, feeling that warm, tight, slowly pulsating moistness, and she whispered to him, her voice trembling, "I'm ready whenever you are..."

He nodded and withdrew his fingers as he slowly entered her. The feeling was intense, immediate, and he felt all of those dreams...those sleepless nights, wondering who this mysterious girl was, all were finally reaching a resolution. She wasn't quick, like he expected, and she wasn't dominant like Cynder, also what he expected her to be. Here, she was an entirely different person, here, she was entirely his. She gave him full control, refused to take the reins, and she allowed him to be the dominant one. Under his touch, she didn't stiffen, instead, she seemed to melt into his arms. It was a feeling like no other. Cynder...all of those experiences with her was nothing compared to this...this was simply divine! She softly moaned into his shoulder, and she kissed him again, breathing very erratic now. She was crying again, uncontrollably...and the way she moved...the way she touched him...all doubts that this was the girl of his dreams were cast away...she was the one. Best of all, she was all _his_.

As she neared her climax and began to thrust towards him, she pulled his head close to hers and whispered, between erratic breaths, "You...love...me?"

"I always have...and I always will."

His reply finally sent her over the edge, and she bit down on her lip, drawing blood under the intensity of orgasm as she milked at him, and he was quick to follow her, a feeling, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. All of his sexual escapades with Cynder seemed like nothing more than child's play compared to this. As he reached his peak, the feeling was like an explosion of warmth deep inside his body, and she cried out, crying his name, clinging tighter and tighter to him as a second orgasm tore through her. They were in a tight knot now, and he didn't think they could be brought any closer together, they were at the limits of closeness and the physical barriers, but still he felt away from her. He would not allow the separation, he chased after it again, after the heat, after the warmth, he sought the wonderful warmth of the melting pot, where both individual forms were being combined together, like a steel mill. Two souls, two individuals, brought together in an explosion of pleasure and warmth to form something new, a single, beautiful object much better than the two that had been fused. He envisioned them being in a steel mill, bathing in a cauldron of liquid magma, enjoying this precious time with her, and he was amazed when he managed to pull off a second consecutive climax, more powerful...but also much more painful...than the first. Suddenly, he felt another wave of intense pleasure tear through him...and he knew it wasn't theirs. All of the other couples of Alpha Company had joined into the fray, sending the pleasure from their own experiences to them...a wonderful, amazing gift, and for a moment, Alex knew how Terrias and Aria felt during their first mating, when the other couples had agreed to transfer the pleasure of their simultaneous orgasms to the new couple in an attempt to make their first night together, and the first night of the rest of their lives, much more special and memorable. He felt blessed and honored to have such great friends...and he knew that all of them...Spyro, Cynder, Terrias, Aria, Piermont, Cherub, and all the rest...were doing this solely for them. He loved his troops...his friends...they were giving him a gift that was worth more to him than anything else in the world, save the girl in his arms.

"What's happening?" Dash said, sounding alarmed.

Alex replied with a smile, "We're riding the wave..."

As soon as the third and final climax tore through them, the single most violent and intense one yet, they allowed themselves to break apart, and as they laid down together, Dash resting her head on his chest as she had done in many a dream, he stroked her mane, amazed that there was no guilt now, no self-consciousness. He laughed, laughed like he never had before, laughed as he felt more alive than he had ever felt. Nothing mattered, nothing! All of his hellish experiences, the battles, the deaths, his lost childhood...nothing mattered except for Alex and his mate...and he was proud to call her so.

His hysterical laughter finally died down, and he whispered to his mate, "I love you...for now and forever,"

She smiled, nuzzling his chest, and replied, "I love you...for now and forever, Alex," then, "And so, we are finally one. Forever united in that most sacred of bonds. I love you, Alex."

"I love you, too."

"And, if anyone asks, we had one helluva BDSM adventure, where I pegged your ass and forced you to suck your own dick."

The Commander laughed and replied, "Deal."

"Good. I don't want them to think I'm a softie."

"I won't tell."

"I know you won't..." and she smiled at him, "Goodnight, Love."

"Goodnight," and he stroked her mane, enjoying every moment with his mate until they both fell asleep, dreaming of that amazing, unforgettable experience.


	30. Chapter XXIX: Puppy Love

_**Chapter XXIX**_**:**

**-''Puppy Love''-**

**-Beta World: Vermilion, Illinois-**

**-_02 August 2012 _(ALPHA WORLD TIME): _28 April 2012 _(BETA WORLD TIME)-**

**-_0959 Hours_-**

Alex and Rainbow Dash sleepily stepped out of their bedroom, walking across the sleeping house and to the kitchen where the Commander made both him and his mate a hot chocolate. They sat down across the table from each other, and Dash smiled at him, "Thank you, Alex...for such a wonderful night...I'm glad you are finally accepting me as your mate."

"Well, well, well!" Piermont spoke up, entering the room, the rest of Alpha Company in tail, "Apparently the lovebirds are up early this morning! I figured after that one helluva orgasm last night, you guys would still be conked out cold."

"Thank you guys..." Alex smiled, "For everything..."

Piermont winked at him, "Hey, it's the least we could do, am I right? I figured this was our little tradition anyway. We've done it for everyone since Simba and Nala, considering you and Dashie finally realized your feelings for each other, it's only suiting that we give you the same favor."

"Well, you made it wonderful," Dash said, smiling and hugging her mate, "Thank you, all of you..."

"No problem, kid. Yo, Alex? Did you at least make coffee for us?"

"No...sorry..."

"D'aww! C'mon man! We did _that _for you last night, the least you could have done was brew up some coffee for us!"

Alex shrugged, "Sorry."

A colt clad in a dark blue spandex uniform emerged through the Time Wound and into the heart of Los Angeles. Several vehicles slammed on their brakes, spinning wildly out of control and nearly piling up before the unfazed pony. Replacing his dark sunglasses, he walked across the street, taking to the air as he sped away. A General Robert Elliot had send them through the Time Wound, informing him that the mare he was looking for was in this world. Following coordinates given to him by the general, he finally arrived in the small town of Vermilion, Illinois. The general had told him to look for a house that stood out from the rest of the village, and when he saw a walled, Gothic-style mansion, he figured it was the right place.

He landed just inside of the walls, walking up to the door and ringing the doorbell. A young man, about eighteen or nineteen years old, opened the door, giving him a confused look. "I'm here to see Rainbow Dash," the pony replied. The boy seemed suspicious, but stepped out of the way, allowing the pony to enter.

"Whose here, Alex?" Dash asked, stepping into the parlor before adopting a stunned look... "You...you are..."

"My name doesn't matter," the colt said, "What _does _matter, is that after some consideration, the Wonderbolts have decided to send to you to our academy, Rainbow Dash, you will be a Wonderbolt.."

Rainbow Dash looked ecstatic, and she said, "R...Really?"

"Yes. We'll give you the night to pack and we'll return tomorrow to pick you up."

"Thank you!" the Pegasus replied, watching as the colt left.

Alex, smiling widely, walked to his stunned and surprised mate, giving her a hug. "I'm so happy for you, Dash!"

"You've been wanting this for awhile haven't you?" Twilight replied.

"Yeah..." the Pegasus, but her excitement quickly diminished once the others left, leaving only Terrias, Spyro, Cynder, Aria, and Alex with her.

"What's wrong?" Spyro asked her, noticing her unhappiness.

"It's just that...well..." and she looked towards her mate.

"Oh..." the purple dragon replied, suddenly realizing what was wrong.

"Don't worry about me," Alex said with a laugh, patting her on the back, "This is your dream! You should go for it!"

"R...Really?" she asked.

"Of course! You will always have a place here, and if you ever want to return, you can come back at anytime, and we will welcome you home with open arms."

"Thank you!" and she hugged him tightly, "Now, I have a lot to do before he comes back tomorrow!" and she sped up the stairs, a blue blur.

"You really gonna let her go that easily?" Terrias asked, walking up to Alex.

"I have a lot to make up for..." the Commander replied with a sigh, "This is her dream, the _least _I can do is allow her to follow it. Who would I be if I were to get in the way between her and something she has always wanted?"

"Damn..." Cynder replied, "You're really taking this mate thing seriously now, aren't you?"

"Yes...but it is also common courtesy," and he sighed, "But yes...I am now."

Terrias, Aria, and Spyro left to continue with their normal routines, leaving Alex and Cynder alone. "You know...I was wrong about you..." the black dragoness continued, walking over to him.

"I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing..."

"It's a good thing," and she paused in her tracks, "I thought you couldn't be changed...that you were just some selfish prick who only looked to get lucky. I don't know what happened, but seeing at how well you are treating her now...I'm proud of you."

"Eh...thanks?"

"No, I'm serious. I'm actually quite touched that you are taking this so seriously now...thank you."

"You're welcome...I guess."

Cynder blushed, looking down, then said, "When she goes, if you ever...uh...need someone, I'm always available...all you need to do is...uh...ask."

"With Ember wanting to be with Flame now," Alex began, "I think you should stay with Spyro. Thank you for everything you have given me though."

She seemed sad at this reply, then said, "O...okay then..."

"But if you are ever looking for a change of scenery, I guess the same offer extends to you. Your little bouts of experimentation might be kinda disturbing most of the time...but I do enjoy the surprise of seeing what dirty things your mind comes up with."

She grinned, then grabbed him by the balls, pulling him closer to her, "Hon, we haven't even scratched the surface," and she pulled him down to his knees as she kissed him, firmly, violently, before releasing him and walking away, flipping up her tail and showing herself off to him in the process.

Alex's phone rang then, and chuckling quietly to himself, he answered the call, "Vaughn here."

"Commander?" Elliot asked.

"Ah shit...is our time limit here finished?"

"No...it hasn't even been three days here yet. I have a slightly...different...issue on hand."

"What is it?"

"Well...eh...I'll be there in a few hours your time. This is a matter that we need to discuss in person."

Two hours later, there was a knock on their door, and Alex opened, allowing Elliot, who was holding a cloth sack in his arms, entry. "General Elliot!" Terrias exclaimed, jumping up and saluting.

"At ease, Lieutenant," the general grumbled, and he carefully sat the burlap sack down on the coffee table in the parlor.

"What is it?" Spyro asked.

"Some kind of strange stone," the general replied, and he opened the sack, revealing a strange, black, elliptical stone. It was smooth, obsidian black, with a glassy, multifaceted surface that shined in the light. Alex stroked it, very warm, with a silky texture, and as he picked it up, he was alarmed at its weight.

"Christ!" Alex roared, dropping it onto the couch behind him, "It has to weigh at _least _a hundred pounds!"

"It weighs ninety-two pounds," the general replied with a nod, "The oddness derives in where it came from. We found two black dragons, of unknown origin, dead a few hundred yards north of the _Fiernes Curtain_ in the Southern Wastelands. We have absolutely_ no_ idea where theycame from...but Fox took them in for autopsy, hopefully we can figure out what they are."

"So they're dragons?"

"Yes, but they aren't Martaanean dragons...at least, none that _I _have seen, they aren't _Realm _dragons like Spyro, Cynder, and Skorpion, and I don't think they're Akaviri, like Odahviing, Alduin, and Paarthurnax, either, I sent for the _Dovahkiin_, maybe he can clear things up."

"Hm...two dragons..." Alex said to himself, "Maybe it's an egg?"

"It wouldn't have survived the _Fiernes Curtain_, and we're assuming the dragons were dead before they even passed through."

"So they passed away on the other side of the _Curtain_, then crash landed on our side...it could be an egg."

"How? If they would have died before they passed through, the egg would have been laid the moment the female passed away, meaning it wouldn't have survived."

"Well...just in case...Rudy!"

"Yeah?" the reindeer replied, running in from the kitchen.

Alex picked up the stone and handed it over to the reindeer, who nearly fell down under the surprising weight of the stone. "Yeah...it's a little heavy," Alex replied.

"The _hell_ am I supposed to do with this!?"

"Sit on it," Alex grinned, "Or get an incubator together and put this inside of it."

"An...egg?"

"I dunno," and the Commander shrugged, "Maybe?"

"Okay then..." and he carried the heavy egg upstairs.

"Anyway," Elliot began, "We should have a call from Fox at any..." and the phone ring, "Ah! Speak of the devil!" he answered it, "Fox! The hell do we have, son?"

"Something rather interesting...see if you can pull the others up here for a while."

"We're on our way," and Elliot hang up, "Well, it seems it's time for you guys to come back."

Alpha Company groaned and complained in reply.

"Don't bitch and moan, it's not permanent, Fox just wants to show us what he found personally. Obviously, he found something interesting."

-**Research and Development Building: New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-**_**03 August 2012 **_**(ALPHA WORLD TIME)-**

_**-0109 Hours**_**-**

Alex and the others arrived at the R&D Building, deep underground within the Military District of New Alexandria. Honorary Sergeant Randall Fox, a civilian scientist working with the militia as Alpha Company's physician, and a research scientist was waiting for them. He was a clean-cut man of average height, medium-build, with pale skin, short black hair, glasses, and wearing a lab coat over a white t-shirt and jeans. Born in London, England to a Scottish father and an American mother, he had been raised in both worlds, but no trace of his accent remained except for an occasional slip on certain vowel sounds. Beside him stood Bleu, a Great Dragon from the country of Rune, who was head of the R&D department. The bipedal, pale blue, almost white dragon, with sapphire blue wing membranes and eyes, and wearing golden bracelets on his arms and leather sleeves over his legs, was young, just out of infancy, but extremely intelligent. Standing to the side of Bleu was Dante Stormblade, the Dragonborn and one of Ulfric Stormcloak's chief lieutenants, clad in steel armor with a black-furred cloak over his shoulders, one that almost matched the Jarl's. "What do we have?" Elliot asked, standing beside the table where the two dragons, about the same height as Piermont, were laying side-by-side. They were black, with chocolate brown chests and a strange, armored, plate-like bone acting as a shield covering their foreheads.

"I don't know," Fox replied with a sigh, removing his bloody gloves as he placed his palms on the table, leaning down over the dragons. His normally clean lab coat was covered in drying blood.

"They aren't Martaanean," Bleu replied, "They aren't Realm, they aren't Akaviri, and they aren't Great Dragons either."

"That...doesn't make sense."

The dragon shrugged, "I don't know, I'm only telling you what I know."

"One thing's for sure..." Fox interrupted, glancing at the two sheathes on the bellies of the dragons. A red penis had fallen out from one of the sheathes, "They're definitely male and female, and they're mates."

"How can you tell that?" Spyro asked.

"We found traces of the male's DNA in seminal fluid swabbed from the female's vagina, as well as the remains of birthing fluids."

"So it _is _an egg..." Spyro sighed.

"Yes it is...but that _still _doesn't explain where they _came _from. They are also malnourished, dehydrated, and have evidence of physical abuse. Although most of them were burned off, we found the remains of collars around their necks, and judging by their stomach contents, which contained mostly grass and fallen deer, they don't seem to know how to take care of themselves...meaning they were probably pets. Wild ones would not have been so malnourished and would probably not have eaten such a diet...they're carnivorous, not omnivorous, evidenced by their fangs."

"So basically, they were doing what the aliens do," Elliot replied.

"That's what I think."

"Aliens? What do you mean?" Terrias asked, puzzled.

"Well..." Alex began, "Sometimes, people who live in terrible, terrible worlds, such as Mexico, put their very lives at stake to come to a better place. A lot of these people have their children in America so that their kids could have better lives...I think that's what these dragons were doing. Escaping their abused home and crossing the _Curtain_, so that their egg could have a better life."

"Oh..." he replied, then, arms crossed, he changed the subject, "For passing through the _Curtain_, they don't seem to have suffered much damage."

"That's another interesting aspect we found..." Fox continued, "Their scales are very hard, nearly as hard as diamonds, it was harder than hell to even perform the autopsy, but we finally managed to saw through the scales and flesh of the bellies, which raises the curious question on how they were killed."

"How did they die?" Aria asked.

Fox reached behind him, revealing a small mason jar with seven bullets within it, suspended in alcohol, "They were shot...and there is something more. Most of the bullets were melted...obviously...but we _did_ recover traces of a poison on those bullets...the very same used to kill Crash." and he handed the jar to the female servine, "The caliber and material the bullets were made of is also identical to that which was recovered from Crash's body."

"Oh shit!" Alex hissed, "It's Crash's killer!"

"I don't know..." Fox replied, "It might be..."

"Anyway," Elliot interrupted, wanting to change the subject, "How can bullets punch through hard scales?"

"The funny thing is, I think the _Curtain _tempered them."

"So they literally passed _through _the _Fiernes Curtain_?" Alex replied in amazement.

"Yes...and it seems that they survived until they crashed. Then the female laid her egg before crawling over to the male...who we assume was dead even before they passed through, and died beside him."

"That's heartbreaking..." Cynder replied, sounding sad.

"Well, all I suggest is you take care of that egg. Obviously these two dragons aren't going to miss it...so Alex, I'm entrusting it in your care."

"One things for sure," Spyro interrupted, "That egg was really oddly shaped...not like anything I've seen before. Obviously, it isn't Martaanean..."

"We give live birth," Piermont interrupted, "We don't lay eggs."

Continuing, the purple dragon said, "Realm Dragon eggs aren't shaped like that...and its too heavy and hard to be even a deformed one. Akaviri...nobody knows how they or Great Dragons are born, but those parents look nothing like either species. We really do have a mystery on our hands...maybe a new breed?"

"No, because if they _were _a new breed, their former owner would have told somebody."

"Maybe he couldn't tell the difference?"

"I don't know..." Fox replied, "You guys are theorizing, I'm all about facts here..."

They talked for a few more minutes before Alpha Company left, heading back to the Time Wound. Aria stayed behind, waiting until everyone had left before she walked to Fox and asked, "Hey..."

"What's up, Aria?" he replied.

"I need you to check something for me..."

"Ah...my office is down the hall, first door to your left, I'll be right there, I just need to finalize these papers for the cremation of these two beasts."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

Fox walked into his office a few minutes later, closing the door behind him as he walked over to Aria, who was sitting up in a chair. "Can you lay down for me, please?" he asked. She nodded and laid down as the doctor walked over to her, placing his hand against her extended belly. She sat up and Fox handed her a cup, "Bathroom's over there," and he nodded across the hall. She returned a few minutes later, urine sample in hand as she passed it on to Fox and laid down again, he gave her a full physical, and as she sat up again, he asked, "Everything's fine. Egg's healthy...and I'm sure the urine sample will clear...what do you need to know?"

"When will my egg be laid?" she asked.

"Well...I've been doing some research on your species and turned up very little...I can only say that, honestly, I have no idea."

"Thanks, Fox."

"Is that everything?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, come see me if you have any more questions okay?"

"Okay, thanks again."

"No problem, you just take care," and he opened the door, showing her out.

Back in Beta World, Alex sat alone in his room, looking at the incubating egg and thinking about Dash. She was so excited, and he was truly happy for her, but he knew he was going to miss her terribly. He checked his watch, seeing it was late, and stood up, stretching and leaving his room out into the parlor, which was empty. Sighing, he turned to head back to his room, then saw a ray of light at the end of a hallway. Confused, he walked into the room, seeing Dash standing on her balcony outside. "Rainbow Dash? What are you doing out here alone?" he asked.

"I can't sleep, I'm excited!"

"You should try to go to bed..." and Alex grinned, "You won't wake up for tomorrow."

"I guess you're right then..." and she crawled into bed, leaving Alex to watch her. The Commander raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Girl, what are you doing?"

"Going to sleep...or trying to...goodnight, Alex."

"Dash?"

"What?"

"You do realize that this isn't your room anymore?"

"Let me stay in here for one more night anyway, then I'll be out of your hair."

"That's not what I'm talking about," and he turned the light on, "We're mates...you sleep with me now."

"Oh...I thought..."

"Why wouldn't you?"

"I guess you're right...my bad."

"Now, come to bed with me."

She nodded and stood, and the two quietly walked across the empty house and to the Commander's room, lit up by the incubator. He climbed into bed, and she hesitantly climbed in beside him, getting comfortable as she rested her head on his chest, and he kissed her.

"See?" he whispered, "Isn't that better?

"Much," she replied, and he stroked her mane until they both fell asleep, the last thing she said, was "I love you..."

"I love you, too," he replied.

_Alex opens his eyes, finding himself in a strange, rundown shanty town. At first, he thinks that he is in Requiem, reliving Crash's death...but as he looks around, he realizes that this isn't an old city being given new life...this is an entirely new town! All around him, the shacks are made from panels of corrugated steel and left over parts from rundown tanks, jeeps, and other scrapped vehicles. At the end of the dusty street he stands on, with sand blowing past him, he sees what seems to be a radio tower, or a cell tower, with a shack at its base. Something draws him towards the shack, and he walks towards it, smelling the odor of dust and mold, feeling the hot sun beating down upon his back, as if he is in the heart of a desert. To his left, he sees the _Fiernes Curtain_, several miles away, but strangely, the sun still shines from a cloudless sky. He finally approaches the house, hearing a blast of wind, hearing the steel panels of the surrounding houses squeaking in protest against the wind trying to blow them down. _What is this place?_ he thinks, getting no answer._

_He continues on, standing just in front of the shack, and the creaking door is wide open, blowing in the wind. Confused, he steps inside, feeling a sudden cloud of darkness...of evil...envelop him. To his left, he sees a board nailed to the wall, and tacked to the board is an obituary from a newspaper. He cries out when he sees that the obituary is for Crash, and where his picture shows at the top of the column, someone had taken a red marker and crossed it out. Against the board, he sees a sniper rifle, an old, World War II-era rifle, as well as a cooler, open, showing frozen bullets inside, and icy mist pouring out. He walks through the cluttered living room, seeing one of the Brotherhood's cloaks carelessly thrown on the couch. Laying beside the cloak, he sees a _Maxia _officer's uniform, neatly folded and looking unused. Suddenly, he knows where he is...the home of Crash's killer. Continuing on through the house, appearing like an old, Dust Bowl-era shack, he hears screaming coming from the garage, adjacent to the kitchen. He walks through the empty kitchen and out into the garage. His heart sinks as he sees the two dragons, chained to the garage floor, crying out and roaring in pain and discomfort. A man...Crash's killer...is kicking them, his voice is a harsh scream, but Alex can't make out what he is saying, just like he can't make out the man's face. All he can focus on is the man's angry, cold, ice-blue eyes, locked in a homicidal shine of malice and rage. After punishing the dragons once more, the man walks inside, and Alex, feeling sympathetic, walks up to them, petting them gently as he says to them, "You will never know kindness...I pity you...I pray the afterlife is good to you."_

_Their eyes show their hurt, and their sadness, and Alex can see the male look at his partner, sniffing at her extended stomach. Time suddenly flashed forward, surprising Alex as the scene before him sped past in a blur, and in an instant, he found himself still in the garage. Only this time, the sky was locked at about 1600 hours, the garage door was wide open, and the smell of freshly mowed grass fills his nostrils, confusing him, since he doesn't remember seeing grass anywhere around the area. He walks outside the garage and onto the freshly-paved driveway, finding himself in a clean suburb. The dragons appear beside him, still chained to a staple in the middle of the garage. The male roars and both dragons take to the skies, flying as far as the chain lets them. With a final, violent roar, Alex hears an loud snap and the chain breaks free, whipping right at him. He cries out, shielding his face, but the chain passes through him, leaving him unscathed. The two dragons, now realizing they are free, take to the skies, and Alex barely manages to grab onto the female's tail and climb onto her back as they fly away._

_The Commander hears a hellish scream of rage and fury, and he turns back to see the man on the sidewalk, sniper rifle in hand, firing at the escaping dragons. Both dragons roar in pain as the bullets punch through their skin and scale in several bursts of maroon, but they keep on flying, flying towards the _Fiernes Curtain_. Alex rides on the female's back, unnoticed by either dragon and apparently unseen by the world...because he is living a memory...dreaming a faint memory from a physical source in the real world...the egg?_

_He stays on dragonback as the two dragons fly unsteadily to the _Curtain _growing progressively weaker and more tired as the poison takes effect. After what seems like hours, they finally arrive at the _Curtain_, and Alex shields his face, screaming out as the flames flare and hiss at him, burning and melting skin, slowly turning him to ash, although he doesn't feel it. The dragons both roar out in pain and misery before they finally collapse, spiraling out of control, falling through the firewall and crashing into the baked earth just beyond, sending columns of dust and dirt into the sky as the momentum drags them through the ground. The dragons finally somersault to a stop, and Alex, who had been thrown off, stands up, limping over to them. The female roars in short bursts repeatedly, presumably in birthing pains. The Commander runs to her side, watching as her vulva pulsates, and the egg, slick with birthing fluids, emerges. He stands by her during the birth, and when the egg finally slips out, he catches it, gently lowering it to the ground, watching as her lips, wide open with birth, slowly close. She crawls over to her mate, roaring and nuzzling him, but he doesn't react, and Alex knows that he is dead. Roaring one final time, she licked her partner's face before finally stilling, collapsing onto him, and the Commander watches as her labored breathing slows, then stops._

_With the shock of witnessing her death, he sees the world he's in begin to shimmer, and he runs towards the dragons before it finally melts away, and he falls into an endless abyss before he..._

...Awoke, gasping for breath. He felt a heavy weight pressed down on his chest, and he chuckled, saying, "Easy, on the old chest, Dash," and he went to pet Rainbow Dash...instead, however, he felt soft, warm scales, and he looked down, seeing a small dragon curled up, asleep, on his chest. "The hell?" he whispered, and he looked out around his room. The glass case that had held the egg had a large hole busted into it, and pieces of glass and egg shell fragments littered the floor, leading to his bed. "Uh..." he began, "Hi?"

The dragon opened one golden, cat-like eye, blinking at him once before closing again. He picked up the dragon, which cried and flailed in protest, slicing open his arm with razor-sharp claws. Alex hissed, watching as blue sparks climbed up his arm, closing the lips of the wound. He dropped the dragon to the floor, and it hissed and snapped as it rolled around before finally standing upright. It roared at him then, its roar sounding little more than a high-pitch growl.

"Aw..." he said, "How adorable."

The dragon leaped onto his bed again, landing on his stomach and knocking the wind out of him as it walked to his neck, walking around in a circle, getting comfortable, before curling up into a ball again and falling asleep, purring.

"Son of a..." he scowled.

"What do you have?" Elliot and Fox both asked, storming into the parlor where Alex, surrounded, by the rest of Alpha Company, stood around the small, black dragon, running around, panicking at the sight of all the strangers.

"A dragon..." Alex replied, "That's all I know."

Elliot knelt down, reaching to pet the small dragon. It flinched and hissed at him, backing away.

"It's got a bit of an attitude doesn't it?" Elliot replied with a laugh.

"Maybe he doesn't like you?" Spyro replied, chuckling.

"You just look too big and scary," Terrias replied, grinning.

Elliot stepped away, and Fox approached it, very carefully, before slowly kneeling down and extending his hand. The dragon sniffed it, licking the palm of his hand with a sandpaper-like tongue. It placed its forehead into Fox's hand, and the doctor petted the small dragon before sitting up again. "Any idea what it is? Male or female?"

"Not a fuckin' clue," Alex replied.

"You going to keep it?"

Alex shrugged, "Dunno."

"Well..." and Fox crouched again, saying, "Let's see what you are little fella," as he picked up the dragon, intending to put it on its back. The dragon hissed and snapped in protest, teeth and claws thrashing.

"Careful!" Alex warned, "Those things are sharp as hell!"

It scratched Fox, who jumped back and yelped in pain. The dragon hit the floor, quickly scurrying over to Alex and scaling the Commander, perching on his shoulder and digging its sharp claws into the Commander's shoulder. He bit his lip, biting back pain, and sparks danced across his body, fizzing out where the dragon's claws were. "Get...it...off...me!" Alex roared, and he managed to carefully remove the dragon, setting it down on the floor as Alex's shoulder healed, and he released his breath in relief.

"Looks like it'll only listen to you..." Fox replied as Spyro healed his wounds, "Roll it over, would you?"

Alex gently pushed the dragon's side, and it fell down, rolling on its back and pawing the air, wanting Alex to scratch its belly. The Commander gingerly touched the lower lips of the dragon, trying to part them. As soon as he did, a foot-and-a-half-long, bright red, fully-erect penis fell out, and Piermont laughed, "Looks like the little devil is a 'he'. Jesus Christ! He might be more hung than even me!"

The dragon sighed in relief as a bright stream of golden fluid shot from the tip of its penis, arching into the air and splashing onto Piermont, who jumped back, roaring in disgust as he immediately ripped his clothes off. The stream stopped, and the dragon sighed again as his penis, growing limp, retreated back into its sheathe, and he walked back to the Commander, curling up on his lap and falling asleep.

"Well..." Elliot replied, "I...eh..." and he struggled not to laugh as Piermont swore in disgust, "I guess he's yours then...you gonna keep him?"

"I think so," and Alex grinned at Piermont's disgusted reaction.

"What are you gonna name him?"

Alex looked at the sleeping dragon for a few moments before finally saying, "Alduin. I think I'm gonna name him Alduin."

Alpha Company all groaned in amusement, several slapping their faces with the palm of their hands, "Why _Alduin_?" Spyro asked, chuckling.

"Well...he's black, he's a dragon, I'm Skyrim's bitch, he's Alduin."

An hour later, Elliot and Fox left to return back to Alpha World, and Alpha Company, save Spyro, Terrias, and Alex, were in the living room, surrounding and playing with Alduin. Alex, Terrias, and Spyro, sitting at the kitchen table, watched them, and the Commander said, "It's kinda ironic, y'know."

"What is?" Spyro asked, and Alex explained his dreams, and the irony in the subject of them at the same time as the dragon's hatching, "Maybe that little dragon was giving you his memories?"

"Would he even remember his parents? He wasn't hatched, or even laid, until after they died."

Spyro shrugged, sipping at his coffee, "It _could _be possible that the egg has memories. Who knows?"

"What _I_ find amazing," Terrias began, "Is that if your dream is true, then God had that bastard take Crash, only for that same bastard to unwittingly give you this little monster. Speak of the devil, are you going to enlist him?"

"Yes," the Commander replied with a nod, thinking, "But not yet..."

The colt returned later that day, and Alpha Company followed them back to the Time Wound, where he and Rainbow Dash began to walk towards the rippling portal. "Wait!" Rainbow Dash cried out.

The colt, seemingly annoyed, nodded as he said, "Make it quick."

Rainbow Dash walked over to her mate, smiling at her, with Alduin perching on his now-padded shoulder. She stopped in front of him, looking at him with loving eyes. He kissed her, wishing her goodbye and good luck, and she smiled, turning to head back to the colt, who straightened.

"Ready to go?" the colt asked, checking his pocket watch.

Rainbow Dash took one final look at her mate, and then said, "No...I'm staying..."

"What!?" Twilight exclaimed, astounded, and the others of Alpha Company had similar reactions, "Why aren't you going?" the unicorn asked.

"Because," Dash began, "I made a promise to someone very special to me, and I intend to keep it..."

The colt shrugged then walked through the portal alone, and Alex asked, "Why would you do that? This was your dream!"

"Alex...remember that night? When I said 'if you will have me, I will walk by your side, even into the face of death'?"

"Yeah," the Commander replied, "Of course!"

"I wasn't joking, I was being serious...and I intend to keep my promise."

"Dash..." and he hugged her, teary-eyed as they kissed, and she slipped him her tongue.

He willingly accepted it, and Piermont suddenly said from beside them, "Now that Rainbow has given up her dream for you, you owe her, _hombre_! _Big _time!"

Dash whispered into his ear, "Don't worry. Tonight, you can repay your little debt."

Alex grinned, "I think it can be arranged."

Later that night, Alex, the last one awake, went to his room, where Dash laid down on his bed, arms crossed behind her head, legs crossed, watching television. The Commander quietly slipped inside, closing and locking the door.

"Hiya, Sexy!" she said cheerily, turning off the television.

"Got an idea what to do?"

She shifted her position, revealing herself to him as she stroked and entered herself, "Dinner time," she grinned, spreading her lips for him.

After their foreplay, he climbed into bed with her, slowly beginning to enter her. She thrusted forward in a swift motion, kissing him deeply as she whispered into his ear, "Set me free..." and she gave him full control. She came first, her milking at him bringing him to climax right behind her, and as the pleasure subsided, Alduin, who had been asleep in a dog bed right next to theirs, suddenly awoke, cheeping loudly, sounding in distress. The Commander climbed out, jumping to the dragon's side. Alduin was on his side, fully-erect penis out once more, and Alex rushed him outside and into the backyard. However, a white fluid bubbled at the tip, and he rocked forward in spastic motions, arching his back as jets of hot, slick, white fluid shot from the tip. His mouth was frozen open, mid-cry, but no sound emerged, and he rocked occasionally as he throbbed, continuously shooting jets of white. Finally, the flow subsided, and he relaxed again, laying on his arched back as more fluid continued to bubble at the tip and drip down. He stood unsteadily, frantically licking and cleaning itself, and Rainbow Dash appeared beside the confused Commander, "Did...did he just...?"

"Yeah...he just did," and the Commander looked at the streaks of white on the dark green grass, in shock.

"How? He's just a baby!"

"Apparently, our pleasure transferred over to him somehow..."

"How strange..."

Once Alduin had cleaned himself, he stood up again on trembling limbs, urinating before his penis retreated back into its sheathe, and he walked over to the Commander nuzzling his shoulder and cheeping for attention. Alex scratched his head, carefully picking Alduin up and carrying him back to the room, Dash also relieved her bladder before she returned, following them. The mates climbed into bed again, curled up together as usual. Alduin, however, leaped onto the Commander's bed, walking onto his chest, curling up, and falling asleep.

"Hey!" the Commander protested, shaking the little beast awake, "This isn't your spot!"

He sniffed, as if scoffing at him, then walked to the foot of the bed and curled up, falling asleep again. Rainbow Dash chuckled and said, "Well...now we have a kid to worry about, Lover!"

Alex rolled his eyes, kissing his mate before they fell asleep together.

Alpha Company returned to Beta World several days later, their departure was met with tears and heartfelt goodbyes that were enough to warm even the coldest killer's heart. Beta Alex didn't want to see his imaginary friends...real for that short amount of time...leave him, but Terrias and Spyro both assured him that they _would _return, that it _wasn't _the last time they would hang out together. Beta Alex tightly hugged Piermont and the others of Alpha Company, and even his Alpha World counterpart, and he gave the ponies and Spike handshakes, accepting their position as soldiers in the Terminator Militia. Cynder hugged him tightly, kissing him gently on the lips before she rose into the air, hovering in place as Alpha Company took off and vanished in a flash of blue light, heading to Montana and to the Time Wound. Terrias and Spyro were the last two to go, and Alex, crying, said, "I will miss you two..."

"Don't worry," Terrias smiled, "Everything will be okay."

"We will meet again," Spyro nodded, "And once death meets us all...you will be with us in Heaven as well."

"Goodbye..." and both the dragon and the servine hugged him goodbye as Terrias mounted Arian, and the final three rose into the skies, the dragons roaring goodbye before vanishing in a flash of light...leaving the heartbroken Alex behind.


	31. Chapter XXX: A New Journey Begins

_**Chapter XXX**_**:**

**-''A New Journey Begins''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_06 August 2012_-**

**-_0508 Hours_-**

Aria moaned in pleasure, twisting as Terrias' gentle caress quickly brought her to a squirting climax. Once the pleasure receded, she looked down between her spread legs, seeing Terrias sit up, wiping his mouth.

"How did it taste?" the female servine asked, chuckling.

"As good as always," and he grinned, "What came out was a little saltier than normal though..."

And Aria giggled like a schoolgirl.

"What did you do?"

She giggled even louder, spreading her lips as she allowed a brief spray of urine to splash onto Terrias' face. The servine jumped back in alarm, "The _hell_?"

"C'mon! You enjoyed it," and she laughed, "All I did was season your meal a bit..."

"That's just...that's just wrong, girl."

"You loved it, admit it."

Terrias looked her firmly in the eyes, however, he couldn't hold a straight face, and he chuckled, "Okay, so I _did _kinda like it."

"Apparently, that's how Cynder roped both Spyro _and _Alex into doing it."

"You talk about sexual adventures with Cynder?"

"Oh, we scissor all the time!"

"Say what?"

"Nah, I'm just kidding. All I did was ask Cynder how to spice up our sex life, y'know, make it more interesting."

"Well...interesting it was."

"Yep...thanks for the cleaning," and she turned to her side.

"Wait! What about me?"

"What about you?"

"You just gonna leave me hanging here? All tease and no pleasure?"

Aria pretended to ponder the idea, then nodded, "Come here, you!" Terrias walked up to her, and Aria gingerly stroked his sheathe, watching as a small red knob appeared, growing larger. Once it was a fourth of the way out, she closed her lips over it, suckling gently at the salty, creamy taste that filled her mouth, a taste she was _very _familiar with. She kept suckling, and he grinned as he decided to get revenge on her. He allowed a brief squirt of urine, and Aria's eyes widened at the different taste. She stopped sucking, he was at full length now, and queried as to why she stopped. "You just pissed on me..." she replied, feigning a pout.

"You did it to me, too!"

"Fine...I'll give you that one...it tasted pretty good actually..."

"Say what now?"

She closed her mouth over him again, "Give me all you got!"

"O...kay?" and he emptied his bladder, amazed when Aria drank it all without complaining. Once he finished, she stopped sucking again, smacking her lips, "Unusual taste...gotta get used to it, but it's good!" and she sucked him again, this time until pleasure surged through his body. He held off as long as he could, but her sucking quickly brought him to the point of no return, and he humped forward forcefully as he felt the amazing sensation of orgasm. Aria drank it all, and once he was finished, she cleaned him before collapsing to the bed, staring up at the ceiling and breathing heavily.

"That...that was amazing!" she exclaimed, and she shuddered.

Terrias was now laying beside her, "You think that was amazing for _you_? My God...you know how to make me feel good, Aria," and he wrapped his arms around her. She seemed to melt into his arms, and as they cuddled, she said to him.

"Hey, Terrias?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember when you and I were kids, and we used to do this...to cuddle...just to do it?"

"Yeah..." he replied with a grin, "We did it cause it felt right," and he sighed, "The only good thing that came out of our little stay there."

"Yeah..." and she laughed, "I even remember that time you tried to milk me."

He blushed, "I was...quite embarrassed afterward."

"Once more though, it felt good...it felt _right_. I dreamed about that for days after the event. You know, I dreamed about you a lot."

"Same here."

"After your mom...passed...and I stuck up for you. I always dreamed, nearly every night, of making love to you. I would wake up and find out that I had soaked through all of my blankets. There were times even, when you would sleep, I would sneak up to your bed and touch you..."

"Really?" he had never heard this admission before. He turned to face her, she was blushing.

"Yeah...you would be sleeping and I would just stroke your little sheathe until you emerged, then I would actually touch and stroke and rub you until you came...and I even drank it a few times."

"You did?"

She nodded abruptly. "I kept imagining that you were doing the same thing to me while _I _slept."

"I looked at you...half of the time you were swollen and wet when I did, but I didn't touch or anything...I was too afraid I'd wake you up and you'd be disgusted."

"Oh! Do you remember when we actually masturbated together?"

"Huh?"

"Remember?"

And he was taken back, many years into the passed, back to a time, shortly after they had been reunited after Terrias' brief stay in the male cage. He remembered one particular instance, it was a hot summer day without air conditioning, their owner was out, everyone was sleeping except for them, and they had started talking about random things...

"_It's so hot..." Aria pouted, "I wish it would cool down."_

"_I agree...it should soon," Terrias replied, sighing._

"_So what should we do?" she asked, looking towards her best friend._

"_I don't know...but I'm bored."_

"_Same here..."_

"_Not really anything to do, it's too hot."_

_Terrias looked at Aria, basking in her beauty. She was curled up in the corner, but the sun was shining in their cage at such an angle that she seemed to almost glow in the light. He felt a certain tightening in his loins, one that he tried to shy away from Aria, but it was too late...he was going to fall out. He shot up, running to a private corner of the cage._

"_Hey!" Aria called after him, "Where are you going?"_

"_I'll be right back..." he said eagerly._

_Confused and worried, Aria ran after him, finding him huddled in a corner...hiding something from her._

"_Hey!" she began, "What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing, Aria, I'll be there in a moment!"_

"_What are you hiding?"_

"_Hiding? I'm not hiding anything! Honest!"_

"_Tare-Tare...will you just tell me._

"_No!"_

"_Why not?"_

"_Just...please...go away!"_

"_Terrias!" and she grabbed his shoulder, turning him to face her. She gasped, covering her mouth at what she saw. He had fully emerged, a red exclamation point jutting from his lower abdomen, and he nearly lost it in embarrassment._

"_I'm sorry!" he cried._

"_Don't worry! Don't worry!" she tried to calm him._

"_I'm sorry!" he repeated, sobbing, nearly hysterical._

"_Don't be! Please, Terrias! It's okay! It's okay..."_

"_No it's not!"_

"_Listen! Listen!" and she held him, rocking him gently, "Shh...shh...everything's okay. I'm not mad, I'm not disgusted, I'm not scared, okay?"_

_He nodded, "I'm sorry..."_

"_Don't worry..." and she looked away, blushing. Then, an idea came to mind, and she asked, "Would you feel better if I...if I showed _my_...area...to you?"_

"_What?" he sniffled._

"_Would you feel better if I showed you _my_ special area?"_

_He felt hot, but he shrugged, "You...you don't have to..."_

_She looked around, looking worried, trembling, making sure no one was paying attention, and she laid down on her side, facing him, spreading her legs for him. His eyes bugged at the sight of her most secret, special area, and she replied, "Are you okay now?"_

"_Uh huh..."_

_Blushing, she asked in a small voice, "Do you want to touch it?"_

_Now he was blushing, and he felt hotter than ever, "Can I?"_

_She nodded, "Uh huh..."_

_He reached forward, then said, "Are you sure?"_

"_Yes, I'm sure, Tare-Tare."_

_He gently touched the outer lips, recoiling once he touched it._

"_It's okay," she said, "I don't mind. You can touch it if you want. Do whatever you want, I don't mind...under one condition."_

"_What?" he asked._

"_Can I touch your...thing?"_

_He nodded, and he laid down, exposing his erect self to her, "You can do whatever you want, too."_

_He gently stroked her lips, stretching them, playing with them, she sighed at the touch, he sighed as well when he felt her soft fingers brush him, her hand gently wrapping around him and tugging him. She moaned softly and he abruptly stopped, worried he had done something wrong._

"_It's okay!" she replied, "It's okay! Don't stop!"_

_He nodded, touching her and asking, "Can I kiss it?"_

_She nodded, "You can."_

_He kissed it, sticking his tongue into her and tasting the strange but wonderful taste. An explosion of flavor filled his mouth, and he felt himself loosen up. He felt her hot breath on him, and he could feel her put his thing in her mouth, licking it and sucking on it._

"_Please be careful..." he said, "Sometimes this weird...liquid...comes out. It feels really good though..."_

"_Same with me," she replied, laughing, her voice beautiful, "Let's see if we can make it come out."_

"_You really mean it?"_

"_Of course I do, silly!"_

_He kissed and sucked her, licking her area, enjoying it, enjoying the taste, and she did the same thing to him. As he was brought closer to the edge, he warned, "It's coming..."_

_She said, through unsteady breaths, "Yeah...same here."_

_Finally, he reached the edge, and he humped towards her, she moaned, and she began to rock towards him, and heat flashed through his body as he felt the weird, hot, milky stuff, the liquid that wasn't urine, shoot out. She licked it, drinking it, and her wonderful scent filled his nose, turning on some kind of instinctive switch in his brain. He was overcome with urge to mount, much to his alarm, but he fought off the feeling, still feeling as close to her as ever before as her muscles twitched and a strange-tasting, hot liquid splashed onto his face and into his mouth. He drank it, the taste was strange, but wonderful, it smelled and tasted of _her.

_Once they were done with their administrations, they sat up, and Aria looked at him with a look that could only be described as love. He felt closer to her than ever before, and butterflies filled his stomach. She was blushing, and she shyly said, "You are the first person to ever do that to me."_

"_So are you...hey Aria?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_I...I love you..."_

_She gasped, tears coming to her eyes, and she hugged him, kissing him and causing his heart to leap, "I love you, too!"_

"_I...I have an idea."_

"_What is it?"_

"_Well...do you think that we could...y'know..."_

"_What?"_

_He tried to figure out how to explain that he wanted to have her essence again, looking at their water bowls, an idea hatched in his mind, "Maybe we can...do that...in our water bowls, that way we can drink each other whenever we want?"_

_She nodded, "I like that idea!" and she quietly brought their water bowls over to them as she straddled over his, fingering herself until more of that magical liquid of hers splashed into his empty bowl. The whole cage was suddenly filled with her wonderful scent, and she nudged her bowl to his, "Now you," she said, "Please."_

_As he revealed himself, he grabbed himself, tugging on it until that feeling surged through his body and that strange liquid, as white as milk, but extremely slick and hot, splashed into her bowl. He then nudged the bowl over to her, and she said, "Thank you!" They hid their water bowls inside the cardboard box...something their owner had put in their cage to be like a house, but only they ever played in, and all day, Terrias stood by his bowl, enjoying the smell and taste of her essence. For several days that had done this, refilling their bowls whenever they ran empty...until their owner had cleaned the cage, discovered the soiled bowls and replaced them, beating them for doing it._

Terrias laughed, "I remember...my God, we were so fucked up back then."

"Yeah...and remember how we came on each others beds after we lost those bowls so we could still enjoy our essences?"

"Yeah..." and the male servine looked at his smiling mate, happy to be with her, "I love you, Aria."

"I love you, too," she replied, and they cuddled together.

Alduin cheeped unhappily, waking Alex who, groaning unhappily, climbed out of bed, disturbing Rainbow Dash. The Pegasus sat up, yawning and rubbing her eyes before asking, "What are you doing, Alex?"

"Alduin has to take a piss apparently..."

She groaned and fell backwards, laying down again, "You really need to litter train him," and she yawned again.

"Agreed," Alex replied, picking up the dragon and putting him outside. Alduin decided that he was more intrigued by the pool and the wave generator than his owner's need for sleep, and every three minutes, Alduin rushed to the freshly made wave, chasing it down to the end of the pool, before running back to the generator, arriving just in time for the next one to be produced. "Dammit, Alduin..." and he had to push the dragon, who hissed and growled in protest, away from the pool, "Just take your piss so we can go back inside!"

Alduin snorted again, sneezing and leaping back when a small tongue of blue flame shot from his mouth and blinking in surprise. The little dragon finally walked around the grass, sniffing around as he twirled twice and crouched over, his defining appendage dropping out and releasing its load. Alex nodded off, startled awake when Alduin cheeped, announcing he was finished.

"Finally!" Alex grumbled, picking up the little beast and taking him back inside. As he carried Alduin to the glass elevator, the dragon fell out, and he lowered his stomach as he rubbed his red member against Alex's bare arm. A strange odor filled the air, and Alduin humped a little faster. "Stop it!" Alex hissed. Alduin winced, hissing back as he took on wing and wiped his face clean of the Commander's saliva, then he began to masturbate again. Alex dropped the dragon, who hissed in reply before leaping back into his arms again, nuzzling Alex's arm and falling asleep again.

The Commander gently sat Alduin down in his bed before crawling back into bed with a sleeping Rainbow Dash, who awoke, "Where've you been?"

"Dealing with _you know who_."

Her nose scrunched up, "I smell musk."

"Apparently, Alduin liked that little bout of pleasure he received by accident."

"Why? How do you know?"

"Because he tried to do it again."

"Oh...that's just wonderful," the Pegasus scowled, "Our adopted son has discovered masturbation."

Two weeks passed by with nothing new occurring. Alduin was beginning to grow at an alarming rate, already three feet tall, and he was growing more intelligent as well, having learned, much to Alex's relief, to go outside by himself. Alex and Rainbow Dash's mating pleasure still transferred over to him somehow, because whenever they would mate, Alduin would also begin to masturbate, leaving Alex to have to train him to go outside whenever that occurred. He still could not speak or fly, and Alex wondered if his species of dragon were not ones who could. Aria was beginning to grow more moody and more temperamental, and her sexual drive was increasing rapidly to an almost infinite scale, she reached a point now where she was almost always in heat, and it was clear that Terrias was exhausted with dealing with her and her mood swings, but he still pressed on, showing a deep, infallible love for his best friend and sweetheart. Alex's training with Rainbow Dash and the other ponies continued, and they were becoming very skilled in the ways of a soldier. Alex had also decided to begin special elemental training with his mate, helping her to find her given element and to teach her how to master it.

The dog days of summer ticked down, Alpha Company enjoying the prolonged break in _Maxian _activity, but each one began to suffer from the lack of activity, as their natural hormonal rage, normally kept at bay by battle, got the best of them. More fights were breaking out among Alpha Company's ranks, and everyone was on edge. When Alex received a phone call from Mark, wanting to take him to their college so they could purchase books, the Commander jumped at the opportunity, taking with him Rainbow Dash, Spyro, Cynder, Terrias, Piermont, and Alduin. They met in Connorsville's Walmart parking lot, and Mark said, "Who's the little dragon?"

"Oh, this is Alduin," Alex replied, "Elliot found his egg in the Southern Wastelands and it hatched, so we got stuck with him."

"Where's his parents?"

"Dead."

"Oh...well..." and he looked at the dragon, who cocked his head and stared at Mark, making a little chirping sound.

"Nice...let's just go."

They arrived over Champaign a few minutes later, flying low over Parkview and frightening a group of African American collegians as they landed. The boys stared as the Terminators transformed in flashes of light.

"What about him?" Mark asked, nodding towards Alduin.

"Guess you have a point..."

The Terminators transformed back into their natural forms as they entered the building, walking across campus, oblivious of the students here who sped away from the soldiers. "You just like scaring the crap out of people, don't you Alex?" Mark asked.

"Yes, yes I do."

They entered the bookstore, ignoring the looks given to them by the other students as they found the bookshelf with the diesel class books. Mark pointed out the books that they would need, and after they made their purchases, they left the building, heading back to New Alexandria.

Another week passed by, the calender soon landing on the day before college actually started, and Alpha Company took advantage of their last day of summer, hanging out together on the balcony of Club Camelot and enjoying the deck pool.

Alex stood at the far end of the deck, looking out towards the Burned Lands and the _Fiernes Curtain_, and Terrias walked up to him. "What do you think this is going to be like?" the servine asked, "College, I mean."

"I don't know, Terrias...different from High School I'm sure."

"I hope we're accepted, Alex..."

"You will be, Terrias...all of you, even Rainbow Dash."

"A college class on diesel mechanics...we're spending literally all day working on diesel engines, tractors, and combines, leaving our little building once or twice a day to the main building on campus...who would _probably _be more willing to accept our presence without mocking us or bullying us...for the prerequisite classes. We're gonna be surrounded by fucking rednecks and good ol' farmboys, they aren't going to accept _Spyro the Dragon_, _Pokemon_, and _My Little Pony_."

"They might."

"If they do, I will be very surprised."

"It won't be bad...we're soldiers."

"The hell does _that _have to do with anything?"

"People don't mess with you when you've ended unknown amounts of human lives."

"Yeah, and we can't even get any of the veterans benefits either...it's the fucking government that wants our heads on pikes," Terrias said unhappily.

"That could _also _play to our advantage...'fucking rednecks and good ol' farmboys' don't like the liberals...they'll support and accept us just because we're tormenting the Demis. Anyway. come armed, the instructors already know that we will have weapons with us," Alex replied.

"I don't know _how _you manage to pull strings to allow us to have weapons on us when nobody else can."

"It's a secret."

Alpha Company awoke early the next morning and Alex gathered them in the lobby of Club Camelot. Once they had assembled, the Commander's Wing rose into the air, flying south, while the ground-based members followed. In a number of flashes of light, they vanished, reappearing a few miles outside of the Champaign, Illinois, on Interstate 47, the same interstate that the militia had traveled along during their advance to _Maxia_-occupied Champaign almost two years earlier. _I wonder what this will be like_, Spyro thought out to everyone.

_Same damn thing _I _asked, _Terrias replied.

_It shouldn't be too bad, _Alex added, _It'll take some getting used to, but we'll be liked and respected eventually_.

_Yeah, but what will our classmates deal out before they begin to respect us? _Rudolph asked, _Alex, we've never been well-received, not at Vermilion, not at Bismarck_.

_Don't forget Thomas Jefferson Elementary and that school in Missouri_, Simba added, and Cheet nodded in agreement.

_Things will be different_... the Commander replied, _I promise_.

Rainbow Dash then thought out, and Cynder nodded in agreement, _Don't make a girl a promise if you know you can't keep it_.

_We're dealing with adults now, not kids, I think we'll be treated much better here_.

_Should we go into our human forms? _Terrias asked.

_Go ahead_, Alex replied, _Don't know what we'll do with Alduin_, and the dragon, riding on Piermont because he himself couldn't fly, cheeped, acknowledging that he had been mentioned.

_One thing's for sure_, Spyro replied, _Alduin can at _least_ hear our thoughts_._ Wait a moment...hey little buddy, little Alduin, you think you can become a human for us?_

There was a flash of light, and when it cleared, a young man, with large, golden eyes, dark brown hair, and wearing a black shirt and black jeans rode beside the Commander.

"Alduin?" the Commander asked, astounded.

The dragon nodded vigorously.

_Looks like we're all set_, Terrias replied, and Alpha Company landed in the parking lot of 'W' Building, those who were still in their natural forms transforming into their human ones. They stood around, chatting, as Mark's class, second year students, arrived, unloading their toolboxes and taking them inside.

"Well, I was wondering if you would show up," Mark said, emerging from the building, "Especially since you have a knack for getting into trouble and being late."

"We're never late," Alex replied, "But we do get into trouble sometimes."

"Whose that boy with you?" he asked, nodding towards the Alduin.

"That's Alduin," and the dragon nodded vigorously again.

"Well, at least he knows his name...who are you?" he asked next, addressing the goth-looking girl beside Alex.

"It's me," she replied, "Rainbow Dash."

"Never would have assumed so."

"Thanks...I guess."

"Anyway, don't mess this up."

"Mess what up?"

"Your deal with the store."

"You worry too much, we'll do fine!"

"I don't 'worry too much', I know you. Stay out of trouble, and keep your soldiers under control."

"They'll be fine!" Alex replied, unloading his AK47.

"The hell? You brought a gun!?"

"Yeah, we all did," Piermont replied, sticking a Marlboro in his mouth and striking a match.

"Get rid of them!"

"We've already had them cleared with the instructors, they know our situation."

He shook his head, walking inside the building.

"Well _he's _becoming a real dick, isn't he?" Terrias replied.

"I'm not gonna worry about him," Alex replied, "I suggest none of you all do it either."

They walked into the classroom, sitting around in the back of the room, clustered in their own little corner. One by one, students piled in, from all age groups, ranging from eighteen years old, all the way to late forties. The oldest one, the man in his late forties, turned in his seat and looked at the clustered Alpha Company. "Can ya guys get any farther away? Why don't ya c'mon over here and sit with the rest of us."

"We're fine," Alex replied.

"You're fine? You look like crap."

"Hey, thanks," Alex replied sarcastically.

"Nah, I'm just sayin'. You look like you've been through a war."

"More than you will _ever _realize..." Spyro replied.

"Nah," another man, younger, said, "They've just been through hell and back."

"That, too," Alex and Terrias said in unison.

"What are your names?" the first man replied, "Name's Matt Cunningham."

"Alex Vaughn," the Commander introduced, "These are my...eh...friends."

"Mornin'!" their primary instructor, Mark Siegfried, introduced, walking in the room, "I see a few familiar faces...Commander," and he tipped his head.

The class all turned to stare at Alex, who shrank in his seat.

"Now, let's begin by introducing ourselves, I'll let you begin," and he pointed to a kid directly in front of him, "Name, age, where your from, married, anything you want, go on ahead."

"Name's Mark Foreman, corporal in the US Army, went in during Iraqi Freedom, came out after I got shot in the ass. I'm 24, married, with two kids."

"Good., good...whose your dealer?" Mark Siegfried asked.

"Birkey's Farm Store here in Urbana."

"Good, good...what about you?"

"Andrew Cameron," a stocky, bald kid said, "I'm 20, born and raised in Farmer City, not married, and my dealer is Birkey's up there."

"Andrew Cunningham," another kid, wearing a frayed hat, plaid, and with a goatee replied, "21, Birkey's here in Urbana's my dealer."

"Matt Cunningham," no relation to Andrew, 47, I'm from Farmer City, not married, my dealer is Birkey's."

"Nathan Zook," the kid sitting beside Matt began, "I'm 21, and work up in Farmer City Birkey's."

"Name's Jordan Scribner, I'm...uh...18, from Champaign, and my dealer is Schaff Machines..."

"Good, good," Siegfried said, "Go ahead, Commander."

Alex, relaxing his tense muscles, suddenly straightened, "Alex Vaughn, I'm 18-will be 19 on the 11th of September-engaged, my dealer is Birkey's north of Vermilion...and I'm a soldier...fighting this lovely civil war."

"Really?" Foreman spoke up, "What's your rank?"

"Uh...I have a question first...you US Army or _Maxia _Regime?"

"Fuck the _Maxia_, they can kiss my ass."

"I'm Great Commander of the Terminator Militia...formed this army back in 1997, been fighting this goddamn war since that dumbass douchebag in the oval office declared war on us back in 2010."

"Wait..." Andrew Cunningham spoke up, "So _you_ are the Great Commander Alex Vaughn?"

"Yes I am."

"Good, good...what about you?" and Siegfried pointed to Spyro. Spyro turned to face the Commander, worried about what to say.

"Might as well reveal yourself," Alex sighed, "These guys aren't _Maxia-_friendly."

In several flashes of light, Alpha Company transformed back into their natural forms, save Rainbow Dash and the other ponies. The class recoiled, stunned, but also amazed and greeted Alpha Company.

"See what I mean?" Alex replied, nudging Terrias, "Told you there was nothing to worry about."

"My name is Spyro, Northwestern Regional Commander and Alex's second-in-command."

"Cynder, Five Star General, and part of the High Command, much like Alex and Spyro."

"My name's Piermont, Great Commander, High Command, and I'm Alex's dragon."

"I'm Terrias, 2nd Lieutenant."

One by one, the Terminators introduced themselves, and once they were all finished, the rest of the class finished their own introductions. After an hour, Siegried, who just wanted to be called Zig, dismissed the class and they moved on to their second instructor, Gordon Watson, also known as 'Gordy'. The class ran through the introductions and moved onto the third and final instructor of the diesel program, Steve Johnson, who looked like a stereotypical, beer-drinking, tailgate-partying, Nascar-watching, grill-loving American father. He had nothing nice to say about the government or his superiors, whom he called 'Suits'. He told them of a little feud occurring between 'W' Building and the rest of the campus, based heavily on a clash of ideas, with 'W' Building being all-American, God n' Guns Conservative, and Main Campus, composed of typical Progressive and liberal collegians with a dominantly Black and Chinese student body.

"Now listen here," Steve began, walking around the classroom, "A few ground rules...I'm not afraid of a 'fuck this' or a 'fuck that', hell, I say the same shit as y'all do. When you're here, I don't care what you say, I only request that you act appropriately when the Suits come in, we also have a lot of social gatherings here because of the Anderson room across the hall, so we get a lot of nurses here, despite how sexy they may or may not be, I don't want them to see you acting out or saying something, 'cause then they go back to Administration, file some shitty case on sexual harassment...what a joke...then I get these shitty emails from Admin, bitching and moaning about how my students are misbehaving and causing trouble, then I have to go through these fucking teaching seminars and...it's a mess. So, if you ever see any Suits walk in, please let me know. I don't care what you do over here, you aren't a bunch of bitchy little kids, despite what Admin tends to think, but stay out of trouble over there. I don't know how many times I've had to catch hell because those bitchy girls in Main Campus see someone acting up and turn us in to Administration. Now, I know that you guys don't get into a lot of trouble...I think half of the time these reports are just those bastards in Main Campus looking to get you in trouble, they're always searching for ways to nail our balls to the wall. Main Campus idiots shouldn't fuck with you guys, they're too lazy and there's too much space between them and us."

Piermont elbowed Alex, "Dude...I love this guy!"

Alex raised his hand, "So...what if we _do _get some of these unwanted numbfucks? Can we use our hammers and chase 'em away?"

"Be my guest. It's all in self-defense, right?"

"I _really _love this guy," Piermont roared, "Yo! Steve-O, I have one question..."

"Go ahead."

"How do you feel about Mountain Dew?"

"Best fucking drink on the whole goddamn planet."

"URA! Methinks we're gonna get along just fine."

"What's your opinion on the war?" Terrias asked.

"Me? I think our goddamn president is a stupid son of a bitch who only started this war to hide his attempts to fuck America over."

"Which side do you support?"

"Three words...Fuck. The. _Maxia_. I'm sorry if any of y'all are offended by that statement. The Terminators have done nothing wrong. Hell, they've only helped America, not fucked it up like those bitchy Suits in the White House say."

"Oh yeah," Alex nodded, "We're gonna get along fine."

"Who are you guys anyway?"

"To be honest," Spyro began, "We're Terminators...specifically we're Alpha Company."

"Alpha Company? You guys are the top of the top then aren't you?"

"Yes we are," the purple dragon nodded, "Alex here, me, Cynder, and Piermont."

"Hot damn! You guys are the fuckin' High Command!"

"Hell yeah!"

"Oo-rah!"

"URA!" Alpha Company cried in replied.

"Yep! It's official," Piermont nodded, "I love it here."

1600 hours came around, and Alpha Company were faced with one of two classes they had in Main Campus. Neither one of them were looking forward to it, and Nathan, Andrew Cunningham, now nicknamed 'Cummingham', Andrew Cameron, now known a 'Cameron', and another kid by the name of Wade Robinson trudged to class with them.

"I don't know about you guys," Spyro began, "But I have a _really _bad feeling about this class..."

"It might be, it _is_ Main Campus, after all," Terrias replied, "I swear we'll probably get the biggest douchebag in the world, knowing our luck."

"Yeah...three good teachers and two dicks," Piermont replied.

"Well..." Alex began, "I've heard that our other teacher is actually a very good one."

"Yay!" Piermont mumbled, "_Four _good teachers and one total dick."

"Here comes trouble," Cynder nodded towards a fat, nerdy-looking teacher with short, curly black hair and too-big glasses.

"That him in the pedo glasses?" Piermont asked.

"Think so."

"Son of a bitch."

The diesel kids sat in the back of the class, away from the one student sitting in front of the door.

"Can't you guys move around a bit? You have the whole room," he said in an annoying, nasally voice.

"We're fine," Piermont replied, legs propped up on his desk.

"You," he began, pointing at the dragon, "Feet down. Now, my name is Doctor Erik Paulus, and I will be teaching Math-131," he walked around the room, a stack of papers in his arms, "This is the class syllabus and an outline of your first set of homework. Section 1.1 & 1.2 is due tomorrow."

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Piermont interrupted, "Hold on...it's the first goddamn day!"

"I know, but we have a lot to go over. Besides, this stuff is easy, basic addition and subtraction, shouldn't be too hard."

"Damn it all..." the dragon sighed, revealing a can of snuff as he stuck a wad of chew into the corner of his mouth.

"Now, follow me as I read the classroom rules and expectations."

Half an hour later, Paulus finished going over the seven page packet of paper, removing a red dry-erase marker from his pocket as he began the lesson. Terrias, staring ahead, spaced off as memories of the execution flooded his mind, adding to his experiences in Hell. It had been an eventful summer for them, and now here he was, stuck behind a desk in his least favorite subject, with a teacher who was so tight on the rulebook that so much as answering a question without raising a hand set him off. As his vision flashed dangerously to the execution, he blinked, shaking his head as he tried to prevent the memory from resurfacing as a flashback.

Alex sat at the desk, each student had individual desks here, not a single table with multiple chairs like in 'W' Building. Everyone had switched to their human forms before they entered Main Campus, and Alex wondered where this professor of his leaned. He tried to discreetly scour the professor's mind and found it occupied by mathematical jargon, covering secrets exposing him as single, with no clear grasp on his sexuality, and holding an odd fascination with a certain student in this class, one that Alex couldn't identify before he was abruptly overwhelmed with mathematical jargon again and shut out.

"Excuse me..." Paulus began, addressing Terrias who had almost fully become encompassed in his memories. "Mr...Terrias? Mr. Terrias, pay attention."

But Terrias didn't see, or even hear, Paulus talk to him, and the professor pushed his way to the back of the room, bringing his fist forcefully down on the table. Terrias nearly jumped up as the memory faded away and he was brought back to the real world.

"Stay with us, Mr. Terrias,"

The servine sat up, shaking his head, "It's not my fault...you haven't even seen the shit I have."

"Language, Mr. Terrias."

"Yeah...okay..."

Rainbow Dash, sitting beside Alex, extended her hand, and the Commander grabbed it, _Something's off with this guy_... she thought to her mate.

_I know, I was thinking the same thing_..._I just can't put my finger on it_.

"Excuse me, Mr. Vaugh and Ms..." and he searched through the roster, "Dash? Anyway, hands off each other. Pay attention. You can do that later when you _aren't _in my class."

_Fuck you, too, mate...wait, you'd like that too much_, Alex thought, and Alpha Company chuckled.

An hour later, he sent them off, and as Alpha Company and the diesel boys walked beside each other on the sidewalk back to 'W' Building, Nathan said, "What a cheap bastard."

"Yeah, why do idiots with PhD's always think they're better than everyone else...they're also the ones who are always so goddamn stiff, strict, and boring."

"It's because he thinks he smarter than us."

"What a dumbass," Alex replied, "Besides, he has one helluva gay crush on someone in our class."

"How do you know that?"

"We're Terminators, we know things."

"In English," Dash spoke up, "He scoured Polly's mind, finding his private thoughts."

"Who is it?"

"Dunno, he somehow shut me out before I could figure it out."

"I have a feeling that this will be a _very _interesting two years..." Piermont said, and without another word, they headed back to 'W' Building as the sun sank in the west.


	32. Chapter XXXI: The Beginning of the End

_**Chapter XXXI**_**:**

**-''The Beginning of the End''-**

**-Caribbean Sea-**

**-_31 August 2012_-**

**-_0518 Hours_-**

"General Mason, sir..." a _Maxian_ officer said, speeding into the command center of the battleship.

"Speak, Major."

"We are twelve kilometers out from Martaan."

"Send the men to their battle stations, fire on my word."

"Yes, sir," and he ran off.

Soldiers patrolled the suspension bridge connecting Martaan and Fort Ozark, growing exhausted as their shifts neared the final hour. In the east, the first rays of sun began to appear, casting Martaan in a strange, pink, almost magical glow. No one looked out over the water, spotting the unusual black shapes lining the horizon as the _Maxia _approached their targets, surrounding two of the Terminator Militia's most important territories.

"Exhausted..." one of the men said to his companion, "Got the time?"

"0530 hours."

"Son of a bitch..."

"It'll end before you know it."

"Wish that helped."

Mason looked through his binoculars and at the silhouette of the distant islands and the bridge, "Get ready."

"Sir, EMP bomb is loaded and primed."

"Good, launch it on my signal."

"Yes, sir."

After a few minutes, he issued the order and a cargo door opened on the deck of the ship as a strange-looking cannon emerged from the ship. It rotated to the left, telescoping outward as it arched up to a 50º angle. With a solid thunk, it fired into the sky, a glowing blue orb as it hovered above the center of the bridge and exploded, sending blue rings in every direction. Instantaneously, the lights in Fort Ozark and along Martaan's beach went out, and the general said, "Gunners, fire!"

The deck guns fired simultaneous, delivering a continuous barrage of rounds that blasted apart the stone wall encircling the fortress, positioned on the top of a mountain on the island. A massive cloud of white emerged from the peak of the mountain and an avalanche of snow came crashing down onto Fort Ozark, obscuring the mountain-top fortress from view.

"Blue team, move out!" Mason ordered, and he watched from the deck as twelve landing craft drove away from the battleship, heading towards Fort Ozark. The deck guns continued firing and the battleships moved closer to the islands.

1st Lieutenant Major Barry Madison's landing craft was the first to slam into the white sands of Martaan, and as the gate dropped, the craft immediately emptied as _Maxian _special ops soldiers sped out, engaging and eliminating the Terminator patrols as they charged off the beachhead and into the wild jungles of the island.

"Secure Fort Dane," Mason's voice began, emerging from the lieutenant's earpiece, "I want that fortress, it should be situated on a plateau in the center of Martaan. Then, I want you to advance and take the bridge, that is our way into Fort Ozark. Resistance on the beach of Ozark Island is to thick, its crawling with trenches and bunkers, we take the bridge, we have a direct line to Fort Ozark. Do _NOT _let them destroy that bridge!"

The _Maxia _moved swiftly, using the thick jungle foliage for cover as they silently advanced on the island, cleaning out the burrow homes of the dragons living on the island with flamethrowers and plastic explosives. An hour into the invasion, clouds rolled in above the island as a tropical rainstorm enveloped the island. Visibility was next to naught, and the dragons, having the advantage of thermal vision and knowledge of the island's layout. The rainstorm also caused fog to drift in, blocking the sight of the battleships supplying cover fire and hindering them from firing accurately.

"This shit's thick," Madison's partner said from beside him, "How in the hell is Mason expecting us to take this damn island with minimal casualties when we can hardly see our damn hands in front of us!"

"Stop complaining, Corporal, our orders are clear, and we _will _succeed. I won't let this island of barbarians slip from our grasp."

"The last army to attempt to seize Martaan and Fort Ozark was wasted by the Commander's Wing and their Dragonrider Division."

"I know that," Madison replied, remembering the failed LKA invasion back in 2005, "But we aren't those inexperienced whiny-ass children, we're the _Maxia_, and the Commander-in-Chief made it _very_ clear on our objective."

The duo, followed by their squad, quietly infiltrated one of the burrows of the dragons, and a male forest dragon stood tall, roaring and stepping between his mate and offspring.

"Well!?" Madison roared at his squad's three flamethrowers, "Don't just stand there! Kill them!"

"The dragonlings, too?"

"Yes!"

"They can't be much older than a year..."

"I don't care! They are Martaanean! They are our enemies! Kill them before I put a bullet in your brains!"

The flamethrowers tentatively stepped forward, and as the dragon, having issued his warning roar, prepared to attack, they all depressed the triggers of their weapons, spewing liquid fire onto the male until he, crying in pain, issued a dying roar and collapsed forward. The female roared in mourning before she, too, prepared to attack, but Madison stepped forward, machete in hand, and sliced her throat open. The children cheeped in alarm, running to their mortally wounded mother, but Madison sheathed his machete, revealing an AK47, as he emptied an entire clip into the three children until they stilled.

"Let's move on!" the lieutenant roared, and his squad sped out of the burrow, with smoke belching from the entrance, quickly and quietly disappearing into the jungle.

"Approaching Fort Dane, sir," one of the men in Madison's squad said.

"Take them down!"

Rushing into the clearing surrounding Fort Dane, the men of Madison's squad nervously looked towards the automatic sentry guns lining the walls.

"They're deactivated!" Madison roared, "That's what the EMP bomb was for you idiots! Keep moving!"

A stream of 'yes sir's' erupted from the crowd as they charged towards the distant fort, immediately finding themselves under power from the HMGs of the Terminator Militia. "Fight back goddammit!" Madison hissed, "Don't just stand there and stare at them!" and he fired upon the gunners.

"Blue Team," General Mason said over the communications link, "Status report."

"We're outside of Fort Dane taking care of the sentries before we breach the fortress."

"Excellent, I'm sending Red and Green teams to back you up, the storm and fog may have been an...unexpected surprise...but we _will _take these islands before we leave here."

"York!" Madison roared, addressing his explosives expert, "Get some explosives on that damn gate! Covering fire!" and his squad supplied cover fire as PFC Michael York moved out of cover, quickly dashing to the massive, steel, gate and planting several pounds of C4 onto the twin doors before running back to his squad.

"3..." he began, "2...1...Fire!" and his squad hit the ground as the gates exploded, sending pieces of twisted metal flying every which way.

Madison leaped up, "Go! Move! Move! Move!"

Blue Team ran into the fortress, using the smoke surrounding the ruins for cover from the Terminator machine guns nests covering the gate. Madison tossed a grenade into the smoke and dust, running to a nearby building. York planted the breaching explosive, and the squad jumped to the side as the door exploded inward, and the _Maxia _moved in, slaughtering the soldiers in the barracks as they advanced to the armory on the opposite side of the Quonset hut.

"Grab all you can carry!" Madison roared, "We're gonna waste this island by nightfall!"

They emerged from the barracks, rushing to the command center in the heart of the base as they bowled through the soldiers defending the building, storming the building and slaughtering the soldiers inside. Within minutes, the _Maxia _had taken control of the base, and Madison holstered his weapon, attempting to hack into the computer terminal.

"I thought the EMP..." one of his men replied.

Madison interrupted, "They've built the mainframe computer terminals...the important shit...to resist electromagnetic pulses. This shouldn't take long."

"What are you doing, sir?"

"Extracting intelligence...maybe we'll be lucky and get the recipe for their mutation serum."

After several minutes, he removed the flash drive from the terminal, jamming it into his front pocket, "Let's move out!" and they left the building, meeting Red and Gold teams just outside the command center.

"Sir," Red Team's leader began, "We have Fort Dane under control, get your men down to the bridge and take Fort Ozark."

The _Maxia _fought their way through the thick jungle, fending off desperate Terminators as they neared the bridge. The storm had subsided, and the fog began to burn off as the battleships continued their relentless barrage of attacks on Ozark Island. They met heavy resistance on the bridge, but the Terminators didn't stand a chance without their machines compared to the _Maxia_, fully armored and armed.

"We're almost there!" General Mason roared, "We're storming the beaches of Ozark Island in an hour, Madison! Get down there and clear out those bunkers! Those bastards are dug in deep and firing upon us with _Nebelwerfers_. Take down those damn guns and clean up the trenches!"

Blue Team moved off the bridge, rappelling down and onto the bridge, a hundred feet down. Once they landed on the soft, white sand of the beach, they charged into the jungle, fighting their way uphill and searching for the entrance to the trenches. Stumbling upon a cave, they charged inside, exploring the tunnels running inside the mountain as they located and brought down each one of the guns.

It took about an hour before Madison contacted General Mason, informing him that the beach was clear. Blue Team watched as _Maxian _landing craft struck the beaches, the gates opening as the troops dispersed. Madison said, "We need to get our asses up to Fort Ozark, we take the fortress, and we're done here."

"What will we do with Martaan?"

"It's time we build our own skilled army of dragonriders."

Regrouping with General Mason a quarter of a mile outside of Fort Ozark, the _Maxia _assaulted the fortress _en masse_, overwhelming the defenseless Terminator Militia with ease as they breached the walls, fighting through to the Commandant's Residence at the back of the fortress, against the mountain. The Commandant's Residence was situated on a hill overlooking the rest of the fortress, and this particular area was covered in snow from the avalanche earlier that day. Snowflakes drifting down from the skies, they fought the rest of the way through the dwindling resistance, blasting their way through the cherry-stained oak double doors and into the luxurious, Victorian-style foyer. Slaughtering the Terminator officers here, they quickly took the building, and the fortress, before the hour ended.

Two days later, Blue Team sat in the commander center of Fort Ozark, waiting for Mason to arrive to brief them. The general, looking like General Shepherd from _Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2_, entered the room, "Well done, gentlemen," he said, "With Martaan and Fort Ozark under our grasp, we've permanently damaged the Terminator Militia's forces. The island is ours, and now we can move on to our next target," and a Lieutenant Colonel entered the room, holding a projector as he hooked it up to the television, showing reconnaissance photos of Beta World, "An agent of ours discovered Alpha Company heading to a certain target deep within the Burned Lands north of New Alexandria. They returned about a month ago, and since then, we've been exploring something that they have dubbed a 'Time Wound', a portal connecting to an alternate universe, free from the war. We've been sending agents into the Time Wound, trying to discover what they are doing in this world, and we've fallen upon a base of theirs being constructed in Champaign, Illinois...Lieutenant Madison, your work with Martaan and Ozark Island was extraordinary, that is why I'm promoting you to Captain and assigning you in charge of the invasion party. I want you to roll in their and destroy that base...destroy the city if you have to."

"What of civilians, sir?"

"Consider them as collateral damage."

"Understood, sir."

"I want you to move out tomorrow, take a few days to explore their patterns and routines, and attack when the time is right."

"Thank you, sir."

"Move out!"

"Sir," and Madison saluted, "Yes, sir!"

"Remember! Take no prisoners!"

"Yes, sir," and Madison left. Mason watched him leave before turning around to look outside the window, "Commander Jazz..." he began, "We will avenge you. One piece at a time."


	33. Chapter XXXII: The Battle for Champaign

_**Chapter XXXII**_**:**

**-''The Battle for Champaign''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_11 September 2012_-**

**-_0747 Hours_-**

Alex awoke, stretching as his phone rang. He answered the call, hearing Elliot's voice saying, "Alex, can I see you and the rest of Alpha Company in an hour?"

"What's going on?"

"I'll tell you once I get there."

Alpha Company, not fully awake, sat around the table in the conference room, and Elliot entered, running a little late, as he rushed into the room, quickly setting things up and saying, "I'll make this quick, spies have reported suspicious activity in and around Champaign, in Beta World. I need you guys to head down there and make sure everything is alright, there are rumors that the _Maxia _might be planning an invasion on our base there."

"The _Maxia_?" Terrias began, "How do they know about Beta World?"

Elliot shrugged, "The _Maxia_ have ears all over the damn place."

"Elliot...we can't today..." Alex began.

"Why?"

"The Princess Celestia wanted us to check in with her."

"Can't you call her?"

"Negative, she requested we personally see her."

"Son of a bitch..." he hissed, "Can't you postpone your little date?"

"She had to push all kinds of appointments around to squeeze us in...apparently news of Dash's, Appeljack's, and Twilight's leavings have spread around Ponyville, and several others are wanting to join."

"Well..." and Elliot rubbed his temples, "I guess I can send Beta Company in to check things out for us...at least until you get back."

"Well, we aren't leaving until tomorrow, I have some kind of appointment with this 'Flame' character tonight."

Elliot sighed, "Dismissed then."

"Thank you, sir," and Alpha Company left.

Alpha Company spent the weekend outside in the balcony swimming pool, and when a dragon, with scales as red as blood, golden spines, and maroon eyes stepped outside, Alex climbed out. "Flame, I presume?"

"Yeah..." the dragon replied, shy.

"Follow me."

The Commander led him inside Club Camelot, grabbing a towel as he dried his face and body off. "I'll meet you in the conference room in a few minutes. It's just down the hall."

"Okay, thanks."

"I've reviewed your application," Alex replied, stepping inside the room, dressed in his usual officer's uniform, "Quite impressive actually. So you've been a warrior in the Realms?"

"Yes," and he nodded, "It didn't help once the _Maxia _were formed...they found out Commander Spyro was from the Realms...I'm sure you can imagine how things worked out there."

"Well...I can see why Elliot led you to me, how long have you been with him?"

"A few months...it was shortly after the Siege of New York. General Elliot had said that I was the sort of person that Alpha Company was looking for."

"Luckily, we're always searching for the best warriors to join our force."

"So...I'm in Alpha Company?"

"Yes you are."

"Oh! Thank you, Commander! I won't let you down."

"If you will come with me for a few minutes, we can finalize things here."

"Sure," and Alex led him into Alpha Company's suite where the Commander searched in his rucksack, laying on the couch. He revealed a black case, and opening it, removed a syringe full of a green liquid.

"Now, you might experience a fit of rage...that's usually what happens, so don't be offended if we have to restrain you."

"Understood."

Alex poked the needle into Flame's limb, "I want you to get some sleep after this, the mutation is hell on the body for three or four days after the injection. Don't worry, you won't miss much. I also need you to avoid any...strenuous...activities until the aftermath of the mutation...ready?"

"Yeah..."

Alex depressed the trigger on the needle, and Flame was overcome with a sudden rush of energy as the serum surged through his body, the atomic makeup of the serum attaching to the cells and injecting its coding into the DNA in the nucleus of each cell. The serum's coding, immediately absorbed into the genetic coding of the DNA strands automatically triggered mitosis. Through mitosis, both cells coming from each parent cell had the instructions to produce cells with the mutation inside of their coding, naturally ingrained now. The parent cell, not used to the mutation, abruptly was poisoned and died. As the mutation spread throughout his body, the chemical reaction of the mutation in his brain triggered an unexplained bout of pure, blind rage, and as much as he tried to fight it, he found he couldn't. It took all of Alpha Company to restrain him, and after several minutes of hell, Flame felt his energy become sapped.

"Ember!" Alex called, and the pink dragoness appeared, "Take him to bed."

"But...uh...we just met and..."

"Uh...he doesn't mean sex..." Spyro whispered, "Literally, just put him to bed."

"Oh..." and she blushed, "Sorry."

"You are an odd girl...you know that?" Alex asked.

She only grinned sheepishly as she nudged the red dragon onto her back, taking him to her room.

Spyro shook his head in disbelief, "Oi...can we go to Equestria now?"

"Thought you'd never ask," Alex replied, "Sonic?"

"Yo," the hedgehog replied.

"You're in charge, we shouldn't be gone for any longer than a couple of days."

"That's fine, I guess I can take 'em to Beta World."

"Go ahead, we'll do what we need to do over in Equestria and we'll be right there."

"Got it, Commander, you can count on me."

"I know I can...now," and he turned to face the High Command, Terrias, Aria, Spike, and the ponies, "Let's head on out."

"_Adios_, Commander," Sonic replied, waving goodbye.

"See you guys."

-**Ponyville, Equestria-**

The Commander's Wing emerged over the village an hour later, Piermont roaring to signal his arrival. The citizens of the town gathered in the heart of the village as Piermont landed amongst the crowd, the others of the High Command landing beside him. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie were immediately surrounding Dash, Applejack, and Twilight, overwhelming them with questions. Spike walked up to Rarity, trying to initiate a conversation with her, and she picked him up, hugging him tightly, much to his joy.

"Obviously, everybody's happy to see them..." Alex told Terrias, who was standing beside him.

"Of course they are," came a voice from behind the Commander, and he abruptly turned to see Princess Celestia and Princess Luna standing beside him.

"Oh! Hello, Princesses."

"I see you are treating them well?"

"Oh, they're treating us wonderfully," Dash replied, stepping beside her mate, "It's been a blast."

"It's amazing to see what their world is like, Princess," Twilight began, stepping forward, "I'm learning a lot."

"Spike! It's so good to see you, too! It's been a long time." Princess Celestia said, acknowledging Spike who was riding on Rarity's back, "You look happy."

The dragon nodded, "Like Twilight said, we're learning a lot, and, I admit, I'm having fun. Sometimes the battles can get kind of exhausting and...frightening," and he remembered Terrias' brutal stabbing by Jazz during their adventure in the past.

"You've all grown up it seems," Princess Luna said with a nod.

"Yep," Twilight replied, looking at Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who stood beside her, "We have."

"That's not all that's changed though," Princess Celestia said, glancing over at Rainbow Dash.

"Meh..." Dash replied, "I'm trying my best to get acquainted with everybody...er...everypony...we get along quite well," and she nodded at Alex.

"I'm glad you've found somepony who cares about you," Celestia replied, and the twinkle in her eye told the Pegasus that the Princess knew exactly what was on Dash's mind.

Rainbow Dash struggled to hide her embarrassment, "Everypony has that special somepony..." she whispered, just under the hearing range of those who didn't know about her and Alex's relationship, "I finally found that somepony."

"I see," the Princess nodded, "You seem happy together."

"We are," Alex replied with a nod.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't Rainbow Dash!" came a familiar voice from above them, and the High Command looked up to see a griffin, relaxing on a cloud, leap down and walk up to Dash, "The prodigal mare returns, you have a lot of nerve showing your face around here, especially after leaving Ponyville in the dust. In rained continuously for a week before somepony finally managed to take up your job."

"I'll have you know," Dash began, becoming angry at her so-called 'friend', "I've been busy with other things."

"You left us in the middle of the night and never returned."

"Go easy on her, Gilda," Princess Celestia began, "She was on a personal quest."

"Personal quest or not, you abandoned your job, I don't know how you can return here and expect a warm welcome...I don't even know _how _your getting a warm welcome! Where did you run off to?"

"She went to join _my _army, the ones who saved your a...I mean butts...during the Blood Week Crisis. Without us, the _Maxia _would have wasted this town."

"Without _you_, the _Maxia _would never have shown up in the first place! They had no gain here! They only attacked because we're allies with _you_! Now, with all due respect, _Commander_, I suggest you think twice before you step onto your high horse."

"Hey, Gilda! Leave him the hell alone!"

Gilda laughed, "Rainbow Dash, even starting to _sound _like one of _them_, why are you so angry anyway? He your mate or something?" and she laughed.

"You really want to know the truth? Yes he is!" Dash hissed beneath her breath, "Ya don't need to be an ass about him! He saved the town!"

Gilda was stunned, "That human...is your _mate_!?" but the other ponies had thankfully lost interest in the fight, and wasn't paying attention. Gilda shook her head, "He set us up for ruin!"

"Both of you, settle down!" Celestia said firmly.

"Humph," and Gilda sped away from her, leaping into the air and flying away.

"Jesus...what a bitch," Alex said.

"You can't even _begin _to imagine," Dash replied, walking away.

"I'm sorry, Commander..." Celestia replied, "She's just upset."

"Don't worry, Princess, we're fine. Anyway, who were the ones that were wishing to join?"

"Those three over there," and Celestia nodded to Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity, who eagerly listened to stories being told by Twilight and Rainbow Dash.

"Commander, we would be honored to have you and your soldiers for supper."

Alex began to mention their mission to Champaign, then decided not to. He was enjoying his time here, he wasn't eager to leave for Beta World's Champaign, especially if there were threats of _Maxian _presence. "We would love to have supper with you, Princess," and Alex bowed.

"But Alex..." Piermont began, "What about...?" and the Commander, still bowing, elbowed his dragon in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Gilda stormed into her home, a cave in the mountains several miles outside of Ponyville. She was angry at Rainbow Dash's leaving, but not only because of the strange weather that followed her sudden departure, "Rainbow Dash...mated to a _human_!? That's...that's disgusting!" she hissed, and she collapsed onto her bed, in deep thought. Her lapse in thought brought back memories of her past after she abandoned Rainbow Dash, her life a living hell as she was annoyed that the only _true _friend she had was too stuck up with her _own _annoying friends to want to be with her. Soon after she left Rainbow Dash, she regretted casting away the friendship. She never found it easy to make friends, the result of long-suppressed memories of neglect from her parents, who always found socializing more important than their daughter. Her normal relationships, consequently, were negatively affected by the incident. She had tried dating, but each of her relationships had fallen, resulting in her boyfriend leaving her in the dust, becoming annoyed with her. Over time, the constant disappointment had reached a critical level, and then she had met Rainbow Dash, someone in whom she saw a kindred spirit, and the more they had hung out together, the more she had liked the Pegasus, until she began to develop...feelings...for her. Obviously, lesbian relationships were taboo, but she still couldn't control her feelings, and when their friendship shattered, she was deeply emotionally affected, finding that thinking about the Pegasus released sexual tension, further confirming her suspicions...and now she finds out that she missed her window of opportunity, as the Pegasus had mated with a human!

She wanted to pursue a possible relationship with Rainbow Dash, but she didn't know if the Pegasus would forgive her for leaving her, or if she would be willing to partake in the unusual pairing. Come to find out, Dash didn't care about odd pairings, she had decided to mate with a human after all. Groaning unhappily, Gilda found herself resorting to laying in her bed, touching herself to thoughts of Rainbow Dash, taking care of all of her fetishes. She reached a silent climax, then stepped outside and onto the crag in front of her cave, peering out at the distant Ponyville, devising a way to get to Rainbow Dash without problem...and a plan hatched in her mind.

"Thank you for the delicious food," Alex replied, the High Command nodding in agreement.

"Have you had enough?"

"Aye, thank you."

"You're welcome! If you wish to stay the night with us, I can prepare a room for you and..." and Celestia halted, reaching for the proper term to address Rainbow Dash, "Your protege..."

"No thanks," Rainbow Dash interrupted, "I'm gonna take them to Cloudsdale with me."

"That's fine, too," and the princess nodded.

Rainbow Dash grinned, thinking at Alex, _Sexy, we're gonna fly high tonight...and by the time I'm finished with you, you will know a whole _new _definition to the term, _'Mile High Club'.

_Can't wait...I get horny just thinking about it_. the Commander replied, and Rainbow Dash laughed, quickly growing silent when everyone in the room stopped to stare at her.

"Well," Alex said, drumming his fingers on the table, "I'm going to check out Canterlot."

"I'll go with you," Rainbow Dash nodded, and they left, followed by the rest of Alex's companions.

Princess Celestia stood alone, looking out the window of her throne room and at Alex and Rainbow Dash, who were just outside in the castle courtyard, playing kickball with the others of the High Command.

"It's amazing..." Celestia began, noticing Princess Luna entering.

"What is?" the dark mare replied.

"How well they get along."

"Who?"

"Commander Vaughn and Rainbow Dash."

"What's going on between them, Celestia? I sense something more than simple friendship."

Princess Celestia remained silent for a few moments, deciding whether or not to tell her sister the truth before she finally admitted, "They're mates, Luna."

"M...mates?"

"Yes."

"That's repulsive."

"They're in love, who are we to stop them?" Princess Celestia replied, "And besides, Rainbow Dash seems happier than ever."

"It still doesn't seem right..."

"It's unusual...but I seem to recall a certain sister of mine had a wonderful...and intimate...kinship with a certain mare..."

"That ended a long time ago, Celestia, and I'd appreciate if you never brought it up again. Besides, _I _remember somepony who fell in love with a certain dragon."

"He really was kind, loving, somepony very special..." and she sighed, "But that is beside the point. All I'm saying is that if she loves the Commander, then let her! Everypony had that certain somepony...it doesn't necessarily mean that they are of the same species, or for your sake, the same sex, as long as they don't force it and the idea on others, who are we to judge them? It's much the same with so-called _normal _relationships. Don't force your beliefs on us, and we won't judge you. That's their business, not ours."

"What do we do about Gilda?" Luna asked, changing the subject.

"She is only unhappy at her friend's sudden leaving."

"There is something else involved as well," Luna replied.

"Ah...so you've seen that, too? Do you know what it is?"

"No, I don't...but I assume _you _do?"

"Yes, I do...unfortunately, her unhappiness won't be easily resolved, unless the Commander feels generous."

"You don't mean that Gilda's...fascinated...with Rainbow Dash...do you?"

Celestia smiled, "Perhaps, once more, that isn't any of my business."

"Hmm...Rainbow Dash _does _understand that she can't reproduce with him."

"I'm sure she does, but she still loves him, and he loves her, isn't that what love really is?"

And they both turned to watch the High Command.

Alex laid down in bed, Dash straddling him as they both reached their peaks. She fell into his arms then, and he held her, "Like I said..." she replied, "We're flying high," and she nuzzled her mate's chest.

"Yes you did..."

Alduin cheeped unhappily from the bathroom, and Rainbow Dash climbed out of bed, opening the door as the black dragon, now almost five feet tall and six feet long, jumped out of the bathtub, half-flying, half-running to the Commander. The clumsy dragon slid to a stop, and Alex scratched his head. Dash rinsed the bathtub before stepping out of the bathroom, "When do you think he'll be able to fly?"

Alex shrugged, "I don't know..." and Alduin collapsed to the floor, Alex scratching his head until the dragon fell asleep. He laid down again, and Rainbow Dash climbed in beside him, cuddling close as she rested her furry head on his chest. As usual, he stroked her mane as they waited for sleep, and Alex said, "Cloud beds are amazing!"

"Uh huh," Dash nodded, "Now you see why _I_ like them."

"Yes I do...maybe you and I need to build a little floating retreat for just you and me to go to...alone sometimes."

"Well...sometimes I wish you had wings...then we could try mating flights..." and she sighed, "I've always wondered what those were like...but whatever. I'm just glad that I have you...I love you."

"I love you, too."

Gilda, hovering just outside Rainbow Dash's window, watched the two lovers, angry at them. She then grinned maliciously as she remembered her plan, and she quickly turned around, flying back to her craggy retreat.

The next morning, Alex loaded his three new members onto Piermont's back, agreeing to ride Rainbow Dash back to New Alexandria where they would check up on Flame, mutate the ponies, then leave to Champaign. "Hey!" came a voice from the sky, and Alex looked up to see Gilda land beside them.

"The hell do _you _want," Dash snapped.

"I've been thinking about what I said yesterday..." Gilda began, "And I'm really, _really _sorry I spoke out of line."

Dash, softening, replied, "It's okay, you're forgiven just...go easy on us, okay?"

Gilda nodded, appearing genuinely sorrowful, "Hey...Alex?"

"What?" the human grumbled.

"Is it okay if I...if I join your army? I was thinking that I could really use the discipline, I'm a good fighter, and the war might just be a good outlet for my energy."

Alex thought about it for a moment, then turned to his mate, "What about you, Dash? How do you feel?"

Rainbow Dash eyed the griffin carefully, making her nervous, before finally replying, "Sure, why the hell not."

"Oh thank you! Thank you!" Gilda said happily, landing on Arian's back, "I won't let you down!"

"Goodbye," Princess Celestia said, "All of you."

"_Adios_!" and with a final roar of goodbye from the dragons, the Terminators disappeared in a flash of light.

Luna, standing behind Celestia, asked, "Gilda's going with them?"

The ruler of Equestria seemed suspicious, but said to her sister, "Yes...but something isn't right here...I think Gilda has ulterior motives for wanting to join."

"What's her plan?"

"That's the thing...I don't know...but I sense that it isn't good."

"Shouldn't we have warned them then?"

"We have no support or proof for our allegation, I don't want to accuse her of plotting something fiendish if she isn't doing it. She's innocent until proven guilty."

"She has to have underlying motives...I mean, has your gut ever been wrong, Celestia?"

The ruler of Equestria said nothing, only turned and headed back to the carriage that would take them to Canterlot.

-**Beta World: Champaign, Illinois**-

-_**12 September 2012 **_**(ALPHA WORLD TIME): **_**28 August 2012 **_**(BETA WORLD TIME)-**

-_**1007 Hours**_**-**

The High Command of the Terminator Militia emerged over Beta World's Champaign, Illinois, and Alex checked his Blackberry for the date, "Whoa..." he said.

"What's up?" Piermont asked.

"The fuck did time go! It's the fucking 28th of August already!"

"_WHAT_!? How? I thought time went by like three or four months slower here than in Alpha World...now they're right up our ass?"

"I don't know..."

_Maybe our moving in here affected the speed that time passes_? Terrias thought at them.

_I doubt it..._ Alex replied.

_Maybe Beta World just goes through random periods where they're faster than us, and then they slow down and get several months behind before speeding up on us again?_ Spyro theorized.

"I don't know..." then turning his thoughts to the issue at hand, he muttered, "I wonder how everyone else was received."

_COMMANDER! _Sonic roared at them, his mental voice amazingly loud and strong, enough to terrify the High Command.

"Sonic!" Alex roared, "Piermont! Get down there!"

"Already on it!" the dragon roared, and the High Command landed in the center of Beta World's version of Parkview.

Sonic, in his human form, ran up to Alex, out of breath, "Yo! Commander! About time you showed up!"

"What? How long have we've been gone here?"

"About a week...but that's the least of our worries! We've been running patrols since we came down here, and we _have _seen suspicious activity. Cheet and Rudolph have been keeping an eye on these suspicious men who've been hanging around our base...bad news, Alex."

"What is it?"

"_Maxia_, a whole crapload of them, and these are _Maxia _Elites, mutated spec ops. Worst of all, the _Maxia _have attacked Martaan!"

"_WHAT!?_"

"Yeah! Elliot tried to contact Beta Company after you left, but they wouldn't answer. He sent us down and...oh my God, Alex. Fort Ozark is wasted! Martaan is under _Maxia _control, and now they're building their own Dragonrider Division, using Martaanean dragons!"

"Did we launch a counterstrike? Besides, how in the hell did they waste our defenders?"

"Apparently, they launched an EMP bomb before they attacked the island, fried our defenses, everything except the mainframe. It's no use," Sonic sighed, "Elliot sent Lambda Company over there to take it back...they were the only ones available...they didn't stand a chance. An _entire _company of soldiers, slaughtered, in less than an hour."

"How is that possible?"

"The _Maxia _have reversed engineered our latest version of the mutation serum...apparently they grabbed the recipe from the mainframe. Not only are they dishing out mutants at a constant rate, but they're fine-tuning an anti-mutation serum, one that _doesn't _require the frozen, powdered version used to kill Crash. We're in trouble, Alex."

"Send _us _over there dammit!"

"Elliot won't...too dangerous, we have to let them be."

"Sonic, Martaan is one of our most critical allies!"

"I know...but Elliot doesn't think they're worth endangering the Mutant Division."

"Son of a bitch..."

"Right now, we need to worry about our base _here_. Beta World is our safe haven...if the _Maxia _fuck this place up...we have nowhere else to go, Commander."

Alex sighed, unfortunately accepting the truth, "What needs to be done?"

"We've taken care of everything else here. Right now, I just need you to help us train this place's students for combat. 'W' Building is overjoyed to fight for us, Main Campus...eh...not so much. They're still dumb liberal bastards."

"Once the _Maxia _start rolling in, opening fire on students, I bet Main Campus would be _more _than willing to take up arms."

"So would I...but by then, it will be too late, that's why we need to start _now_."

"You guys take care of Main Campus...I'll worry about 'W' Building."

"Dammit, that's not fair! We've done all the hard work while you were enjoying your stay in Equestria!"

"I'm the Commander, your superior."

"Fuck you!"

"I love you, too," and Alex grinned, "It won't be bad...if worse comes to worse, fire a couple of shots at them...wound a couple if you need to, or just let them sit on their lazy asses and wait for the _Maxia _to start executing people."

The High Command stormed 'W' Building, entering the workshop where Gordy was overseeing students working on their engine overhauls, tearing apart Cummins engines and rebuilding them. "The hell are you?" Gordy asked.

"Great Commander Alex Vaughn, and these are my companions, we have enemy soldiers marching onto the city any day now, we need to train all of you to use a firearm."

Beta World Alex stiffened, abruptly working up and smiling in joy as he said, "Spyro! Terrias! Cynder!"

Alpha Company looked up, and Beta Alex ran over to them, embracing each one, "Holy hell! It's been too damn long!"

"Your vocabulary has changed," Piermont chuckled.

"A lot has changed..." Beta Alex admitted, "I'm...yeah...I'm a _brony _now...lucky bastard," he grumbled, "Gets to bang Rainbow Dash _and _Cynder."

"Yeah...you've come to terms with your sexuality," Spyro laughed, "But that's beside the point..."

"Dude," Beta Nathan said, "I think we all know how to use guns."

"Really now?" and Alex revealed his AK47s, cocking and loading them, "You are familiar with these?"

"Holy shit!" Nathan exclaimed, "Is that...?"

"Uh huh..." Piermont nodded, and Terrias wheeled in a cart, opening it and handing out AK47s.

The students of 'W' Building, extremely excited and eager to fight, jumped up and ran to Terrias, and the servine said, "Easy! Easy! There's enough for everyone!"

Night fell upon the city, and Parkview, lit up by stadium lights, was abuzz with activity as Alpha Company worked on training the students for the imminent battle. The base was directly connected to the college, in fact, the fortress had been established on land formerly owned by the college, so the entire block was surrounded in a ten-foot wall of four-foot-thick earth, built by Alpha Company's terrakinesis-the ability to manipulate earth and earthen elements.

To keep morale high and relax, especially with the stubborn students of Main Campus, _Firebird _had decided to perform for the students in the college's auditorium. The concert was relatively short, only five songs long, but it succeeded in boosting the morale of the students, as well as softening up the students of Main Campus to the Terminator Militia's cause. They finished their concert by playing AC/DC's _Big Balls _for an encore, and once the concert was finished, the students retreated to temporary housing established by the militia. Cynder walked up to Spyro once the song was finished, saying, "I would _love _to hold your big balls tonight," and she winked at him.

The purple dragon grinned and left early with Cynder, leaving the rest of the band to disperse to 'W' Building, where they would be sleeping wherever they could find a place. Sonic called Alex and Rainbow Dash over, and they walked across the campus together, towards the Automotive building, built right beside 'W' Building, saying, "Alex, Elliot's arrived with Gamma Company. It looks like we aren't fighting alone, Gamma and Delta Companies are going to join us tomorrow."

"Any word on Beta Company?"

"Negative," Elliot said from behind them, and he walked with them, standing between Alex and Rainbow Dash, "But I have a little...side mission...for you and your mate, Commander."

"What is it?"

"President Obama, Beta World's United State's president, is in the area, supposedly meeting with the _Maxia_, I need you to keep an eye on them. Hopefully he's nothing like that bastard president in Alpha World...but in times like this, especially when dealing with the _Maxia_, you can't be too sure."

"We'll do it."

"Good, you need to maintain your anonymity, I don't want you arousing suspicion. The meeting is said to occur fifty miles north of here, in what is rumored to be a _Maxian _encampment."

"We'll do it."

"Good...good."

Rainbow Dash and Alex emerged over a forest that seemed to go on forever, scouring the area for the suspicious meeting. Spotting a water treatment plant in the heart of the forest, Rainbow Dash landed just inside the walls, and the duo stuck to the shadows as they watched a plethora of _Maxia _and Secret Service troops walking around.

"Mr. President," a man, captain by the bars on his breast, saluted.

"Captain Madison?" the president replied.

"I need your help here," Madison said.

"I'm not sure," the president began, "Seems to me that you're preparing to attack an American city."

"Oh no! No, no, no! We're not _attacking _America, we're attacking an evil army here, known as the Terminator Militia that have taken over Champaign, about fifty miles south of here."

"Evil? I've never heard of them. I've never heard of this so-called _Maxia _either."

"The Terminators are sly, witty, a band of religious zealots that slaughter innocent people. We can drive them away from here...but we need your help. Will you send a few soldiers to aide us in this..." and Madison stiffened, turning to face where Rainbow Dash and Alex hid.

There came the sound of weapons cocking and loading, and Madison, grinning and chuckling, said, "Come out, now!"

Alex and Rainbow Dash slowly walked out of their hiding place, hands raised above their heads, two _Maxia _soldiers behind them, holding them at gunpoint.

"Welcome to my little show," Madison chuckled, "It's good to see you, Commander, especially since that bastard of a protege of yours murdered our commander."

"Jazz was a treacherous bastard who walked into airports and massacred innocent civilians! He was a terrorist!"

"Really now?"

Alex and Dash were both forcefully kicked in the back, and they fell forward as the _Maxia_, and now the Secret Service, surrounded them.

"You dumbass! You won't get away with this!" Dash hissed.

"What's going on here?" Obama asked, "Who are these people?"

"The Great Commander, the supreme leader of the army we're after, and...a pony? Ah! A _My Little Pony_, oh! How lowly can you fall, Commander?"

"Fuck you!" Dash hissed, "I'm his mate!"

"Mate?" and Madison turned to face Obama, "Well, if worse comes to worse, here's proof that the Great Commander partakes in bestiality."

"I don't understand, who the hell are you?" Obama asked, confused.

"You..." the Commander began, addressing Madison, "The _Maxia _won't win!"

"Oh, I beg to differ, especially without your precious Beta Company."

Alex's eyes widened, "Wait...you were the one who took over Martaan!"

"In the flesh," and he chuckled.

"You BASTARD! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

"You first..." then, Madison nodded towards the two officers holding Alex and his mate hostage, "Kill them."

Alex, using his telekinesis, sent everyone flying backwards. Madison and Obama ran to a helicopter waiting for them, and Alex, helping his mate up, chased after them. Both the Commander and Dash were shot, and two unseen _Maxia _soldiers grabbed them, dragging them towards the chopper. Bound and gagged, they were thrown into the back of the chopper as it rose into the sky, and Madison, legs crossed, fingertips together, said, "You know, you made this more easy than I would have imagined...General Mason will _love _to have you two."

The Commander and Dash glanced at each other, and both began to discreetly saw their plastic zip-tie binds on the sharp metal edge of the floor panels.

"As I'm sure you can see, Mr. President," Madison continued, "Every member of the militia is a twisted, fucked up little madman. I will need your help in taking them down...do you think you can send any spare soldiers?"

The president glared at them angrily, then said, "I'll see what I can do."

"Well...I guess your road ends here, Commander."

Alex, finally having broke free from his binds, charged Madison, grabbing a fire extinguisher and slamming it against the captain's head. Throwing the object down, he ripped off his gag, helping Dash stand as they leaped out of the helicopter and flew back towards Champaign.

"We need to get out of here, Dash!"

Madison sat up, holding his bleeding head, "SON OF A BITCH!" and he shoved his way to the cockpit, ripping the headphones off of the pilot, "CHASE AFTER THEM! DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY!"

The chopper gained up on them, and Madison, grabbing his AK47, leaned out of the helicopter, firing at them.

"Hurry, Dash!"

"Hold on, Alex!" and she became more aerodynamic as she flew as fast as she could. Alex found it hard to breathe as they flew faster and faster, and in a loud sonic boom, Rainbow Dash raced forward, past the helicopter, and leaving a rainbow in their wake.

_What? _Alex thought, unable to speak. _The hell did you _do?

_I call it a Sonic Rainboom_, and they raced forward until the helicopter disappeared from their line of sight. Rainbow Dash then slowed her speed, dropping into the woods and flying through the labyrinth of trees, entering a small cave and landing on the ground, collapsing and gasping for breath. Alex, legs trembling, climbed off of her, collapsing to the ground beside her. He brushed her flank and she hissed.

Alex, concerned, asked, "Dash? Are you okay?"

"I'm...I'm fine..." and Alex, revealing a flashlight from his rucksack, shined it down on her, gasping when he saw her side was covered in blood.

"_Dash!_" he exclaimed.

"I'm fine!" she hissed, "I'm fine...it's just a flesh wound..."

"Bull_shit_! Here..." and he healed it. She released her held breath and relaxed.

Alex collapsed beside her, saying, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine..." she replied, "Thanks..."

"Well...I don't know if they're still searching for us. It's not safe, we'll have to stay here tonight," and he walked over to her, sitting down beside her with a sigh.

"Now what?" she asked, sitting up and sitting beside him.

"I have no fucking clue..." he sighed.

"I...have an idea..." and she stroked his leg.

"Eh? What?"

And she straddled his lap.

"C'mon Dash," and he chuckled, "Are you always so horny?"

"Yes I am...got a problem, and she kissed his neck.

"Maybe..."

"Well, we don't _have _to...I'm just thinking of something to do."

He looked at her, bemused, and she looked at him sympathetically.

"Well..." Alex exclaimed, arm wrapped around his mate, she was laying on top of him, "What the hell just happened?"

She looked at him, her eyes shining in the dim light coming in from outside, "We just had a blast, that's what happened."

"Jesus...we're turning into Spyro and Cynder."

"You mean sex every night? Not really..." and she kissed his bare chest. She climbed off of him, curling up against him as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him for warmth. She grabbed his hand, bringing down to her lower lips as she placed his fingers inside of her, "There we go...now I can sleep," and she relaxed.

They drifted off, Alex fingering her until they fell asleep.

Early the next morning, Alex and Rainbow Dash emerged from the cave, heading back to Champaign. The rest of the day was spent continuing their training. Main Campus was much more receptive now, allowing to be trained how to fight. Alex and Dash met with Elliot, informing him on what happened the previous night.

"Son of a bitch..." the general sighed, "So the _Maxia _have managed to convince _this _world's army that we're bad guys...that's just fan-fucking-tastic! If Obama thinks we're bad guys, we're fucked, he has the entire US military at his disposal, and they're already itching for an excuse to march into town and compromise our little mission here."

"What should we do?"

"Nothing we can do, except for prepare for when all hell breaks loose..."

There were exclamations of surprise outside, and Alex and Dash, exchanging anxious glances with Elliot, raced outside to see what the buzz was about. Alex's jaw dropped when he saw his newest members, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Flame, and Gilda, all standing in the heart of the base, marching towards him, "What's going on here?" Gilda asked, "Where are we?"

"The hell are you doing here!?" Alex exclaimed, "Flame, I _know _you haven't recovered from the mutation...the rest of you...you aren't even mutated!"

"I still want to fight," Gilda replied.

"Cool!" Dash said excitedly, "We can raise hell like we used to, only this time, we can kick some _Maxian _ass!"

"The _Maxia _huh?" Gilda replied, "They're back?"

"They're the reason we're here," Alex replied, still not trusting the griffin. Something was really off about her.

"Well...where do we go to?" Gilda asked.

"You can go back to New Alexandria, you aren't ready to be here, yet...none of you are."

"You can go to 'W' Building," Rainbow Dash said, and Alex glared at her, "We'll figure out where to put you."

That night, Alex turned to Dash, "The hell was all that shit about with Gilda?"

"She wants to fight."

"I don't fucking like her..."

"Why not?"

"I don't trust her."

"Why not?"

"She's fucked up, man!"

"She's not 'fucked up', Alex, she's my friend."

"God damn it."

"Hey! Give her a chance!"

"I will give her a chance once _I _figure out what the hell is wrong with her!"

"There's nothing wrong with her!"

"That's _BULLSHIT!_"

"_You're _bullshit!"

"Fuck you!" he roared, and she recoiled, jaw dropping.

Realizing his mistake, he instantly tried to take it back, but she said, "I hope you burn in hell!" and she turned around, storming out.

"Dash!"

But she kept on going.

"Dash! Wait up, I'm sorry!"

But she kept on going.

"Dash! _DASH!_"

Dash walked across the campus and to the barracks were Gilda was staying. She knocked on the door and Gilda opened it, allowing her entry. Once Rainbow Dash, who appeared as if she had been crying, entered, Gilda closed the door, "Everything okay, Dash?"

"No..."

"Want to talk about it?"

After Dash had told her what happened, Gilda looked off, unhappy, "He sounds like a total dick. I'm sorry he doesn't trust me..."

"I can't believe he said that to me..." Dash replied, shaking her head.

"What kind of mate is that?"

"I don't know anymore...did I make the wrong choice?"

"No! I'm sure you didn't."

"I just...I thought he loved me...we had dreamed about each other and..."

Gilda shushed her, hugging her, "It's okay," she comforted.

"Oh...Gilda...nobody will take me now! I'm not a virgin anymore...nobody will take me now that I'm already mated..." and she sighed, "What should I do?"

"I'm sure there's people that would take you in an instant, virgin or not."

"Who?"

Unsure of how to explain it, Gilda just said, "People..." but she was beginning to feel hot.

"God...what now?"

"Well...you can stay here tonight..."

"Thanks..." and Dash sighed.

Several minutes of silence passed between them, and Gilda said, "So...what do you guys normally do at this time?"

Dash blushed, "Eh he...we kinda...um...have fun."

"Mate?"

"Yeah...it's bad, too...I can tell it's that time again...cause I'm horny as hell right now..."

"Really now?"

"Yeah..."

"Why is that?"

Dash shrugged, "I guess I just conditioned myself. We've been doing it every night since we got together...I mean..._truly _got together."

"Well...um...I have an idea..."

"What?"

"You're looking for release right?"

"Yeah..."

"Maybe I can act as a substitute for him?"

Dash looked at her strangely, "You mean...mate with you?"

"If you call it that..."

Dash scoffed, "Good way to get back at Alex...besides...I've always been curious...sure, why the hell not. What do we do?"

"Well..." and Gilda sat down, spreading herself to Dash, "I guess we could just...y'know..." and she shrugged.

Dash, kneeling down, licked her exposed area, puzzled at the strange taste, "I've never tasted another female before..."

The griffin began administering the same treatment, and Dash moaned under the touch as she gently rocked towards her. Satisfied with that, the griffin laid down, Dash climbing on top of her, and they looked into each others eyes, kissing as they rubbed their areas together, fingering each other until they reached climax. They laid down beside each other...not sure of what to say. It was different, but also very...arousing...Dash had never known she could have such attractions. She looked down, seeing the griffin pressed against her. They were tangled together, and the griffin had fallen asleep. Realizing there was nothing more to really do, Dash curled up close to her friend and fell asleep as well.

The next morning, Alex awoke, alone. At first he worriedly looked around, wondering where Dash was, then he sighed as he remembered their fight the previous night, and what he had said. He stormed out of his barracks, pulling aside a Gamma Company soldier who walked beside him, "Yo, have you seen Rainbow Dash anywhere?" the soldier shook his head, moving on. Alex hunted down the others of Alpha Company, busy training the Main Campus students. He managed to pull Spyro aside, asking the same question.

"I don't know," the purple dragon replied, "But I think Cynder saw her..."

Alex searched the crowd for Cynder, finding her chatting with several students. "Cynder!" Alex called over the crowd.

Cynder turned to face the Commander frowning once her eyes fell upon him, and she dismissed the students, walking up to him, "I don't know _what _you did to Rainbow Dash but she's pissed off."

"Where is she? Have you seen her?"

"Yeah...she was at breakfast, in the company of Gilda...why does it matter? What happened between you two? She was pissed off when I asked her why you weren't with her."

"With Gilda? Thanks!" and Alex began to run off, Cynder grabbed him by the arm, holding him in place, "What happened?"

"We got into a fight..."

"Over?"

"Over Gilda...something's up with her...I don't trust her."

"Alex, you don't trust anybody until you get to know them."

"That's not what I meant!" Alex roared, then, calming, replied, "I sense she's up to something...I don't know what it is, but I haven't felt this way since Jazz's betrayal."

"Are you just jealous because Gilda is Dash's friend?"

"What? No! No! She's plotting something, I just know it!"

"That still doesn't explain what sent Dash away."

"I...might have said 'fuck you' to her..."

Cynder groaned and slapped her face with her paw, "Oh God, Alex...wrong move, boy."

"Yeah, I'm well aware..."

"Good luck winning her good side back."

"I'll try my best."

Cynder watched him run off, shaking her head as she said, "Oi...some people never think before they act."

"RAINBOW DASH!" Alex shouted, running over to Gilda' barrack and knocking on the door.

"What are you doing?" the griffin hissed from behind him, and he abruptly turned.

"Where's Rainbow Dash, I want to talk to her."

"She obviously doesn't want to talk to you...she's with _me _now."

"What?"

"You hurt your relationship with her, Commander, _I'm _her mate now."

"What?" and Alex grimaced, "That's disgusting!"

"It was actually quite pleasurable..." Rainbow Dash said from behind Alex, and the Commander turned again, facing his mate who stared at him with a blank expression.

"We fight for the very first time ever, and you run off and scissor your best friend?" Alex said, astounded, "The hell?"

"At least _she _cares about my feelings."

"_She _cares about your feelings..." Alex mimicked, "Last I checked, _she _was the one who abandoned _you_!"

"She is deeply sorry for that incident."

"Yeah! And _I'm _deeply sorry for offending you! I didn't mean what I said."

"Too late, Alex," Gilda spoke up again, "Damage is done. You blew your chance, buddy."

"Rainbow Dash...remember what you said? Remember your promise to me?"

"I remember...just...leave me alone, Alex. I want to be left alone...Just...go away, I don't want you see you anymore," and she turned to face Gilda, "C'mon, let's go find something to do."

The duo walked away, Gilda sticking her tongue out at the Commander before they continued on, and the griffin grabbed the Pegasus' rear. Alex's face contorted in a grimace of disgust and he turned, sighing, as he walked away. Suddenly, he heard a dull thud, like firecrackers on the fourth of July, and a whistling sound filled the air as something exploded beside him, knocking him to the ground. Dazed, his hearing gone, he slowly stood up, looking around. His vision was in slow motion, grayed out, and he could see people running east. He felt someone grab his shoulder, abruptly shaking it, and Spyro, arousing him from his daze, screamed, "We're under attack!" as he led Alex to Main Campus, where Alpha Company was training, "We need to alert the others!"

"The _Maxia_?" Alex slurred.

"They're here! Hurry!"

The duo ran across the campus, filled with the sounds of hundreds of screaming people as mortars exploded all around them, the _Maxia _barrage hammering down on them.

"KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN!" Spyro roared, and he shoved Alex to the ground as a bullet whizzed over their heads. Crawling prone through a trench they had dug, they reached the parking lot, mantling over the trench wall and behind a row of cars. Helicopters appeared in the skies, hovering in place as _Maxian _infantry began to rappel down to the parking lot. Alex, now alert, fired off his AK47 at the rappelling enemies, and several seconds later, an RPG, appearing from nowhere zoomed above their heads, blasting into the wall of the helicopter, which exploded, sending thousands of pieces of flaming shrapnel flying in every direction. "Son of a bitch!" the purple dragon swore, helping Alex up as they sprinted to the building. Alpha Company was just outside the entrance to the building, using the wall for cover as they peered over the corner, firing at the _Maxian _infantry

The Terminators managed to drive the _Maxia _off campus, but they were advancing quickly through town. "Commander," Spyro said, "The _Maxia _are breaching the wall we built around the city, we need to hightail it to the breach so we can take care of 'em before they get into the city. If they do...we're gonna lose them."

"Let's try not to make this the same outcome as April of 2011?"

"Good idea," and Spyro hit the ground as an RPG narrowly missed his head. "Shit!" he hissed, and Alex helped him up, "Let's go!"

The purple dragon led him through the labyrinthine city, avoiding the columns of _Maxian _tanks that tore through the streets as they reached the outskirts of the city, where Gamma Company was struggling to hold off the front lines. Spyro and Alex joined them, Alex manning an M240 and gunning them down while Spyro took to the skies, flaming them.

Once the area was secure, the purple dragon landed beside the Commander, "Everything okay?" he asked.

Alex nodded, "Peachy."

"Good..." then, "Oh _shit_! LOOK OUT!"

"What?"

Spyro, eyes wide and mouth agape, pointed forward. Alex, squinting his eyes, suddenly saw a large group of what he assumed to be a flock of birds, "Oh no..." the commander began.

"Please say..."

"I think they are..."

"Martaan..."

Rainbow Dash and Gilda raced through the streets of Champaign, engaging the _Maxian _infantry on the street when their radios went off and Alex's voice, sounding worried, came through, "Martaanean Dragonriders spotted just east of the city...and they aren't friendly..."

"Martaanean?" Gilda asked, "What's that?"

"They _were _friends of ours."

"_Were_? They aren't anymore? What happened?"

Dash turned to face her friend, "The _Maxia _happened."

"Over there!" a soldier yelled, and the duo turned to looked where the voice was coming from. A squad of _Maxian _Elites charged at them, guns blazing, and Rainbow Dash grabbed Gilda by the wing, pulling her into a nearby alley. Kicking open a door, they rushed inside, finding themselves in an evacuated bakery.

"What do we do?" Gilda asked, nearing the edge of panic, "I'm not mutated yet! Those bullets will kill me!"

"I won't let them."

They yelled in alarm and jumped back as the squad of _Maxian _soldiers poured into the bakery, guns cocked and loaded, trained on the two Terminators. Both the Pegasus and the griffin raised their arms in surrender, and the apparent leader of the squad ordered, "Shoot them!" he suddenly cried out as the sound of silenced submachine guns filled the air, and smoke grenades were launched past the two Terminators' heads, striking down the three soldiers as the grenades spewed their load.

A voice, one that Dash recognized as Sonic's said from behind them, "You're gonna be fine," and Dash, coughing from the smoke, turned to see Sonic standing there, forcing a gas mask against her mouth and nose. "Follow me!"

Sonic, Terrias, Skorpion, and a group of five Gamma Company soldiers led them through the back door of the bakery and back onto the street. Sonic halted them, signing for them to turn right into an alley as US Army Abrams tanks marched onto the street, flanked on either side by both US soldiers and _Maxian _infantry. Sonic ordered them to step back, and utilizing his terrakinesis, a slab of asphalt moved aside, revealing a tunnel that went beneath the street, he ushered everyone inside, closing it up again as he, and the rest of the mutants, triggered their night vision, and the Gamma Company soldiers activated their night vision glasses. "I can't see!" Gilda exclaimed, "I'm not a mutant!"

"I can," Rainbow Dash said, "Grab my tail and hold on."

Gilda groped in the darkness, finding Dash's tail as she took a firm grasp and the soldiers dashed through the subterranean tunnels, "These should take us back to a secure area on the other side of town," Sonic comforted.

They emerged from the tunnels an hour later, finding themselves at a dead end, "Shit..." the hedgehog breathed, "Wrong exit..."

A whistle blew from somewhere nearby, and machine guns opened fire on them from the buildings. Sonic shoved Rainbow Dash and Gilda to cover behind a car, and they cowered as the hedgehog and his squad eliminated the gunners. Once silence filled the area, he extended a hand, helping Rainbow Dash up while Terrias helped the trembling Gilda up, "You okay?" the servine asked, and the griffin nodded.

"Die! Terminator scum!" an angry voice rang out, and a _Maxian _Captain, armed with twin swords, leaped out from the second story of a building, hitting the ground and standing again, laughing. Sonic fired an entire clip of his AK47 into the officer, but he only stumbled, standing straight again as he laughed maniacally, and blue sparks danced across his body, healing his wounds.

"Oh no..." Sonic muttered.

"Try again, lad," Madison replied with a laugh, "Simple bullets won't harm me! _En garde_!" and he lunged at Sonic. The hedgehog dodged, delivering an immediate counterattack as he utilized his speed to his advantage. The hedgehog landed, catching his breath as Madison straightened again, wiping his lip and looking at the blood on his fingers. He chuckled as his injuries healed, "Still not good enough I'm afraid."

"Go to hell!" the hedgehog replied.

"You first," and he lunged forward again, impaling the hedgehog on his sword as he withdrew the blade, and the dazed hedgehog fell to the ground with a cry.

"Sonic!" Terrias roared, charging to retaliate, but Madison grabbed the servine by the throat, throwing him effortlessly into a nearby building as Terrias slid down the wall and to the ground, unconscious.

"You motherfucker!" Shackri roared, charging at Madison next. The mutated Captain lifted the black dragon up off of the ground with his telekinesis, and launched him into a pile of rubble at the far end of the alley, impaling the dragon on a steel girder poking out from the debris. Swiftly eliminating the Gamma Company soldiers, Rainbow Dash stood up, going to move, but Madison through her to the ground as Gilda, standing on weakened legs, backed away from the deranged captain.

"Time's up," Madison whispered, chuckling as he prepared to lunge at Gilda.

"LOOK OUT!" Rainbow Dash cried, and she pushed Gilda out of the way as Madison's blade went into her flank. The blade was poisoned, and instantly, she could feel the poison numb her whole body as paralysis settled in, and she collapsed, stunned. Madison stepped forward to issue the _coup de grace_, but a form, moving swiftly, leaped out of the same building as Madison, hitting the ground and immediately jumping up, blades prepared as he engaged the _Maxia _Captain. "Alex?" Dash slurred, nearly unconscious, and Gilda, standing, ran up to her, dragging her away from the alley. Dash watched in horror as Alex was surrounded by the _Maxian _swordsmen, appearing to emerge from out of the woodwork.

He kicked Madison in the chest, causing the _Maxian _captain to stumble and fall back. Straightening, Alex turned to face his mate, "Dash..." he said, "I love you...and I'm sorry..."

"Alex! _NO!_" Dash roared as Madison jumped up, tackling the Commander and knocking him to the ground, delivering a constant stream of punches as the _Maxian _swordsmen surrounded Alex, obscurring him from her view. Once Alex disappeared beneath the pile of bodies, Dash felt her consciousness flutter as she passed out.

The Pegasus came to, slowly. She was in a small, empty, windowless room with wooden floors, concrete walls, and a wooden ceiling. Breathing heavily, she slowly looked around the room she was in, hearing the thud of footsteps running down stairs. She turned to her left, seeing a flight of wooden stairs, six stairs leading up to a platform before another flight went up to the floor above her, the second flight hidden from her view by a wall. A massive hole was in the wall across from Dash, and she could see an empty alley, in ruins, beyond the breach. Gilda appeared from upstairs, crouching beside her as she said, "Are you okay?" her voice was still distant, but laced heavily with concern. Dash still numb, nodded, and Gilda replied, "Good...I was worried there for a second."

"Wh..." Dash began, amazed at how weak her voice sounded, the world was eerily silent, the sounds of war having seemed to vanish, "Where's Alex?"

Gilda, appearing sad, shrugged, "I don't know, Rainbow Dash. I haven't seen him since he helped us escape."

"He...he sacrificed himself?"

"I guess..."

_He sacrificed himself...for me? _And she felt tears come to her eyes as she lost control, sobbing at the massive hole in her heart, she longed for his gentle touch, his smile, she longed to see him.

Gilda only watched her cry, a look of pity on the griffin's face. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash."

In between sobs, Dash cried, "The last thing I said to him was that I never wanted to see him again..." and she lost it again, "Oh God...please keep him safe. Please bring him back to me...I love him!"

Gilda placed a wing on her back, gently patting her on the back as she hugged her friend, "It's okay..." she comforted, "It's okay."

"I miss him..." the Pegasus replied, finally gaining control of herself again. Wiping tears away, she said, "Oh God...I hope he's okay."

Gilda and Rainbow Dash, leaning on her for support, trudged back to Parkview. The city was eerily silent, no gunfire, no explosions, the only sounds were the crackles and pops of the fires burning all around them. "The battle must be over..." Gilda said, trying to make small talk. One glance at the Pegasus told her that Rainbow Dash wasn't in the mood for conversation, and they walked in silence for the rest of the way.

As soon as they entered the campus, Spyro ran up to them, out of breath, "You guys seen, Alex?" he asked.

Dash didn't answer, so Gilda said, "No, we haven't. Last time we saw him he..." and she fell silent.

"What?" Spyro asked, then his heart sank, he knew what their answer was.

"Last time we saw him..." the griffin began again, "He was surrounded by _Maxia_...covering our escape," and Rainbow Dash nodded, tearing up again.

A look of shock overcame Spyro's face, and he backed away, collapsing into a sitting position, "Oh my God..."

"Sonic..." Gilda said beneath her breath, then she was instantly alert, "Sonic! Where's Sonic!?"

"Sonic?" Spyro asked, "He, Skorpion, and Terrias came back an hour ago."

"Are they okay?"

"Enough...they were stabbed...in pretty bad shape...we had to heal their wounds and remutate them."

"Remutate?"

"Yeah...whatever they were stabbed with, it target and destroyed the mutation, really fucked up their cells...they're in surgery right now."

"Wait...all _three _were stabbed? And Surgery?"

"Well...Sonic was. Terrias is fine, a concussion, but fine, and Skorpion...I swear to god nothing can faze that bastard. As for the surgery thing? Technically, it's blood transfusion, not necessarily surgery, but...well...whatever. Please don't tell me Alex was with them..."

They nodded.

"Son of a..." he collapsed again, "He...he hasn't come back yet..."

"Alex..." Dash said sadly.

Night fell, and Rainbow Dash lay in Alex's bed, alone, tired, but unable to sleep. Luckily for her, her cells hadn't been destroyed, but she _still _had to be remutated. Her mind was constantly occupied with thoughts of Alex. She was worried for him, and the fact that the last thing she had said to him, that she never wanted to see him again, compared to watching him sacrifice his very life for her, it was heartbreaking. He really _did _care for her...if he didn't...he wouldn't have sacrificed himself to save her life. Tears flowing again, she cried in silence, her head buried in his pillow, wanting, desperately, to have him back again, to see him, and she hoped and prayed that he was okay.

Alpha Company had decided to stay in Champaign for another day or two, in case a _Maxia _counterattack occurred, or Alex turned up, or both. Dash missed him greatly, and it felt as if a massive chunk of her heart had been ripped from her chest. "I'm sorry, Alex..." she whispered into the darkness of the room, "I'm sorry! Please! Please forgive me! Please come home! Please, God, Alex, be okay..." and she finally fell asleep, dreaming of watching Alex sacrifice himself to save her life, only this time, she watched the _Maxia _swordsmen stab him repeatedly, turning him into a bloody mess, and he is screaming in pain, crying for mercy, all the while, before mercy came upon him in the form of death, her not even being able to say 'I love you' before he passed away.

Dash was the last one to wake the next morning, trudging from her quarters and nearly running into Elliot who was organizing the return back to Alpha World. The general paid her no heed, didn't even seem to notice her, and kept on walking, barking orders at various soldiers as everyone packed up. Unhappy, Dash walked to the entrance of their compound, staring off into the distance when out of the corner of her eye, she spotted movement. She sneaked over to the building where she had the seen the silhouette of a person, preparing to attack, and as she turned into the alley, she was surprised to see who stood there.

Alex, looking exhausted and covered in mud and blood, limped towards her.

"Alex!" she cried, running up to the Commander and embracing him tightly.

"It's good to see you, too, Dash..." he replied, grunting and briefly stumbling when she threw herself into him.

She kissed him violently, "I'm sorry..." she said rapidly, "I overreacted...I'm so sorry."

"No," he replied kissing her back, "You didn't overreact, I was an ass...and I apologize."

"I was so worried...I thought you were..."

"No," and Alex shook his head, "I'm alive and fine."

"But...the _Maxia_..."

"I've been in worse situations. Unfortunately, that bastard Madison or whatever got away in the ambush, I have no idea where he disappeared off to. After you left, I managed to fight back, killing 'em before a mortar exploded right next to me and knocked me unconscious...I'm fine now."

She kissed him repeatedly, trembling and hysterical, "Oh God...never do that again! I was so worried...I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Alex, oh God, I'm so sorry."

"Hey..." and he broke their embrace, looking into her eyes, "It's fine...I'm just glad you're okay."

She smiled, hugging him again and clinging to him as they returned to their compound, spying Alex's second-in-command and Cynder standing in the entrance.

"Alex!" Spyro cried out and Cynder ran up to him, tackling him and embracing him.

"Ouch..." Alex replied, and the dragoness, apologizing, climbed off of the Commander, who stood up, brushing the dust off of his soiled clothes.

"What happened?" Spyro asked.

"It's a long story...I'll tell you guys later. Now, what the hell is going on around here, I've been out cold for the last twenty hours."

"The _Maxia _just up and left," Cynder replied, "One second they were here, the next they were gone."

"So they pulled the vanishing act, as usual."

"Unfortunately."

"Fuckin' cowards, but, oh well. As long as they stay away from Beta World, I'm fine."

"We'll see them in a few weeks or so," Cynder replied, "Now, c'mon, let's get you out of those clothes and into fresh ones. I'd expect that Elliot wants to see you."

"Of course he does..." and Alex sighed, "Unfortunately, _I_ really don't want to see _him_ right now. All I want is a nice warm bed, a roaring fire, a bowl of hot soup, and a special girl beside me," and he glanced at Rainbow Dash, a warm smile growing on her face.

"Aww..." and Cynder feigned a pout, "I wanted to be that special girl," and Spyro shook his head.

"Room for two?" and Alex chuckled, "That's up to Rainbow Dash."

"Sure, why the hell not."

"Damn you," Spyro replied, "Leaving me with Ember again."

"Oh, I'm sure she'd _love _to have both you and Flame at the same time."

"Shut up, Alex," Spyro grumbled, playfully punching the Commander's shoulder. Turning to Cynder and pouting, he asked, "Why not hang out with me, Cyn?"

"Cause I need to make up to him for the whole threesome thing we did a while back."

"What? No fair!"

"Spyro, you've had me and Ember at the same time, that's _your _repayment...I'm bi-curious remember? I want to sample a little threesome with Alex and Dash."

"Not right now," Alex replied, "I just want to cuddle and sleep."

"Oh, I have ways of changing that Alex."

"I know you do, Cynder, and quite frankly, that scares me."

"C'mon now! I don't bite..."

"Yeah you do! Just not very hard..."

"Well. I'm not _deadly _to you anyway."

"No you're not," he admitted, "But pissplay and two guys on one girl just makes you horny. Personally, it really grinds my gears. I didn't like either one. Two girls on one guy seems like a handful. I only have one bullet and two targets."

"Honey," and Cynder tripped the Commander, who fell painfully onto his back. Straddling his chest, she said, "It's all about dominance, and _I'm _the dominant one," and she tenderly stroked his cheek with her tail blade, "I don't intend to lose that control _any _time soon."

"Ah ha! But I have a contingency plan!" Alex replied with a grin, "If I don't want experimentation, I'll just hang out with Dash from now on."

"Damn it, I didn't think of that."

"Looks like you lost your control over him, Cyn, she who wields the pussy sees the downside of competition, she no longer has her male by the balls," and Spyro grinned.

"I'll find a way to coax him into _something_, just you wait and see," and she walked away.

"Y'know," the purple dragon began, "The sad thing is...she really will, too," and he followed her.

"So..." Rainbow Dash began, "I'm really sorry about the fight. On top of all that, I ran off and did...some things...with Gilda that I'm not real proud of...after the fact."

"I'm not concerned about that Dash," Alex replied, hugging her, "I'm just glad that you are safe and sound. I hope you enjoyed your little taste of female flesh."

"Still..."

"It's done, it's over with. Now, let's just check with Elliot so we can get the hell out of here and back to New Alexandria, I'm so fuckin' exhausted right now I'm about to just fall over."


	34. Chapter XXXIII: In the Dead of Night

_**Chapter XXXIII**_**:**

**-''In the Dead of Night''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_17 September 2012_-**

**-_1800 Hours_-**

Alpha Company sat around the conference table in the conference room of Club Camelot, curious as to what Elliot had called them for. The general entered the room, a projector in hand, "Yay!" Piermont remarked, clapping his hands excitedly, "Movie time!"

"Can it, Pierre...what I have should be especially important to you. First things first, Alex, I have a report for you on this frigate of yours."

"Frigate? The hell are you talking about?" Spyro asked.

"I had a feeling he hadn't told you," Elliot replied, and he turned on the projector, revealing an elaborate blueprint of a massive, flying airship, "the T.M.S _Retribution_," the general replied, "A literal flying fortress."

"What does the T.M.S stand for?" Terrias asked.

"Same thing as U.S.S or H.M.S."

"Huh?"

Elliot sighed, "Terminator Militia's Ship."

"Oh...how big is it?"

"One hundred feet tall and two hundred feet long. Armed to the teeth, it _is _a true machine of war...a WMD."

"Why weren't we informed, Alex?" Spyro asked.

"Same reason why I didn't tell you about _Operation: Armageddon _until we were just about to enact the plan. If any information on this ship got into the wrong hands, we'll be in trouble. Anyway," the Commander continued, "What is the report."

"As of last night we finished its testing and it is ready for action."

"Really? That's fantastic!"

"Yeah...and it's gonna have its first experience in battle with our next mission."

"Oh crap..."

"Martaan. You are going to take back the island from the _Maxia_."

Alpha Company was led by General Elliot across the city and to the mountains north of New Alexandria. They were led into a hangar hidden deep within the sandy mountains and into the cool, dark, damp depths of the mountain's interior. After trudging through a maze of halls and corridors, they finally emerged in a massive laboratory where the ship was tied down, it was definitely unlike anything anyone had ever seen before, and was painted black.

"It's a stealth vehicle as well," Elliot replied, "The skin we used on the frigate absorbs radio waves, so instead of reflecting them like _most _vehicles do, it prevents any radars or sonars from spotting it. Now, for _my _favorite part...Bleu!"

"Yes, sir?" the Great Dragon asked, suddenly appearing at the general's side.

"Show them its camouflage."

"Yes, sir," and the dragon walked over to a computer terminal, tapping a few keys as the ship shimmered before vanishing, leaving only an outline.

"Using a multitude of onboard cameras and monitors, it can almost entirely become invisible from view. Although it's pretty clear here...you get to altitude and all of a sudden, there's nothing there."

"It's ready for battle?"

Elliot nodded, "All you need to do is let me know, and within 24 hours it will be fully stocked and prepared."

Alex scratched his stubbled chin, "Go ahead, get it ready, we'll take it with us to Martaan tomorrow evening."

Elliot nodded again, "Yes, sir," and he saluted.

Alex returned the salute and Alpha Company left the lab.

Outside the bunker, making their descent down the mountain as they headed back to New Alexandria, Alex looked over at his dragon, amazed by Piermont's determined appearance. "I've never seen you so determined before," Alex commented, "A little surprising as a matter of fact."

Piermont shrugged, "Those _Maxia _bastards will die for taking Martaan. _I _will personally waste their shitty lives!" and he roared in fury, "They won't get away with this!"

"No, they won't..." Spyro replied, appearing equally as determined as the forest dragon, "We'll take the island back by storm...and we won't let _anyone _escape alive!"

"If the _Maxia _leave Martaan," Alex began, "It will be in body bags."

"I agree," Terrias nodded, "We'll make sure that they're discourage from _ever _taking Martaan again."

That night, Alex slipped into his room once everyone else had gone to bed, expecting to find Rainbow Dash asleep. Instead, the Pegasus was wide awake, watching television. "Hey, Commander," she replied, relaxing, legs crossed, arms behind her head.

Alex gave her a puzzled looking, "I thought you were asleep?"

"As strange as it sounds...I can't fall asleep without you here, I tried. Finally, I just said 'screw it' and decided to stay up until you decided to come to bed."

"Aww! How sweet."

"Yeah...don't get used to it," but she grinned mischievously, "The hell are you going _now_?"

"To take a shower," he replied, tossing his shirt and jeans aside, grabbing a fresh towel and wash rag before disappearing into the bathroom.

She turned off the television, sitting up and stretching before walking to the bathroom and walking inside. Alex was already in the shower, and Dash, sitting on the toilet while she waited for him asked, "So...what do you think about this battle tomorrow?"

"I think it will work. From what I've heard, the _Maxia _have assumed that we have given up after the annihilation of Lambda Company. If we're lucky, they won't expect us. Plus, the mid-range EMP they fired during their preliminary attack on the island would still have both islands' power grids fried, going under the cover of darkness will help us in _that _regard. For all we know, they might have Teardrop Island's power grind fried, too. I don't hear much from them, primarily because we haven't really colonized that little rock yet."

"Wouldn't they step up security in place of technology though?"

"Oh, I'm sure they have a crapload of patrols out...but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Patrols are basically scheduled walks, as long as you know where they are at all times, as well as know their routines, you're in the clear! Tomorrow is supposed to be a new moon over there _anyway_, meaning it's the darkest point of the month, our ship will be undetected, and we could even get by without the chameleon skin if we wanted to. We won't, obviously, but you get my point."

"So what's the plan then?"

"I'll tell everybody tomorrow on our way to the island."

"When will we leave here?"

"About 2000 hours...that's 8:00 PM, just so you know...we will emerge over Teardrop Isle at around...eh...2030 hours. We can hang around Teardrop Island until night has fully engulfed the area, I'm planning on an attack sometime between 2200 and 0000 hours."

"Midnight raid on Martaan, huh?"

"Depends on how dense security is. Keep in mind, this plan is tentative, we won't know until about noon tomorrow on whether or not the _Maxia _occupied Teardrop Isle as well. If they did, I'll have to think of some other point. Now, if Teardrop Island is under _mild Maxia _occupation...then I'll still risk ourselves emerging over the island."

"Is the _Retribution_ resistant to electromagnetic pulses?"

"I...don't know. That's a very good idea actually, I'll contact Elliot first thing tomorrow on that little spec."

"Cause I'm thinking, y'know, if our ship or ships _are _resistant to EMPs, then we can set off a long-range EMP bomb above the islands, wiping out their radio communications and any heavy armor they have."

Alex grinned, "Like I said, a damn good plan. Their artillery, if they're using the same machines they used during the Blood Week Crisis, which I'm _almost _guaranteed they are, is mostly computer powered. A good thing about our wide usage of _Nebelwerfers _and _Flak_s, that's World War II shit, those blueprints were made _before _the age of computers, services, and advanced technology. Sure we've updated some little pieces here and there...but our old fashion guns will _still _give today's tech a run for its money. Launch an electromagnetic pulse bomb, and all of a sudden, they're back to the fuckin' Revolutionary War, minus the cannons. Add to that the fact that they haven't been on Martaan long enough to scour and map every square inch of the island, hell, even _we _haven't mapped every inch of the triad of islands, and the dragons there have helped us discover little secrets. The fact that they took the island by force means that I highly doubt the dragons there will be very willing to show them their cherished secrets. They've showed us secret passages and tunnels, either way you look at it, it's just like the American Revolution!"

"How? I don't really know much on the United States' history..."

"Okay, back in the late 1700s, the USA was still a new, largely undiscovered world. Immigrants from Europe were flocking to the US to colonize this new world...well...the British government were ruling the new world, and these citizens of the new world were getting tired of all the shit the Brits were putting them through...high taxes, extremely long response times, the fact that they could care less about conflicts and other issues the colonies were going through unless it threatened their rule, etc. Well, the infant government of early America decided that they wanted independence, and they submitted their declaration to the king of England. The British, the most powerful army in the world at the time, marched into the colonies, wanting to maintain their hold on the new world and crush the rebellion. You see, the Colonists had been living in the New World for a long time, and they knew their way around the colonies...the British armies didn't. You see where I'm going with this?"

"Um...kinda..."

"Well, the fact that they knew the layout of the land, added to their steadfast belief in God helped to achieve what nobody thought could be possible."

"They won?"

"Look around, Dash! Are we speaking like Brits, being ruled by the British?"

"No..."

And Alex grinned, "I guess we won then."

"You think we'll win tomorrow?"

"I don't know, Dash," and he peeked out through the curtains, "Just pray that we do."

A few minutes later he climbed out, finding Rainbow Dash had crawled back into bed and gotten comfortable. After dressing, he climbed into bed beside her, cuddling up against her, and they fell asleep together.

The next day, Alpha Company met Elliot in the laboratory again. The ceiling of the lab had opened up, revealing the dark clouds in the sky above them. The ship's tethering ropes had been removed, and the six, massive engines were idling, the sound drowned out by the soundproof skin. A door high up on the ship was open, and a fifty foot long ramp extended from the door, contacting the platform that Alpha Company stood upon. "Good news," Elliot began, pacing back and forth in front of them, "The ship is resistant to at least _some _EMPs, but I wouldn't test it out too much. If you want to launch a small to mid -range EMP bomb, you can, but at a safe distance."

"Define 'safe-distance'," Piermont said.

Elliot sighed and said, "By 'safe-distance' I mean about a mile away from the epicenter."

"Oh...okay."

"Now, enough questions! The attack will commence at midnight. After we found out that Martaan had been seized by the _Maxia_, we sent a small group of spies to be assimilated into the _Maxia _numbers there, and after a few days of observation, they've informed us on the patrol hours, patterns, and even personnel. Midnight is, apparently, the point of the night, save for 0700 and 1900 hours, where there are fewer troops out and about. You obviously can't go at either _one _of _those _times, because it won't be dark enough for a smooth, clean, and covert invasion and seizure. The islands have zero technology, and although _most _of the EMPs have cleared from the area, there is absolutely no long-range radio contact once you enter the vicinity of the islands...even from our satellite radios."

"So there is a cloud of electromagnetic energy kinda suspended in the atmosphere?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yes, there is," Elliot nodded, "Once you get onto any of the Triads, we _will _lose radio contact with one another. So I want you to take the damn island as carefully as you can. If it's too dangerous to pull off, back down! Martaan is _not _worth the lives of Alpha Company! Understand?"

"Yes, sir..." the soldiers of Alpha Company said in unison.

"Good! Now, as _soon _as you take Martaan back from the _Maxia_, get to a safe place and call me, inform me of what the hell's going on. If I don't hear anything from you after 24 hours...that's midnight of the day after tomorrow...I'm going to assume the worse and send Gamma and Delta Companies after your asses to bomb the whole damn expanse! So call me of your success, or at least check in, before I'm forced to resort to this. Move out!"

Alpha Company boarded the massive airship, walking through the futuristic halls and corridors as they arrived in the bridge of the frigate. They spent the rest of the day growing accustomed to the layout of the ship, and once 2200 hours arrived, the massive flying fortress rose vertically into the air, heading towards the Southern Wastelands. It emerged a few miles north of the southern _Fiernes Curtain_, and they passed through the wall before continuing on to Martaan. They emerged over Teardrop Isle, and the ship hovered in place above the island, chameleon cloak activated, as Alex, in the bridge, looked out into the distance, where Martaan was a black silhouette on the horizon.

"When will we commence the attack, Commander?" Spyro asked, entering the bridge.

"In an hour...is everyone ready?"

Spyro nodded, "We're just waiting for your signal."

"Have the others hold here, Spyro; Piermont, Cherub, and I are going down alone."

"_What_!? Why?"

"Because, Rainbow Dash is too inexperienced for me to risk her life here, Spyro, I need you to command if something happens to me."

"What will _we _do!?"

"Wait for my signal. We're not engaging just yet, the three of us are going down merely to scout the island, I'll radio you once we get a hand on things. We're not long-distance, so we _shouldn't _have a problem with radio contact."

Spyro sighed, "Fine...we'll all wait here for your signal."

"Excellent..." then he tapped his earpiece, "Piermont, Cherub, report to the bridge immediately."

"What's up, Alex?" Piermont asked, entering a few minutes later.

"Are you and your mate ready?"

"What? We goin' down alone or somethin'?"

Silence from Alex.

"Ah, _shit_! We _are _aren't we?"

"Piermont, you and Cherub know more about the island than anyone else...besides, you are also among the most experienced in combat here in this army. We're going down to scout the island, then we'll contact Spyro here in the bridge to order the others to attack."

"Scout?"

"Yes, Pierre, 'scout'. We're just gonna see about how much resistance we can expect from them."

"Okay then...so when are we heading down there?"

"Right now."

The ship lowered until it was resting inside of the water, as soon as they had landed in the ocean, the entrance opened and the bridge extended once more. The trio carried a raft outside and down into the water, afterward the three climbed in and pushed the dingy away from the ship, still camouflage, rowing towards the distant island.

"Remember!" Alex whispered, "Remain quiet! We don't know what we'll be dealing with here."

They landed on the beach several minutes later and Alex lead them across the white sand and into the all-encompassing jungle. They spent an hour sneaking around, avoiding patrols as they searched for an idea as to how much resistance, and what exactly, they would be forced to endure. Nearing Fort Dane, a familiar voice emerged from the woods, and Piermont immediately began to run towards the sound, Alex and Cherub protesting at his recklessness as they were forced to follow. Alex finally managed to tackle his human-form dragon to the ground in a clearing at the base of a hill. There they watched as a female dragon was being bound and dragged away by several _Maxian _officers.

"Mom!" Piermont said, instantly recognizing his mother.

"Leave me alone, vile beasts!" she hissed.

"Silence before I end your worthless life!" one of the _Maxia _soldiers protested.

"Piermont..." Cherub began, "Perhaps we should go..."

"No! Not until I help, Mom!"

"Piermont, your mate is right..." Alex interrupted.

They watched as the _Maxia _fought to control Piermont's mother, and soon, she managed to break out of their grasp, flaming the soldiers. Those who weren't harmed by her flames leaped back onto their feet, swords drawn as they attacked her from all sides, and Piermont watched in horror as one of them climbed onto her back and brought his sword down, stabbing her repeatedly in the neck. She went down, roaring in pain until she stilled, and Piermont, a growing hatred and insanity in his eyes, let loose a wild roar as he attacked and slaughtered the _Maxia _soldiers.

Once the soldiers were dead, Alex forced Piermont to return to his human form, using a variant on the serum, and he and Cherub dragged the sedated Piermont back the way they had come, being fired upon by _Maxian _patrols, now alerted to their presence. Back on the beach, the hurriedly climbed into the raft, paddling away back to the waiting ship as they climbed back inside, and Alex rushed to the bridge, where Spyro was looking out the window.

"Spyro," he began, out of breath.

"Alex! What happened? Do we have a lot to deal with?"

"I don't know."

"I thought..."

"We were interrupted. Piermont went all apeshit and blew our cover."

"What happened?"

"His mother was just slaughtered."

"Oh my God...wh...what should we do?"

"Commence the invasion, it's time the _Maxia _pay for all the trouble they've caused!"

The frigate rose into the air, heading towards Martaan as the invasion commenced, and the _Retaliation_'s guns all fired towards the island. While half of Alpha Company remained on the ship, raining fire down onto the island, the other half were deployed as the began the ground invasion, moving swiftly through the jungles in their hellish raid.

"Listen up!" Alex roared over his earpiece, "We need to fight our way to Fort Dane! We take Fort Dane, we take Martaan! After that, we need to fight our way to the bridge and retake that...it's our gateway to Fort Ozark. Fort Ozark will be our final destination! Now, pay attention and don't fuck this up!"

Alex, leading a small squad with Spyro, Cynder, Terrias, Aria, Spike, and the ponies, rushed up the hill where Piermont's mother had fallen, rushing to the distant Fort Dane as they took the _Maxia _stationed here by storm. Explosions went off all around, bullets zoomed past above their heads. "Alex!" Spike called, running to the Commander's side, "Where's Piermont?"

"I gave him the night off," the Commander replied, advancing up the hill.

They reached Fort Dane two hours later, and they quickly breached the walls, showing no mercy upon the _Maxia _as they slaughtered anyone and everyone they saw. Having finally reached Fort Dane, Alex divided his squad to take down assigned sectors of Fort Dane, and he was charged with taking down Sector B7, the Research & Development sector. He moved in swiftly, showing no mercy upon the _Maxian_ officers who struggled to hold their acquired territories at all cost. The battle for Fort Dane didn't last any longer than a few minutes, and as soon as Fort Dane returned to the control of the Terminators, the rest of the island came under their control soon after.

His squad in the center of Fort Dane, and Alex turned to face them, "Well done! Now, let's get our asses to the bridge!"

"Commander," Spyro began, "The sun's rising...we need to be quick."

They sped to a carpool lot, Alex picking the lock into the garage as he, armed with a flashlight, searched for a vehicle that did not run on computers that they could use.

"Any idea?" Terrias asked.

"Yeah..." and he stopped the beam on a tarpaulin, "I have one..."

Blowing a garage door open with a bazooka, Alex, led by the rest of his squad, ramped out of the garage and onto the cracked tarmac of the fortress in ATVs. Each ATV had flashlights duct taped to the steering column.

"At least there aren't any electrical components on these things..." Spyro called.

"Of course not!" Alex laughed, "We're smarter than that!"

They raced through the jungle at the highest speed they could, dodging trees and other obstacles on the narrow trails running throughout the island.

"At this rate," Alex said through the earpiece radio, "We'll be at the bridge in an hour."

"Incoming!" Spyro called out, "_Maxian _4-wheelers!"

Alex turned in his seat seeing the headlamps of several ATVs shining through the jungle behind them. The drone of engines filled the air, and the Commander said one word into the radio, "Run."

They sped forward through the labyrinthine trails of the jungle, advancing to the bridge. The sound of Uzis filled the air as bullets flew all around them, coming from more ATVs in the jungle around them. Alex's squad wound through the trails, dodging the bullets as they fired into the dark forest, unable to see their assailants, but knowing they were around there. "Alex," Terrias came over the radio, "We need to get off the trail, we can't see them, but they can sure see us!"

"My plan exactly, follow me!" and he cranked to a reckless speed, narrowly avoiding obstacles as he ramped off of a bluff and between two narrowly-spaced trees, appearing on another, narrower, more wild trail, "Game trail, keep following me, we'll lose 'em in the forest! Pray we don't crash!"

Suddenly, they heard the sound of branches cracking and leaves blowing around as the _Maxian _ATVs ramped off of the walls around them and onto the trail in front of them. Revealing one of his silenced AK47s, Alex fired ahead of them, gunning several of them down. More and more seemed to appear around them, and as they turned a sharp corner, they spotted several enemy ATVs parked across the path, guns firing at them, Alex sharply turned left off of the path and into the treeline while the others turned right. "Alex!" Spyro cried out.

"KEEP GOING!" Alex roared as the vehicle began a swift, uncontrollable descent down a steep grade. The mud down the hill slid out from beneath him, and he clung to the vehicle for dear life as he tore through branches, shrubs, and small trees, being whipped and injured by everything in this path. Although he had applied the brakes, he continued sliding uncontrollably and he heard what sounded like rushing water approaching. He sharply turned the wheel to the right until he was sliding down sideways, and it finally slowed to a stop at the lip of a three hundred foot cliff into roaring rapids below, dotted with sharp, jagged crags that protruded from the whiteout beneath him. Ahead, he could see a large waterfall emerging from the forest. He finally managed to gain control of a vehicle, and he raced along the cliff's edge, keeping as far right as the grade would allow him, he couldn't turn left, even a mild turn of the wheel would send him plunging to his death. Adding to the trouble, the ATVs were back, flying along at the top of the grade, shooting down at him. Ahead, he could see a narrow section of earth connecting with the road that led over a wooden bridge, over the falls and the roaring river, and to the other side.

He had no idea where the others of his squad were, but he wasn't thinking about them. All he was worried about was getting away from the cliff's edge. The riders were gaining up on him, relentlessly hammering down on him with their Uzis, and one bullet grazed his arm, causing him to grunt in pain as he picked up speed. Flying along at 80 miles per hour was dangerous as it was, the slightest turn of the wheel would cause him to turn violently in the direction of the wheel, and he couldn't turn left or he would go over the cliff, right and he would hit the grade, irritating the precarious mud and _still _sending him over the cliff's edge, he couldn't keep straight either, because the cliff was not even. The gunners were gaining on him, and he was forced to make a choice. Only three options remained, turn right into the cliff and hope that the mud wasn't as precarious here, turn left to his death, or move forward into the gunners' hail of bullets. Finally making his choice, he turned right and into the grade, hoping that his high speeds would send him up to the top of the slope before the mud slid out from under him. He only managed to get halfway before the ground trembled and he, although flying forwards at over a hundred miles an hour now, was instead going reverse. He tried to stop, but it was too late, and he cried out, yelling as he went over the edge and into the roaring river.

He landed in the river at the top of the falls, and he instantly tried swimming upstream, but the current was too powerful, dragging him back. He couldn't bend water either, as the current was keeping his limbs pressed to the side and pulling him under. Squeezing his eyes shut, he took one final breath when he surfaced as he went over the edge of the waterfall and towards the crags at the base...

...Alex climbed out of the river, coughing up water as he crawled onto the banks of the river at the base of the falls, collapsing and gasping for breath. He was in pain, every inch of his body hurt, and he passed out.

He awoke a few hours later...laying still until recovered. Picking himself up and feeling his wounds heal, he stumbled into the forest, searching for a way back up. He was at least two miles downriver from the falls, and the world was eerily silent. He tapped his earpiece, trying to contact somebody, but there was no answer, his radio was shot. After several hours of eerie silence that had him believing that Martaan had already been brought back and his troops had already moved out, forgetting him, the sun was rising and he returned to Fort Dane...but it looked more decrepit than he last remembered. He stumbled through the ruins of the fortress, now overgrown with jungle plants, and found his way to the hangar. A single stealth plane remained, unscathed, save for algae growing on the windows and mold growing on the interior. He climbed into the seat of the aircraft, praying that it worked. Luckily, it did, and he drove it forward, punching through the hangar doors as he took to the air, wiping green slime off of the gauges, ensuring that he was fueled up and ready to go. There was half a gallon remaining, and although he wasn't sure it could take him back to New Alexandria, he tried his luck.

Concentrating deeply, he used his teleportation ability to take the whole craft into the vortex, emerging over New Alexandria a few minutes later...but it had deteriorated greatly since he had last been here. Landing the craft in Anderson Airfield, he climbed out, flagging down a taxi cab and issuing orders to be brought to Club Camelot. As they drove through New Alexandria, he was stunned to see exactly how much it had changed, everything looked older and much more rundown than he had last remembered it, and he was deeply worried. They arrived outside of the military district, and he paid the driver as he stumbled over to the guardsmen. They seemed alarmed, even saddened, to see him back, and although he was confused by their unhappiness, he ignored it, waiting for the gate to raise.

He passed through the gate to Club Camelot, the guards having similar reactions. Out of everything he had seen, Club Camelot seemed to have changed the least. He walked through the courtyard, along the brick path lined with hedges through the hedge-filled yard, past the stone, three-basin fountain between the gate and the doors to the Victorian-style building. He entered the building, seeing that it hadn't changed at all, and several of the guards looked new. He walked across the main lobby, filled with benches, and through the double doors leading to the ten story rotunda. The basement floor of the rotunda contained various storefronts used for entertainment...a concert hall, a spa, an arcade, and a few restaurants. He walked around the ground floor, heading to the two glass elevators, side-by-side, that connected all of the floors. Inserting his key into the special slot, the elevator took him to the top floor of the building, the suite floor, right beneath the dome.

He entered Suite 1, the one used by Alpha Company but found it empty, and looking as if no one had lived in it for years. "The hell?" he mumbled to himself.

"Um...sir?" a young man said, approaching him, "You're not supposed to be here..."

"Bullshit, I live here!"

"Sir, nobody has lived here since Alpha Company left over fifteen years ago."

"_WHAT!? _Stop fucking around with me, boy, I'm not in the mood."

"I'm serious, sir..."

"Oh really now? Where's Alpha Company then?"

The man shrugged, "I'm not sure...they went underground when the _Maxia_ burned half of New Alexandria down about eighteen years ago, and they haven't been seen since...I'm not even sure if they're still alive."

"Eighteen years ago?" Alex seemed worried, "What year is it?"

The man gave him a confused look, "Pardon?"

"What year is it?"

"It's...uh...2037."

"What? I've been gone for _25 years_!"

The man recoiled at the Commander's outburst, "What is your name?"

"I'm Great Commander Alex Vaughn, dammit! Now where's my men? And stop playing games!"

"G...G...Great Commander Alex V..._Vaughn_? Oh my God...I...I'm sorry but I..." and he ran away.

"Hey! Come back goddammit!" and Alex chased him back to Suite 3. Once the Commander barged into the suite, he saw the young man on the phone.

"I'm certain, General Elliot! I'm certain!"

"_You!_" Alex hissed.

"Please, C...Commander!" the boy stammered, hands raised, "G...General Elliot wishes to see you!"

"Take me to him!"

"Y...Y...Yes, sir!"

Alex was ushered into the conference room on the bottom floor where the boy stood tall and erect, guarding the front door. An old, harsh voice suddenly said from behind him, "Out of my way, boy!"

"Uh...sir, yes sir! Sorry...uh...sir..." and the boy stepped out of the way as a very old General Elliot slowly and stiffly entered the room. The general was in his eighties at least, and looked the part.

"Well I'll be damned..." he said, mouth agape, and Alex could have sworn that he saw tears in the old general's eyes, "You really are alive...and you haven't aged a day!" his mouth twisted in a grimace of disgust at the final comment.

"E...Elliot? Where am I? What the hell happened!?"

"I should be asking the same question, Commander. Hell, nobody's seen you in 25 years."

"Where is Alpha Company?"

"I don't even know, Commander. The last transmission I received from them was 18 years ago, when the _Maxia _Regime attacked and damn near burned the city down to the ground. They went underground, somewhere out in the Burned Lands north of here, and just...vanished. The Burned Lands have changed since they left, and we can't even find the entrance to the bunker anymore."

"What year is it?"

"September of 2037."

"My God...impossible! I mean I...I remember going over the edge of that cliff on Martaan..."

Elliot seemed suspicious, "When was this?"

"18th of September 2012."

"25 years ago...We have things to discuss, Commander, perhaps you should come with me."

"Not until I find Alpha Company!" Alex hissed.

"Goddammit, Commander, they're gone! We don't even know if they're still alive!"

"I know, Elliot! I can find them!"

"How? We've been searching for years!"

"Alpha Company can sense each other! Remember?"

"Alex...I think it's time for you to come with us..." and the general approached him.

"No!" the Commander hissed, shoving him back, and Elliot, mouth twisting in a grimace of anger, brought a radio to his mouth and ordered, "Get the guards over here, we have an intruder!"

"Intruder?" and Alex's eyes widened with dawning realization.

"Sorry, Commander, but you left me no option," and Elliot revealed a pistol. Alex immediately jumped up, shoving both Elliot and the boy aside as he raced out of Club Camelot and through New Alexandria, calling a taxi over to him as he climbed in and ordered to be taken to the northern gates. They arrived a few minutes later, and he leaped out as Terminator guards fired upon him. He sped ahead, dodging the bullets as he dove into one of the guardhouses, hitting the activation switch for the door. Finding a pistol, he fired at the guards who ran for cover, and once the door was open, he quickly ran outside and into the Burned Lands, now slowly starting to be reclaimed by nature. The _Fiernes Curtain_ was still there, but it had dimmed and shrank, the flames were apparently beginning to go out. He ran deeper into the Burned Lands, overjoyed when he could feel a faint trace of Alpha Company's signal, deep underground.

Behind him, the guards and soldiers were still firing upon him, chasing him, attempting to arrest him. He had no idea what had happened in the apparent 25 years he had been missing, all he knew was that now Elliot was corrupt, and he had the entire militia at his disposal...what if Alpha Company _hadn't _necessarily 'gone missing', what if Elliot had attempted to neutralize them. Night had fallen by the time the sound of the pursuing guards finally dissipated, no doubt do to their surrender. For whatever reason, Elliot wanted him, and Alex knew the general would not stop until he had him...his only hope was to locate Alpha Company...or what was left of them...before Elliot found him or his troops. He also hoped that Alpha Company was still loyal to him...

It was another hour before he reached the epicenter of the signal he was receiving, desperately, he searched his surrounding for any entrance, and he was overjoyed when he finally uncovered a hidden passage behind a false rock wall a mile away from the signal. Opening the passage, he climbed into the enveloping darkness, activating his night vision as he closed the door again and walked through some kind of narrow tunnel. A metal catwalk stretched on ahead of him through the subterranean tunnel system. Following the tunnel, he soon found himself over a natural aquifer, with steam rising from the water, glowing a bright aqua. He gasped and his when he encountered guards walking around the springs thirty feet beneath him, waiting for the patrol to leave, he continued on, cringing when a voice behind him rang out, "You there! Hands in the air!"

He did as he was asked and felt a padded hand grip him, hard, and the cold barrel of a silenced assault rifle pressed to his head. He was escorted through the labyrinth of tunnels and to a door, fashioned from a wooden fence, guarded by two soldiers clad in black body armor with maroon sleeves and legs. "Who is this?" one of the guards at the door asked.

"We caught him patrolling the caves over by the viaduct."

"Hm...where you taking him?"

"The Commander."

"So be it," and the guards stepped aside, allowing Alex's captor through the door and into a massive, sprawling, underground complex. It was a massive cave room with fifty foot ceilings, filled to the brim with multi-story buildings constructed from scrap metal and corrugated steel, illuminated by barrels full of trash and burning. Alex was led through the streets of the underground city and to somewhere unknown, and the citizens, wearing rags and looking skinny and dirty, gaped at the new arrival.

"Where are you taking me?" Alex asked, but his captors didn't answer.

Eventually, the claustrophobic roads and alleys of the city gave way to barracks and training fields, and Alex saw a massive shack ahead, appearing much more ornate than the rest of the city. Spray painted in black above the door was the Terminator Eagle, and the flags that flew above the building was the _old _version of the Terminator flag, back when it was the black eagle on a solid red background. The guards stepped aside as Alex was shoved forward, through wide halls and to a large throne room. Alex was shoved forward to a bow, and the guards that had dragged him here bowed as one of them said, "Commander, we brought the intruder you asked for."

"Good, I wish to speak with him alone."

"Y...Yes, sir!" and they saluted before leaving.

"You may rise, Guest," the voice said.

Alex sat up, angrily brushing the dirt off of his shoulders as he said, "Oh, thanks for fucking giving me permission!"

"That voice..." the man continued, and he seemed sad, longing, "It's been too long...it can't be!"

"Who are you?" Alex hissed looking up. The commander of this army was hidden in shadow, a silhouette, and Alex could barely make out a limbless form.

"I'm not surprised you don't remember me..." and he sighed, "It's been 25 years, Alex, and much has changed."

"How do you know me? Who are you!?"

The figure then emerged from the shadows, and Alex was stunned to see a serperior, looking worn and old. "It's me...Terrias."

Alex's eyes widened, "T...Terrias? You evolved!"

The serperior nodded, "Almost twenty years ago."

"What happened? Where am I? Why is Elliot after me? The hell is going on!?"

"Alex...you went missing...the night of the retrieval of Martaan from the _Maxia _Regime. After that, Commander Spyro tried to take control of the Terminator Militia...but he was reluctant...and he became obsessed with finding you. Rainbow Dash joined with him, as did Cynder, and this infuriated General Elliot. Soon, all of Alpha Company was refusing to lead the militia without you, and Elliot was wanting a strong leader as the _Maxia _grew stronger. Then, one day, Elliot came to us, mentioning an army out in the Burned Lands, preparing to attack. We went to his coordinates...but were ambushed by Gamma, Delta, and Beta Companies. Sonic, Rudolph, Piermont, and Cherub were slain in the uprising, the rest of us went underground, barely escaping the attacks. Elliot took control of the militia, saying that we had gone rogue and betrayed the Terminators, ordering us to be shot on sight. Alpha Company tried to wrestle control for the militia from Elliot, but he had already surrendered to the _Maxia_, and in a deal, they were allowed to keep the capital and the name, if they were allowed to rule us.

"Alpha Company...lost several others in the raids to take New Alexandria back from the _Caeda_, which is the Brotherhood, the _Maxia_, the LKA, and Elliot's Terminators, and we were forced to retreat. Meanwhile, the _real _Terminators...us...those who still remained faithful, adopted the title _Caelosmos_, or Draconic for 'Those who Fight for Freedom', and we began a series of crusades where those who remained faithful to Alpha Company fought against Elliot's Terminators and the _Caeda_, attempting to restore order...in the process, Spyro was killed, and we lost several others, including Cynder, my Aria, Colonel Nala, Cheet, and many, many others. Eventually only a few of us...me, General Rainbow Dash, Colonel Simba, Lieutenant Kovu, Lieutenant Terrance, and Lieutenant Alduin, remained. That's who you see right now."

"Even Skorpion?"

"Skorpion," and Terrias laughed, sadly, "He...lost his mind...when the shit hit the fan, began killing friend and foe alike, and he was exiled from us and cast away into the Burned Lands. Even today, I know not where he is."

"How did _you _rise to the title of 'Commander', Terrias?"

"By popular vote, believe it or not. It also didn't help that it's very hard to hold a gun when you have hands like these..." and he shook the small paws he had.

"My God...all of my friends..."

"Alex, we've never given up hope that you are alive. Even those that died, died thinking that you were alive."

"Where's Rainbow Dash?"

"I sent for her, she should be here soon."

"And...how did you know I was here?"

"Alex, Alpha Company can sense the presence of the others of Alpha Company. The moment you entered the caves, I felt your unique presence, I knew you were alive. The people you see down here, in Hope City, these people are still loyal to you. Even my title of 'commander' is little more than a word tossed around to discourage the idea that we are without a leader...you are still our commander, Alex...and we need your help more than ever. Now that you're back, we have an opportunity to take back our territory...to prove that Spyro's sacrifice, and the sacrifices of everyone else was not in vain!"

"Alex?" came a small voice from behind them, and Alex turned to see Rainbow Dash, definitely looking like an adult, run up to him and embrace him, "You're back! It's true! You really are back back!"

"Dash...my God...you've grown!"

"Unlike _you _apparently," she began, "We can't stay forever young. I missed you...so much!"

She kissed Alex, and the Commander turned to Terrias, "What of Sarah? Where is she?"

Terrias seemed sympathetic then, "She...uh...believed in you...but, understandably, she couldn't wait any longer, and she married someone else...unfortunately, their sixteen year old kid is ruling as Elliot's second-in-command."

"So that boy that I encountered...that's Sarah's...son?"

"Yes."

"Oh God..." and he covered his face, fighting back tears, "Where's she?"

Terrias shrugged, "She went missing a few years ago, and we haven't seen her since."

"Don't worry though!" Dash comforted, "I've waited for you!"

Alex grinned sadly, "I guess I'm 25 years overdue?"

"Yes you are...I just hope my...uh...sexuality...hasn't grown _too _rusty."

Terrias chuckled, "I guess I should let you catch up on things with your mate, then we'll talk."

"This...this is all too much..." and he backed against the wall, "Any new recruits to Alpha Company?"

"Several," Terrias replied, "But only Lieutenant Terrance remains."

"Lieutenant...Terrance?"

"Aye."

"May I meet him...before I'm with you, Dash?"

The Pegasus sighed sadly, "Of course, the job's always the priority, isn't it, Alex?"

"It can wait, Alex...Dash needs you right now."

Alex took a look at his mate and smiled, "Then I guess I'm yours..."

He returned an hour later, and was surprised when he saw a sceptile...another Pokemon, this one from the Hoenn Region...standing by Terrias' side. "Alex, this is Lieutenant Terrance, Terrance, this is the man we've been looking for for 25 years, the sole drive behind our mission."

"Great Commander," he said, nodding, "It's an honor to finally meet you...Commander Terrias has spoke very highly of you...they all have. I wish I could stay and chat...but I'm needed for patrol in twenty minutes. However, if you meet me at the bar tonight at 0000 hours, we can become properly introduced..." and he looked to Terrias, who nodded. "Farewell, Commander Vaughn," and he ran off.

"Interesting character..." Alex remarked.

"He aspires to be the best soldier in the entire army...and he's working his ass off to achieve that goal."

Suddenly, the ground shook and an alarm sounded, one of the guards that had escorted Alex to Terrias ran in, shouting, "Sir! Elliot has discovered our base, and _Caeda _are flooding in this very instant!"

"Alex!" Terrias roared, "It'll be good to finally fight by your side again after so long..."

"Agreed," Rainbow Dash nodded.

Elliot, flanked on either side by guards wielding SPARTAN armor, stepped forward, firing a Luger into the air as the citizens fled, being gunned down by the _Caeda_. "Listen up, you ungrateful bastards!" Elliot hissed, "Bring me Alpha Company, and we'll all leave nice and quiet, no more 'accidents', understood?"

"General Elliot, you treacherous piece of shit," Terrias began, slithering down a staircase and to the center of town where Elliot stood, "You become more and more pathetic as time passes by."

"Can it, Worm!" the general hissed, "I know Alex passed through here, where is he?"

"_CATCH_!" Alex roared, and Elliot looked up to see Alex leap from a building rooftop and tackle him. The two wrestled for control as Elliot reached for his dropped pistol, but Alex kicked it away, and Alpha Company engaged the _Caeda _guards. Eventually, Elliot bested the Commander, smashing the butt of his reacquired pistol into Alex's head. The Commander, stunned, fell to the side and watched as Elliot and Terrias stood off.

"It seems your little party is about to come to a close," Elliot hissed, "You and your 'army' have pestered us long enough!"

"I'm not about to surrender!" Terrias hissed, "We've fought too long and lost too much to surrender!"

"That's your problem! If you would have only fulfilled your duty after the Commander's kidnapping, the _Caeda _would have never absorbed the Terminator Militia, and Commander Spyro, General Cynder, and Commander Piermont would have had to be killed. These terrible deaths are the result of _your stubbornness_ and stupidity!"

Terrias sighed, then shouted, "Everybody! EVACUATE!" as he tackled Elliot, being fired upon by the guards. The rest of Alpha Company fled the city, into the caves, leading the terrified citizens. One of the fleeing citizens helped Alex up and began to aide him in their escape as well.

"_TERRIAS!_" Alex roared fighting to remain, but a mass of civilians were against him, forcing him into the caves, and Alex watched as Terrias reached behind his back, pulling out a strange cord with multiple cords attached to it, and the Commander, suddenly realizing what was happening, watched in horror as the serperior shook off the remains of his trench coat, revealing a vest full of grenades strapped to his chest, "_NO!_"

"Goodbye, Alex! I'll see you in Hell!" and he hissed as he wrapped himself around Elliot, and both of them disappeared in a massive ball of fire and smoke.

The citizens fled, and Alex stared in disbelief at where Terrias and Elliot used to be. He was shaken from his thoughts by a deep, macabre rumbling, and the cave began to collapse. Alarmed, his paralysis broke, and he fled into the tunnels, following the rear of escaping civilians through the maze of tunnels as fire followed him and the tunnels began to collapse. Soon, the ladder leading to the surface was in view, and he ran faster, crying out when the tunnel collapsed in front of him, cutting him off from the entrance. He turned, back pressed against the wall, watching as the fireball neared him, and he screamed, covering his face as the fireball engulfed him, and the ground shook once more before he felt the weight of the tunnel fall in on top of him...

...And he shot up, screaming.

He looked around, terrified, heart racing...he was in a clean room, fluorescent lights shining down on him, and he was surrounded by Alpha Company, all together, and looking as young as ever. "Guys? Guys! Guys!"

"Settle down!" Terrias, still a servine, said, restraining him, "Dammit Alex! Settle down!"

"The fuck is wrong with him?" Piermont, in his human form, asked, "What the hell happened to you guys!?"

"He's having a panic attack!" Spyro hissed, "Somebody! Get some sedatives!"

"To hell with sedatives!" and Rainbow Dash pushed and shoved her way to his side, "It's okay!" she said, "Alex, it's okay," and she hugged him, holding him, humming a soothing tune as his racing heart finally settled, and the shock of his delusional nightmare and rough awakening finally began to subside.

Once he was calm again, Cynder appeared, tightly holding his hand, "Are you okay?" she asked.

He nodded, "Wh...where am I?"

"You're on the _Retribution_, Alex...we're going home," Spyro replied.

"What day is it?"

"September 18," Rainbow Dash replied.

"2012?"

"Yeah..."

Spyro then interrupted, "It was a mission success, Alex. The _Maxia _are gone, there's none left on Martaan, and we located Beta Company, they were hiding out from the _Maxia_...no doubt though that those bastards have dragonriders in wherever their capital is now...but at least Martaan and Fort Ozark is finally ours again."

"What happened?" Dash asked, "We found you, unconscious, on the shore at the base of the bridge between Ozark Island and Martaan."

And Alex recounted what had happened, from the point he broke away from the rest of his squadmates, to the point where he went over the edge, and the nightmare that he had while he was unconscious, they all listened intently to his story, never saying anything, and once he was done telling it, Spyro said, "Well...I'm glad it's over, anyway."

"A sceptile named Terrance, huh?" Terrias asked, "Do I have like split personalities or something? Is that why I'm both a serperior _and _a sceptile?"

"I don't think so...it was just a dream..." Alex replied, "Thank God..."

"Well...I suggest you take it easy," Cynder replied, "We don't have enough fuel to use the teleporter...but we _do _have enough to take the long way home. Take it easy, okay? It'll be a long ride...just get some rest."

"Thanks, Cynder."

"You're welcome, Sexy," and she winked.

Rainbow Dash glared at the dragoness, but said nothing, "Well, I think we should _all _relax...that wasn't an easy battle, and we got a lot done. Let's just keep the course straight, switch out pilots every once in awhile, and get some shuteye...we need some serious downtime, and this trip is an excellent way to cool off after that."

"I agree," Terrias replied.

Everyone left, save the High Command, Terrias, and Rainbow Dash, "Please..." Alex said, his voice a harsh whisper, "Guys...stay with me..."

"Don't worry," Terrias comforted, "We're not leaving you...we're gonna stay right here with you tonight."

"Is that okay?" Dash asked.

"Please...all five of you," and his head hit the pillow as he collapsed, unconscious.

He soon began to moan in his sleep, apparently the nightmare was returning, and Dash walked over to him, climbing into bed with him and curling up against him. As soon as she had grown comfortable, his moaning stopped as the nightmare diminished into a sound sleep, and everyone finally fell into a deep, dreamless sleep as the frigate continued on over the dark Atlantic Ocean, and the sun slowly began to rise in the east.


	35. Chapter XXXIV: The World of Pokemon

_**Chapter XXXIV**_**:**

**-''The World of Pokemon''-**

**-Above the Atlantic Ocean-**

**-**_**18 September 2012**_**-**

**-**_**1837 Hours**_**-**

The TMS _Retribution_ slowly trudged through the skies above the Atlantic Ocean, the sinking sun casting the stealthy flying fortress in a golden light. There was still another several hours before they arrived back in New Alexandria, and everyone, save Tails who was driving the vehicle, was asleep. Alex's nightmarish dreams had faded away, giving in to warm and romantic feelings with Dash, of sitting beside each other, watching the sunset, kissing as darkness finally enveloped the land. Half an hour later, the sun was fully beneath the horizon, and a dense fog was rolling in. Tails checked the navigation unit of the ship, seeing that they were drawing near the fabled Bermuda Triangle. He steered the airship away from the Triangle, but the thick fog was stretching out, and he had no choice but to enter it. The world suddenly darkened as visibility reduced to naught and Tails was forced to slow his speed and warn the others of Alpha Company.

One by one, they sleepily emerged from their given rooms, gathering around the fox as Tails informed them on the situation. They stood around the windows of the cockpit, keeping an eye out for any potential dangers that could threaten their safe return home. The world was silent, eerie, and a grim feeling was in the air. Suddenly, Piermont warned, "Yo! There's somethin' flying around out there!"

"It isn't funny, Pierre," Tails replied, carefully piloting the craft through the fog.

"I'm dead fuckin' serious..." and then he cried out, "Jesus! There it is again!"

"Where?" Alex asked, walking up to his dragon.

"It's flying around us!"

"The hell is it?"

"I don't know!" the dragon hissed, "All I see is a silhouette, and it's serpentine in shape. A big, big, _big_-ass snake!"

"Now's not the time for joking around, Pierre, this is serious! This sort of shit is dangerous, and with you talking about some mythical gigantic flying snake, it isn't funny, man."

"I'm not cracking a joke! I'm dead serious! It's flying around us!"

"I see nothing," Terrias replied.

"Neither do I," Alex agreed.

"It's out there...and it's hungry."

"Piermont!" the fox hissed, "This isn't fun..." and the ship shook violently as it seemed to stop.

"What the hell is happening?" Alex asked, "Did we run out of fuel?"

"Um...negative, engine's rolling at full speed."

"Why aren't we moving then?"

"I don't know! At least we're not falling!"

There was a groaning of protesting metal, and the ship shook violently once again. "Kill the lights!" Alex hissed, and Tails shut off all except for the engine power. Breathing heavily, he whispered, "There's something out there...everybody remain quiet, and keep your heads down!"

Something dark slithered past one of the cockpit's windows, and Spike cried out, jumping back, "P...P...Pierre was r...r...right! Th...there's s...some k...k...kind of giant snake th...thing out there!"

The ceiling above them groaned and began to bulge inwards, the sound of snapping girders and wood filled the air and the whole floor warped and twisted beneath their feet.

"The hell is going on?" Rainbow Dash asked, breathing heavily now as she clung to her mate.

"Whatever it is...apparently it's wrapping itself around the ship..." Rapid replied, shuddering, "Sorry for doubting you, Pierre."

"We can apologize later...for now, I need someone to get out there and see what the he...he..." and he was cut off as he stared, mouth agape, not breathing, at two massive, glowing white orbs that stared back at him. "He...he...oh _shit! _RUN!"

The ship warped and twisted once more as the floor beneath them cracked and broke and began to cave inwards. Whatever had taken an interest in them roared with a deafening bellow, one that sounded familiar to Alex but he could not recognize.

"Get to the escape pods!" Alex roared, "In the aft of the ship! _NOW_!"

"Don't need to tell me twice, Doc!" Piermont replied as he ran towards the rear of the ship. Around them, the blood-red emergency lights flashed on, casting the world in a bright red tint, as if they were in a darkroom for a photographer.

They sped through the maze of halls, the sound of protesting metal continuing as whatever was attacking them continued to wrap and press itself down on the flying frigate. Several minutes later, they flooded into the room with the escape pods. "Go!" Alex ordered, "Quickly now!"

He cried out as the floor beneath them fully gave way and the room went vertical. Clinging to the metal walkway, they looked down, seeing the pods fall down into the raging torrent below them. It was apparently raining, because room was only remaining connected to the rest of the ship by the catwalk, which was twisting and beginning to snap, and rain was falling on them from the missing ceiling and wall panels. Their assailant was still a black silhouette that they could barely make out in the dark night. The beast roared again, and Alpha Company began to climb their way up the catwalk and back onto the intact portion of the ship. Terrias was the last one on, and he turned back, extending a hand to help Alex while the rest of Alpha Company fled to the front of the ship.

"Terrias!" Aria cried and she stopped by Alex's side, intending to help him.

The two servines reached as far down as they could, trying to help Alex up. The metal weaving beneath his fingers was growing slick from the rain, and he was losing his grip. He reached as far out as he can, almost having grabbed Terrias' hand, but then the metal catwalk finally gave way completely and Alex cried out as he plummeted into the raging torrent below.

"NO!" Terrias roared, "_ALEX_!"

The Commander, falling into the raging sea looked up to see the snake creature wrapping even tighter around the ship. The sound of bending metal filled the air and he watched as the two ends of the ship turned upwards, the middle part sinking until the entire ship formed an almost 'V' shape. Glass and bits of metal rained down on him and he shielded his eyes against the debris as Terrias' form fell backwards and into the gaping maw of the ship. It grew farther and farther away, and the beast that had attacked them roared again as an electrical zap filled the air and a massive ball of fire erupted from the now-vertical aft of the ship. The explosion seemed to discourage the flying monster, because Alex watched as the massive, flying snake flew off, the light from the fireball illuminating an emerald-green part of its segmented, worm-like body, trimmed with a brilliant gold. Alex watched as the ship went down, going belly up as he slowly fell through the air, leaving a massive smoke trail, and disappeared. He finally fell out of the cloud cover, turning to see distant land, and the ship was crashing towards the shore, launching over the silhouettes of trees and disappearing behind a mountain range. Another explosion tore through the world, a dull boom, and smoke and fire arched from beyond the mountain range, launching into the sky and dissipating.

In an instant, Alex felt himself strike water with a loud splash, and the shock of the sudden enveloping cold disoriented him. The water was ice cold, he couldn't see, and he had no idea if he was upside down or right side up. Panicking, he groped around, searching for the feel of raindrops, hoping to find the surface, but all he grabbed was the ice cold water of the sea. He was overcome with urge to cry out, and as he opened his mouth, salty water flowed into it, running down into his burning throat and into his lungs, triggering a violent, painful cough...he was drowning. He mentally retreated deep into his mind, unitizing an old trick he was taught on reflex, and common sense returned as he calmed and he finally managed to locate where he was. He tried to swim upwards, but something had caught on his leg, feeling slimy and slick, and he groped around, feeling seaweed slip through his fingers. He touched his leg, feeling spikes and needles run throughout his body, and his pants seemed to unravel, as he touched what felt like fur. He grabbed at the fur, realizing that it was his hair, and he tried to pull out his leg. His arm slipped and went flying back into a sharp piece of coral. Pain tore through his body, the salt from the water flooding into the open wound. Finally, the lack of oxygen and the shock from his landing and the gruesome cut brought a horrendous pain throughout his body, and as the unfelt wounds on his arm turned the water around him a deep red, the lights of consciousness winked out.

Alex slowly opened his eyes, his vision was blurred, and the blindingly bright sun burned into his salt-filled eyeballs. He groaned, hearing a distant voice speak to him, but he passed it off as his conscience. Once he had relaxed, and logic returned, he opened his eyes again, seeing a strange, green form standing over him. As he blinked away the salt, his vision cleared, and he saw what appeared to be a Pokemon, known as a treecko, standing over him, head cocked to the sight, confused, "Are you okay?" it asked in a young, male voice.

"Wh...where am I?" Alex slurred.

"Are you okay, sir?"

The Commander sat up slowly, wincing at the pain. He bumped his arm against the soft, hot sand of the beach, and he cringed as heat shot up and throughout his body. He looked at his arm, a massive gash, crusted with sea salt, was across his forearm, was confused him, was that his arm ended in a paw, and as he clinched his hand, the paw clinched as well. "What the hell? What am I?" and he turned to face the treecko, crouching by his side.

"You've been out for awhile..." he said shyly, "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Where am I?"

"You washed upon the shore during last night's storm apparently."

He looked at his paw again, "Wh...what am I?"

The treecko gave him a confused look, "Well, you look like a normal cyndaquil to me."

"What!?" and Alex shot up, running to the sea as he fell forward, looking at his reflection in the crystal-clear water. Sure enough, the face of a cyndaquil stared back at him. "THE HELL HAPPENED TO ME!?" he roared, and he turned back, tackling the treecko as he commanded, "Where am I! Tell me what the hell is going on!"

The young Pokemon looked frightened, and he shielded his face, "Please! Don't hurt me!"

Alex, logic returning again, stepped off of the Pokemon, extending a hand to him. The treecko flinched at the Commander's gesture, then reluctantly grabbed his paw and pulled himself up. "Who are you?" he asked, "I've never seen you around here before..."

"My name is...uh..." and he was alarmed when his mind drew a blank. Suddenly, like a tidal wave, his memories and identity rushed into his mind, overwhelming him as he jumped up, crying out in terror and falling back. Eventually, the flood receded, and he, laying against a crag on the beach, looked ahead to see the treecko, appearing very frightened, show both concern and fear for him. "My name is Great Commander Alex Vaughn, of the Terminator Militia. Our ship was brought down over the Atlantic Ocean last night..." then his eyes widened, "Where's my squad? Where's my ship!"

"What are you talking about?" the treecko asked.

"Alpha Company! Where's Alpha Company!?"

"Who's Alpha Company?"

"This...this is a dream!" and he looked around in disbelief. There was not a cloud in the clear blue sky, the sun was shining brightly down upon the world, and he was on a small beach, with the ocean to his left, and a thirty foot cliff to his right that went all down the beach. On the top of the cliff, Alex could see various types of palm and other tropical trees, blowing in the warm breeze, and the world itself was warm, almost seventy five degrees Fahrenheit.

"Well...uh..." the treecko began shyly, slowly approaching him, "I don't know who or where this 'Alpha Company' is...but my name is Terrance," and he thrust out a hand.

Alex hesitantly grabbed and shook it, "Nice to meet you...uh...Terrance...where am I?"

The treecko replied, "You are in the village of Treasure Town. We're the only village on the whole island."

"You're a Pokemon?"

"Yeah...we all are."

"You can _talk_!?"

"Yeah," and he shrugged, "Is something wrong there?"

"What the hell...I gotta be dreaming, man. I'm now a fuckin' cyndaquil, talking to a treecko. Dammit Dash, I bet either she or Spyro drugged me up on something..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Okay, first thing's first. I'm not a cyndaquil, I'm a human from the United States of America, specifically, the city of New Alexandria, Montana."

"You're a human?" and Terrance suddenly appeared interested as he quickly observed Alex from head to foot. "Odd...you look like a perfectly normal cyndaquil to me."

"Yeah, well, buddy, looks can be _very _deceiving. Are you the only talking Pokemon here?"

"Hm..." Terrance replied, hand stroking his chin, thinking, "Will you come with me for a sec?"

"Sure, I gu..."

"Hey!" a snobbish voice interrupted, followed by an obnoxious laugh, "Lookit what the persian dragged in!" and Alex watched as a group of three Pokemon: a skunktank, a gengar, and a koffing, appeared on the beach.

"Leave me alone, guys!" Terrance replied, pouting.

"Aww! Wittle baby Terrance wants to cry!" and the koffing laughed, "Master Skunktank, you thinkin' what _I'm _thinkin'?"

"I believe I am, Gengar," and the trio stepped towards Terrance, who backed towards Alex, running into him.

"Oi! Fuck off you goddamn bullies!" Alex hissed, "Go pick on someone your own size!"

"Oh! Somebody's got a potty mouth!" Gengar said again, and he stepped towards Alex, observing him, "Hm...I've never seen _you _around before, Meat. Where'd ol' Terrance pick _you _up, huh? The bottom of the ocean?"

Alex nudged the cowering Terrance aside, forcefully shoving Gengar backwards, causing the Pokemon to fall. "Hey!" he roared, jumping up again and getting into the Commander's face, "I'm not going to deal with some stupid mouse like you! I'll just drown you in the ocean!"

Alex then falcon-punched the gengar, sending the Pokemon flying backwards.

"Why you little-!" he roared, jumping up and stepping menacingly towards the Commander. Skunktank raised a paw, holding him back, "He ain't worth it," he replied in a Jersey-accented voice, "We'll leave Terrance and his new 'friend' alone, we can deal with 'em later."

"One last thing, Master Skunktank," and Gengar stepped forward again, forcefully shoving Terrance back as he took a flat stone tablet with a strange symbol inscribed on it.

"HEY!" Terrance roared, leaping towards Gengar, who effortlessly dodged, "Give that back!" and the treecko seemed near tears, "That's mine!"

Gengar laughed with a snort as he threw it far into the ocean before running off with the rest of his comrades.

"Stupid fucktards," Alex grumbled.

Terrance, standing by the shore, collapsed to his knees, "No..." he said, tearing up.

"Yo! Uh...Terrance...what's wrong, man?"

"That stone...it was given to me as a gift before my mother passed away..."

"Huh?"

"It has great sentimental value to me..." and he sighed, "I can't lose it!" and he ran towards the ocean.

"Whoa!" Alex called, grabbing Terrance by the arm and holding him back, "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! You can't go in there! That's a fuckin' death wish! Christ knows what kinds of predators are in there!"

"I don't care!" and he tore his arm from Alex's grasp, "It's worth the risk!"

"If it's worth so much to you, all you need to do is ask, I'll go get it for you."

"But...it's dangerous! You'll drown!"

"Why? Because I'm a fire type I don't know how to swim? Fuck that shit! I might be a Pokemon second, but I'm a goddamn war hero first! I don't know what these little spikes of fire on my back do, I just hope to God they ain't like charmander's tail."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah," Alex replied nonchalantly, "I'm sure! Now step back, and watch a master waterbender do his work!" Alex stepped back, popping his back muscles as he dashed across the shore, into the water, before leaping off of the continental drift and into the water. Unfortunately, it seemed that the little spikes of fire on his back _were _similar to the fire on charmanders' tails, because as soon as the fire went out, he became sleepy, and further tested his strength by keeping the fires going as he swam as far down as he could. Running out of oxygen, he finally spotted the stone slab tangled in some seaweed on the continental wall, and he swam towards it, ripping the stone free as he swam back to the surface, noticing that he was growing progressively weaker and more sleepy. Mentally chanting that he would die if he fell asleep, he concentrated solely on getting back to the surface as his muscles and lungs began to ache and burn. Finally, right as he was about to uncontrollably take a breath and wind up in the same situation as the previous night, he emerged from the water, gasping for the air. Instantly, the tension in his lungs eased, and the rush of air felt soothing against his burning throat. He knelt just in the water, on his knees in the hot sand, gasping for breath.

Terrance ran up to him expectantly, asking, "Did you get it back?"

Alex, without really knowing where he stored the damn thing, revealed it from behind his back and handed it over to the treecko, who eyes lit and shined at the sight. He hugged it tightly, then hugged the Commander tightly, "Oh thank you, Alex! Thank you so much!"

Alex, struggling for breath as Terrance was squeezing his trachea, raised an arm and pointed it at his mouth, "Uh! Breath!" he said, his voice hoarse, "Can't..._breathe_!"

"Oh! Sorry!" he exclaimed, loosening his grip. Alex took a great breath before collapsing forward.

Once he recovered, Terrance helped him up, and the duo walked across the beach leaving it as they entered a bustling village, full of Pokemon maintaining a daily routine. "Holy _shit_!" Alex exclaimed, jaw dropping. "It's like fuckin' NYC, only with Pokemon instead of humans!"

And even _that _comparison wasn't entirely correct, the village couldn't even really be called a village, it was more of a settlement. There were only fifteen homes in the entire town, adding to that, was a bank, a busy market with several storefronts, and a dojo. Terrance led Alex through the Market District, heading to a tall plateau with stairs spiraling upwards. "You see up there, Alex?" he asked.

"Well...yeah."

"There, a Pokemon by the name of Wigglytuff, trains exploration teams to investigate the island. If there's any lead on your missing friends or this wreckage, they would know. Besides, I've always wanted to make an exploration team..." and he paused to turn to Alex, "Say, want to partner up with me? Maybe we can find out what this stone means," and he revealed the strange tablet from behind him.

"Uh..." and Alex pointed at the slab, "Where in the hell are you keeping that?" and he looked behind the treecko, no backpack or pockets, "Uh...never mind...damn cartoon physics."

"Do you?"

"Sure, why the hell not!" and Alex chuckled, "We'll partner up."

"Really?" and the treecko's eyes lit up, "Oh thank you!"

They finally reached the top of the plateau, and Alex chuckled to see a large ten fashioned behind a wall of junk. Terrance stepped onto a sewer grate right before the gates to the small complex that consisted solely of the single tent, and a voice from out of nowhere, echoing, cried out, "Alert! Alert! We have a Pokemon, over!"

Another, gruffer voice replied, "Identify it!"

"It's a Treecko! Repeat, it's a Treecko!" and Terrance stepped off of the platform.

The gruffer voice returned demanding, "There is a second one up there! Identify yourself, at once!"

"Uh...Alex? I think they're talking about you," Terrance whispered.

"You have until the count of three to identify yourself! 1..."

"Just step onto the grate! Hurry!"

"2..."

The Commander sighed as she stood on the grate, and the young voice called out, "It is a...Cyndaquil? Well that's odd...anyway, it is a Cyndaquil! Repeat! It is a Cyndaquil, over!"

"Let them in!" the gruffer voice replied, and Terrance jumped back as a loud rumble split the silence and the gates to the compound slowly opened. From the tent, a Chatot emerged, scanning the two puzzled creatures before him.

"Come with me!" he ordered, and he turned around, disappearing inside the tent. Alex and Terrance exchanged glances before they abruptly followed the bird into the cool, damp darkness of the tent.

"Oh!" Alex exclaimed, seeing a crude wooden ladder heading deep into a massive hole in the ground, "That makes sense now..." and Terrance waved for him to go first.

"Please," Alex began, waving at the ladder, "I insist."

Terrance looked nervously down the hole, then sighed as he grabbed the ladder and slowly began to climb down. Alex followed after him, irritated at the treecko's hesitance.

"C'mon, Terrance! Hurry up! It ain't gonna bite!"

They emerged thirty feet down on the first of two sublevels. The first room seemed to be a training hall, where several Pokemon practiced combat.

"Interesting..." Alex remarked.

"Down here!" the Chatot squawked, "NOW!"

"Okay! Okay! Jesus, no need to get all pissy!" Alex replied, and he went down the ladder first, Terrance following him. They emerged on the bottom floor, consisting of what seemed to be a leisure area, a hall heading left with a wooden sign cut to look like an arrow, reading 'RECRUITS' QUARTERS' in crude black paint. To the right was another wooden sign, reading 'MESS HALL'. Alex grinned widely at the apparent stiff structure of the explorer teams' trainers. "Ah..." he sighed dreamily, "Just like the military...it's boot camp all over again!"

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Terrance said nervously.

"Bah!" Alex exclaimed, "You whine too much."

"ATTEN-_SHUN_!" the chatot boomed, and all of the Pokemon on this floor instantly lined up, stiff and straight. "You there! Greenhorns!" and he pointed at Terrance and Alex, "Come with me! You must meet the Guildmaster!"

"SIR! YES, SIR!" Alex called, saluting.

"You dumb, boy?" the chatot screeched, eyeing Alex angrily.

"SIR! NO, SIR!"

"He's a soldier apparently..." Terrance said nervously.

"Hm..." and the bird led them to a closed door to the immediate left of the door. He knocked on it before opening the door and waving for the two Pokemon to enter. They did, finding a classic CO's office behind it. Behind the oak desk, a black leather chair was turned away from the two Pokemon, looking out windows built into the cliffside. "Guildmaster, sir! The recruits!" and he left the room, slamming the door shut.

"Step forward..." a sinister voice said.

Alex and Terrance exchanged unsure glances, then followed orders. Instantly, the chair rotated quickly around, and they found themselves facing a Wigglytuff with a foolish grin.

"Welcome! Welcome!" he said excitedly with a good-natured laugh, "I'm so glad to see two Pokemon _eager _to begin a new life as an exploration team!"

"You're happy...I was a little worried there for a moment. I thought you were a hardass like _most _drill sergeants or commanding officers," Alex replied.

"Me? Oh! I'm so sorry! Chatot has a notorious short temper, but you don't have to worry about me! I'm _always _happy!" Alex and Terrance exchanged glances of amusement, and the Guildmaster continued, "I'm assuming you are here wanting to start an exploration team together?"

"Yes, sir," Terrance replied, glancing over at Alex, who only looked ahead. He discreetly elbowed Alex in the side, and the Commander replied, "Oh! Right...um..yes, sir."

"Excellent! We're _always _looking for bright new minds wanting to join this cultural phenomenon! We don't have a whole lot of excitement here, so our form of entertainment is investigating this beautiful island, and trust me, there is _so _much to learn! My family's been building bright, young teams for over seven generations, and we have barely scratched the surface!"

"Interesting..." Alex replied, "I assume for training, we will only be allowed in known dungeons?"

"Um, yes! Yes, of course! But, but, BUT, as you gain experience in exploration and spelunking, then you will be turned out to the world, to search and explore on your own, making money helping others and mapping the world..._and_, best of all, our service here is entirely _FREE_! All that is required is that 90% of your earnings is turned over to the Guild!"

"_90%_?" Alex replied, jaw dropping.

"Oh yes, yes, YES! Building young explorers isn't cheap you know, and with _free service_ it is the _least _that can be done to help our growing cause! Now! Without further ado, I give you, these wonderful gifts!" and he revealed two backpacks, setting them down on the table. Alex and Terrance looked at the packs, confused, and the Guildmaster continued, "Go on! Open it!"

As Alex and Terrance stepped towards the backpacks, the Guildmaster clapped happily, "Oh I'm so excited! I always _love _the look on the explorers' faces when they open up their Exploration Kits!"

Each badge contained a map of the island, maps of all known cave systems, a strange computer-looking device, a card declaring them as _official _explorers, a compass, and other materials. "What's this computer do?" Alex asked.

"Oh! That is the Map-O-Gram 5000! Whenever you walk around an unexplored cave, this little baby automatically maps out everywhere you explore, so make sure to explore every nook and cranny! If you get lost, it is also your best friend. _Annnnnd_, and, and, _AND_, it has an error ratio of only 2%! If you backtrack, this little device will know it by its geographical coordinates and whatnot."

"Interesting..." Alex replied, laughing nervously, the Guildmaster was _obviously _a little...different.

"Oh it is! Now, I will leave you and your _FRIEND _to report back to Chatot so he can assign you your very first mission!" and he gasped, "YAY!" and he clapped again.

Alex, now rather disturbed, nodded and said, "O...kay then? Thanks?"

"Oh! You are so, so, so _WELCOME_!" and it was all either Alex or Terrance could do to keep from covering their ears.

They left the Guildmaster's office, and Alex turned to Terrance, "Holy crap! Talk about your wild card!"

"At least he's happy," and Terrance smiled nervously.

"Perhaps a bit _too _happy for _my _blood."

They were given the day to relax, being told that their first assigned mission was the next morning. So, as night fell, they trudged to the mess hall, eating with the others before they retired back to the shared quarters for all of the aspiring explorers under Wigglytuff's training. They were the last ones to fall asleep, and Terrance, hands behind his head as he looked to the ceiling, "Y'know...I think this will be a cool adventure, what do _you _think?"

"Well...it's gonna be hard getting use to the...eh...excitement."

"So what if the Guildmaster's a little...excitable."

"_Excitable?_" and Alex laughed, "_That's _the understatement of the whole damn century!"

"Well...goodnight."

"'Night," and they fell asleep.

They were awakened by an extremely loud voice, booming, "_RISE AND SHINE_!"

Alex, having already been awake for about half an hour, covered his ringing ears as he climbed out of bed, stretching and turning to wake up Terrance, who only mumbled something and shifted positions. A minute later a loudred, the Pokemon that had awakened them, returned, booming his voice once more.

"_HURRY! GET UP YOU LAZY FOOLS!_"

"I _am _awake," Alex replied, "In fact, I'm actually quite alarmed we weren't awakened sooner."

"_IT'S 6 O' CLOCK!_"

"Yeah," and Alex tapped his ringing ears, "Where _I'm _from, we usually wake up at about...eh...four or five hundred hours...four or five in the morning."

"_WHY SO EARLY?_"

"Do you always yell?"

"_YES! I CAN'T HELP IT!_"

"Yeah...okay...anyway, I'm a soldier...I'm in the military...I was trained to wake up early."

"_OKAY THEN. WAKE TERRANCE UP!_"

"I'm awake! I'm awake..." the treecko replied, groaning as he sat up.

"_GOOD! IT'S TIME FOR OUR DAILY MEETING!_"

"Loudred!" came a female voice from the other room, "You don't have to yell!"

Suddenly, a sunflora Pokemon entered the room, "Forgive him."

"_SORRY, SUNFLORA_," and he left.

"Anyway, we have roll call every morning at around six, so, get up and let's go!"

Alex and Terrance were the last to enter the hall, and as they took their places in line, Chatot and the Guildmaster entered the room.

"Curious," Chatot began, walking to face the two new members, "You two are actually here on time...interesting, you better hope this continues!" and he walked to the front of the room, "Good morning! Let's say our daily lines!"

Everyone in the room then said their pledges, Alex could hardly understand what needed to be said over the sea of voices, so he simply mouthed the pledge, not speaking, trying to sound out the same syllables that everyone was saying. As soon as the pledge was over, Chatot took the front of the line again.

"Now, we have no news today, so I'm sure you all already know your assignments? Does our Guildmaster have anything to add?" and he turned to face the wigglytuff who stared ahead at the assembled crowd, silly grin still on his face.

Wigglytuff said nothing.

"Guildmaster?"

Nothing.

"Guildmaster!?" and Chatot hopped over to him, extending one black-feathered wing and poking the Pokemon. Wigglytuff fell forward than, and as he landed, the sound of his snoring filled the entire room. Chatot appeared embarrassed then whispered, "Guildmaster! Wake up!"

The wigglytuff jumped up, saying, "Oh! I'm fine! I'm fine! Um..nope, nope, nope, no news today!"

"_DISMISSED_!" Chatot ordered, eyes narrowed, and the crowd dispersed, leaving Alex and Terrance alone.

"I have a special assignment for _you _two."

"What, sir?" Terrance replied.

"Here, we have a bit of a baptism by fire...a cave a few miles north of here, I want you two to explore it and bring back a moon stone from its heart."

"Yes, sir," Alex replied with a nod.

"Good," and he slipped them a bag of coins, "Go to Treasure Town and get some supplies, I expect to see you back here with that stone by the time the sun sets, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, get on out of here! Go! Scram!" and the two left.

They left the club, heading into the busy town. Shops were open, and already the streets were full of Pokemon.

"Hm..." Alex began, "Everybody seems to wake up early around here."

"Of course," Terrance replied, "Many of these shops sell there best, freshest goods this early in the morning. They restock every morning."

"Interesting, well, we better get some food for the trip, maybe something to defend ourselves."

"There is no need to defend ourselves, this cave, as far as I'm concerned, it empty."

"Still, I'll stick to my guns on this one," Alex replied, "My gut tells me that _something _is gonna happen...and my gut isn't usually wrong."

"Well, you aren't a human anymore-"

"Don't remind me."

"-So maybe your luck changed with your appearance?"

"Christ, I hope not! Oh well, the sooner we get out to explore, the sooner I can find my companions, and the sooner I can go home."

"You...aren't intending to stay?"

"What? Here? Hell no! I don't _belong _here, Terrance, my army, my family, my friends, and my home, are all in New Alexandria, Montana, and even though we're in the middle of a goddamn civil war right now, that is where I belong, not here, as a cyndaquil."

"Oh..." and he seemed sad, but sobered when he said, "Here's the food market," and he led Alex over to it.

"Well, hello, Terrance!" a rhyhorn said, approaching them, "It's good to see you!"

"Good to see you, too, Rhyhorn. How goes things?"

"Oh, y'know, same ol', same ol'."

"Glad to hear it...what have you got this morning?"

"We have Cheri Berries, Pecha Berries, Oran Berries, and Apples."

"What you feeling up to, Alex?"

Remembering his bad experiences with all three of those types of berries in the Sinnoh Region, the Commander replied, "Apples, please."

"Okay," Rhyhorn continued, "What about you, Terrance? The usual?"

The treecko nodded, "The usual."

"Okay then, Apples and Pecha Berries, how many?"

"You're entire stock," Alex replied.

Terrance gave him a worried look, revealing the coin purse he had stashed away in his backpack.

"No," the Commander replied, "First round's on me."

Rhyhorn, appearing amazed, returned a few minutes later, holding a sack of food, "That will be 5500 Pokedollars."

Alex reached into his pocket, revealing a gold 10,000 dollar piece and slid it across the counter, huffing as he lifted the sack and sat it down beside him, he said, "Keep the change."

"Thank you for your business...and your generosity..."

Alex saluted him and left the stall.

"Once they were out of earshot of the market, Terrance, jaw dropped, turned to face the Commander, "Where in the heck did you get that much money!?"

"Oh..." and Alex grinned mischievously, "I have my ways...Think about it this way, my experience in Riften, Skyrim paid off _very _well," and he tapped the pocket of his pack. A distinct clanging sound was heard, and the Commander revealed a lockpick.

"What is that?"

"A magic key," Alex replied with a chuckle and pocketed it again.

_En route _to the Waterfall Cave, Terrance turned to face Alex, "So...what is your world like?"

"It shelters a different kind of beauty."

"Explain?"

"Think about it this way...the town I'm from is a jungle of a different variety...a forest of concrete, glass, steel, and sandstone. My home is about as tall as the plateau where Wigglytuff's Guild is."

"You live on a hill?"

"Not really, I live in a house...it's just a very, very big house..." as they walked, Alex described the world he was from in amazing detail, speaking in an excited, dream-like voice, as if he was back home and not on a lonely dirt path that wound uphill, downhill, and through curves in the heart of a forest, built to accommodate the land, not to cut through it, with snowy crags looming ahead of them, an unknown distance away. Here, nature was the overlord, and the citizens were the peasants, Alex was instantly reminded of Tamriel and Skyrim, they were much the same way.

They finally arrived at the entrance to the Waterfall Cave a few hours later, and Alex backed away, running and jumping through the pounding water and landing into the cave behind it. Terrance landed beside him, and soaking wet, they began their journey through the cave, searching for their target. It took less than an hour of navigation to fully map out the cavern, and they soon arrived in the very core of the mountain. Before them stretched a massive hot spring, twenty feet deep, with waterfalls surrounding the room feeding it.

"Whoa..." Terrance replied, "This is beautiful! Look up there!" and he pointed to green, luminescent crystals inset into the domed ceiling. The crystals lined the ceiling and the walls, and while the ones in the ceiling were green, the closer they got to the water, the bluer they became, until they went beneath the water, glowing a brilliant, bright, sky blue. "The water almost seems to glow..."

"I know," and Alex crouched down, looking at his reflection in the water as he dipped his paw in and slid it across the surface. He watched the ripples expand away from the point of contact before finally coming to a rest. "And methinks I see our moon stones."

"Where?"

Alex nodded towards the water, "Look, you see that weird, faceted gray stone down there?"

"Yeah..."

"The one that almost seems to shine and glisten in the light?"

"Yeah..."

"That, my friend, is a moon stone, and there's a ton of them down there, unfortunately, they're pretty damn deep, and in this light, the water plays tricks on your eyes, it's hard telling how deep that water is, and if they're all down on the floor, what happens if this goes fifty feet down? Or a hundred feet? There is now way in hell we can get to them without scuba gear."

"Scuba gear?"

"Never mind..." Alex sighed, "Tell me, Terrance, you know how to breathe water?"

"No! I'm a grass-type!"

"Good, I'm a fire type, I'm apparently weak to water, you are strong against it, go down there and bag us a couple of stones, I'll be here to help if you need."

Terrance frowned unhappily, then replied, "Fine, sure."

"Good, have fun!"

"Yeah, yeah..." and he slowly walked to the edge of the bank, hesitantly dipping one foot into the hot water.

"Don't worry! It won't bite! Besides, it actually might be easier to swim around in hot water than cold. I'm not a biologist, but I think the body can last a little longer with less oxygen in hot water, instead of cold water."

"Thanks for the attempt at reassurance."

"No, _problemo_."

"Ugh...okay then, here I go...one, two, three!" and he took a great breath as he leaped into the water, swimming towards the bottom.

"Don't go so far down that you can't get back up before you run out of breath, okay!?" Alex yelled, and Terrance turned to face him, giving him a thumbs up.

One thing Terrance immediately found, was that it was much easier to keep his eyes open in this crystal clear, pure, hot water than in cold water. Soon, he felt the bottom and he groped for two glistening moon stones that seemed to be just laying on the floor of the spring. As he tried to pull them free, he realized that they were dug in a bit, and he began pulling the wet clay away, throwing it aside and causing the water to become murky from the disturbed floor. However, he soon managed to wrap his hand around the entire stones and he pulled them to his chest as he swam back upwards, taking a deep breath as soon as he emerged above the surface of the pool, and he passed off the stones to Alex, who cleaned and dried them before carefully placing them on the floor beside him and extending a hand, pulling Terrance out of the water.

"You did well, friend," Alex replied, handing him one of the moon stones, "C'mon, let's get back to the guild."

They arrived back in town seeing the entire guild, as well as the rest of townsfolk, surrounding a dusknoir who was discussing a new dungeon he had discovered. Alex and Terrance slipped into the crowd, listening to his story, when Wigglytuff suddenly said, "It would honor us all to have such a famous, renowned explorer such as yourself to come stay with the guild for the rest of your vacation here!"

"I appreciate the offer...and I may take it up sometime, but tonight, I need to return to the ruins to explore them...and I will need some explorers to come with me..."

In an instant, Sunflora and Bidoof, another guild member, raised their hands, "Sure!" Dusknoir replied, ushering them over to him, "I need one other..."

"I'll go!" Bellsprout, another member, replied, raising one leafing arm.

"Good then! We'll move out immediately."

"_BE CAREFUL,_" Loudred called.

"We'll be back soon!" Sunflora replied, waving goodbye, and they all watched as the four disappeared into the forest.

"The hell are they going?" Alex asked.

"_THE GREAT DUSKNOIR DISCOVERED A NEW DUNGEON A DAY'S JOURNEY AWAY FROM HERE!_" Loudred replied

"Really?"

"_UH HUH, THEY ARE ANCIENT RUINS OF SOME STRANGE SHIP!_"

"Wait!" and Alex stiffened, "You said a strange ship?"

"_YEP! IT CRASHED!_"

Alex adopted a stunned appearance as the crowd dispersed, and Terrance walked up to him, shaking him, "Are you okay?" he asked.

Shocked, Alex replied, "Yeah...I think that Pokemon found the _Retribution_!"

"The what?"

"The ship! _MY _ship! We need to figure out some way to convince Chatot and Wigglytuff to send us there! My team might be there!"

"But, Alex...could they have survived a crash!?"

"They aren't _dead_, Terrance! I would know if they were! You see, the Terminators...namely us of Alpha Company...we can sense when either of us have passed away! I can't sense them...but I _know _they aren't dead!"

"How are we going to convince them?"

"I don't know, Terrance...but if it means I need to work my ass off until I drop dead of exhaustion, I _WILL _do it!"

They reentered the guild, just as the portcullis door closed for the evening, and once they emerged on the bottom floor, wandering into the mess hall, they were embarrassed to see that no food had been distributed, and that Chatot had forced the others to wait until the pair returned. As soon as they entered, Chatot was immediately upon them, "Where were you guys! Starving the rest of us out so you could enjoy a bit of _relaxation_!?"

"Hey, hey! Sorry," Alex replied, "But I have a question..."

"It can wait until _after _supper time! Now, don't be late again, or you will go to bed hungry!"

"Jesus, I'm sorry!"

After supper, Alex and Terrance walked to Wigglytuff's office, knocking on the door and entering once they heard Wigglytuff's loud voice call, "Come in! Come in! _Come in!_" the two took a seat, and Wigglytuff, with Chatot standing next to him, asked, "What brings you here, you two? Everything going well?"

"Everything's running smoothly," Alex replied, "But I have a request."

"Here we go," Chatot replied, rolling his eyes, "You guys have barely done anything for the guild, and already you are wanting us to make special favors!"

"No...it isn't like that, you see, I need to go to the wreckage...the new dungeon that this 'Dusknoir' character..."

"The _Great _Dusknoir!" Chatot hissed, "He is an idol to the guild, and an idol to the townsfolk! Address him properly!"

"Fine then, 'the Great Dusknoir' discovered a dungeon, yes?"

"Yes he did, ruins of some kind of alien ship."

"I need to go there."

"Absolutely, positively no!" Chatot roared.

"Why not?"

"You two are still rookies! Still inexperienced! This is an entirely new dungeon, perhaps once you grow more experienced, I'll let you go there!"

"I know my way around it, though!" Alex replied, "That's _my _ship, the T.M.S _Retribution_! It was downed during that storm a few nights ago!"

"I don't care if it was your grandmother's house, you will _not _go there! You didn't even bring us the moon stones we requested!"

"Here's your damn moon stones!" Alex replied, throwing his stone down, and Terrance nervously sat his down beside the Commander's.

"Well, at least you know how to follow orders..."

"What will it take for you to allow me to go explore the wreckage?"

"Here's an idea, build up your reputation, earn our respect, and learn how to respect us. Get good enough, you can go there. If you try, you should be able to visit it in say, four to five months."

"_FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS!?_" Alex roared, "Impossible! My friends are on there! If they're hurt, they won't survive for that long!"

"Dusknoir knows how to take care of injured Pokemon that get lost in the caves, he'll help them if he finds them, now, this meeting is over, I do believe it's bed time for you. Goodbye," Chatot replied, showing them the door and ushering them outside.

Once they had left, the door slammed shut behind them, and the Commander roared in fury.

"Hey..." Terrance began nervously, "At least they're in good hands..."

"You don't understand, Terrance! They aren't Pokemon! There are humans there, and the rest are animals native to _my _world!"

"It's possible that they transformed as well?"

"I don't know," Alex replied with a sigh, "Christ, I just hope they're okay..." then he whispered, a sad look on his face, "Dash..."

Terrance was awakened by Alex's tossing and turning, and mumbling. He sat up sleepily, turning a concerned glance at the cyndaquil who slept beside him, "Alex?" he whispered, "Are you okay?"

The Commander didn't reply, he was fast asleep, but whatever he was dreaming about was obviously not good. Terrance reached down to shake Alex awake, but as soon as he touched the Commander, a terrifying thought surged through his mind, a memory presumably, playing like a movie before his eyes...

…"_I am going to have fun with you, Commander!" a rabbit like creature says, forcing some human to stand._

_Terrance watched as four two-legged creatures-humans-in all-black body armor surrounds the bloodied and battered boy. The boy weakly throws a punch at one of the men, but soon after, another black-armored humans comes by, smashing him in the face with the butt end of a submachine gun. The boy is dazed, breathing heavily, and does not move as the armored humans tie cinder blocks to his wrists and ankles with thick rope. The rabbit-like creature then pulls out a pistol, aiming it at the boy's head, and Terrance hears the rabbit in a hoarse, sinister, corpse-like rasp say, "I've been waiting for this moment for a long, _long _time...goodbye, Commander!" before he pulls the trigger. The boy's head shoots up in a cloud of maroon and he falls backward over the concrete wall and into the water. Terrance stands beside the rabbit, smelling what smells like charred flesh and hair, as the rabbit turns and walks away, his cronies following him..._

..."Whoa!" Terrance exclaimed, leaping back with shock and surprise at the intensity of the memory, as well as the powerful electric shock he received upon contact. His exclamation caused Alex's dream to end, and another one soon filled its place, also speeding through the treecko's mind, and he watched this 'movie' as well...only this one wasn't nightmarish, in fact...it was very peaceful, very calm, very serene...

…_Terrance sees the human, who he now assumes to be Alex, standing in the heart of a massive, beautiful, sunny valley. They are surrounded on all sides by beautiful mountains, shining in the early morning sun, and the roar of a waterfall behind him is heard. The valley is alive with wildlife, and Terrance can hear strange birds chirping, not Pokemon, but actual _birds_, and he can see what appear to be Stantler running around in the forests lining the valley, but he knows that they aren't Stantler, for some reason, he identifies them as 'deer'. Alex is standing on the banks of a winding river that snakes through the valley, facing towards the water, seeming to be waiting for someone._

"_Alex!" Terrance cries, running to the Commander's side, but he isn't heard, instead, Alex looks towards the water, a warming smile on his scarred face. "Alex? Can you hear me?" the treecko asks, confused, and he tries to shake the Commander, but he actually _falls _through him! As if the Commander was ghost. Confused, unhappy, Terrance stands beside the Commander, peering into the water, trying to figure out was has intrigued Alex._

_Suddenly, a female voice, clear as crystal, rings throughout the still, windless valley, shouting, "Alex!"_

_The Commander's face adopts a look of pure joy and happiness, and he rotates on his heels to see someone running towards him, laughing in happiness._

_Terrance turns to see who has visited them, and sees a strange, blue-furred Pegasus run at him, embracing him tightly, and they kiss._

Who is she? _Terrance thinks, and he watches, puzzled as they look into each others eyes before kissing once again, open-mouthed, this time for quite some time. Although Terrance would normally be disturbed by this, for some reason, he is more intrigued than disturbed...who was this girl? He had a feeling that Alex knew her, that he loved her, but he didn't know what relationship was occurring between them._

"_Alex!" she cries once their kiss and embrace breaks, "I missed you!"_

"_I missed you, too, Rainbow Dash..." Alex replies with a smile._

"_Where are you? When are you going to come rescue us?"_

"_As soon as I can, Dash, as soon as I can."_

"_Please don't leave me alone, Alex..."_

"_I won't," he promised, touching her forehead with his, "I won't..."_

"_We're cold, and tired, and scared."_

"_I'm sorry, Dash, I'm trying as hard as I can..."_

"_Please hurry..."_

"_I'm trying," and he seemed near tears, "Lover, I'm trying..."_

Lover? _Terrance thinks, _What is he talking about? Unless...

"_They're mates..." he says, jaw dropping._

"_Don't wait too long..." and she began to fade away, much to Alex's alarm._

"_DASH!" he cried, "Dash!" and he chases after her, sprinting quickly as tears begin to appear at the corners of his eyes, "Dash! _NO!_" but she is fading away much more quickly now, the distance between them is growing, and the world begins to lose its beauty, transforming into a fiery, dry, baked wasteland..._

"_NO!" Alex cries, "God, no!_"

_As the valley around them melts into that burning hellhole that Terrance remembers Alex referring to as his homeworld, echoing voices appear out of nowhere, tidbits of conversation between the Commander and some mysterious, unknown person..._

"_ALEX!"_

"_TERRIAS!"_

_The burning wasteland begins to lose its stability, and another world, another place, flashes over the landscape, a dark, cold, metal place. The sound of rain and thunder, the sound of creaking steel, and the hellish roar of a legendary Pokemon...Rayquaza. Terrance is now on a strange ship, on the aft of some flying metal behemoth. The entire back of the ship seemed to have been ripped off of the rest of it, and rain is flying in sideways from the gaping hole. The catwalk beneath his feet is slippery and wet from the rain, and he sees two figures, one appearing to be Alex, clinging onto the floor, hanging on for dear life to the sharp, twisted weave of the steel floor. Another figure, hidden in shadow and wearing a trench coat, is standing beside the Commander, hand extended, trying to help him up...but Alex slips, and he screams as he falls..._

...And Terrance's eyes opened wide as he saw the screaming Alex shoot up, standing up straight. Alex was gasping for breath, and the treecko jumped up, running to his friend's aide, "Alex! Alex! Are you okay?"

"Terrias...Dash...I _need _to help them!"

"Help who?"

"Terrias and Rainbow Dash...oh God, where are they? Are they okay?"

"Who are you referring to?"

"Dammit, Terrance!" and he grabbed the treecko, pulling him close as he roared, spit flying onto the treecko's face, "My team!"

"The ones who crashed?"

"Yes! Dammit, yes! I can't do this...the more time we waste, the less time they have to live!"

"How are you gonna get clearance from Chatot and Wigglytuff."

"I don't give a flying _fuck _about them! I need to find my team, and I don't give a damn what they think about it!"

"We can't just disobey them!"

"Bull_shit_! The lives of my friends are worth more than whatever goddamn punishment anyone here can dish out at me!" he then sighed, letting Terrance go. His voice sounding tired, Alex asked, "Just...tell me something, Terrance..."

"Sure, anything."

"Are you with me? Or are you against me? I don't care what you choose...if you want to be the teacher's pet and stay here, even tell on me, I don't give a rat's ass! If you come with me, I don't care either, it's your choice. I know you've been wanting to do this for a long time...but I won't rest easy until my friends...and my mate...are safe."

Terrance was torn, he didn't know what to do. Finally, with a sigh, he nodded and said, "I'm with you, Alex."

"Good, then it's high time we get the hell out of here."

"How can we sneak past everybody...and the sentries?"

"Remember when I said that my time in Riften paid off?"

"Yeah, I didn't know what you meant."

"While I was hunting for an Argonian female named Shahvee, that had been kidnapped from my squad by the soldiers of the Imperial Army, I needed to find leads to find out where they took her. I got those leads from the Thieves Guild of Riften, the only thing they asked in return for their help was my services."

"So you...you're a thief!?"

"Only for a few days, but I scored several important hits, and managed to pull the Guild out of the crapper that they had fallen into. As I'm sure you can imagine, pulling off high-priority jobs requires a great knowledge in stealth."

"So those magic keys were..."

"A little something called lockpicks, I never leave home without them."

"Let's go then..."

"Good, follow my lead, and we can easily bypass those guys."

"They said that it will take several days to get there..."

"And?"

"Um...never mind."

"If you're afraid of them waking up and finding us missing, then you can stay back here. If I return, it will be with Alpha Company by my side."

Terrance nodded, "Let's go then."

"Excellent," and Alex grinned maliciously.

They quietly advanced through the silent, dark compound, making sure to avoid any sentries they encountered. As the hour began to turn, they finally emerged on the top floor, Alex managing to silently raise the portcullis enough to allow him and the treecko to escape beneath it. "Stay quiet until we leave town," Alex whispered.

Terrance nodded and they quickly sprinted away from the entrance, racing down the spiraling dirt road and down into the dark, quiet city. Above, a new moon was in the sky, and brilliant ribbons of neon green lined the skies, with massive clusters of billions of different colored stars dotting the skies. There were some clouds, but not enough to obscure the beautiful skies, and Alex was reminded of the skies above Riverwood in Skyrim at around four in the morning, they looked much the same.

"It's so beautiful!" Terrance whispered, spellbound by the beauty.

"Quit stargazing until we get out of town limits!" Alex hissed, "We can't risk someone catching us out here and raising an alarm!"

"What are you _worried _about, Alex?" Terrance asked, stopping in his tracks and tearing his arm from Alex's grip, "I don't know what your homeworld is like, but there is no curfew here. The only curfew is in the Guild, and _that's _because they close the gates every night and don't want people who had been locked out trying to get in."

Alex paused in his tracks, sighing, "I'm sorry," he began, "I know you might not understand, but try to see where _I'm _coming from. Terrance, these men...they're my family, the only family I really have. My parents, they don't know me, my biological family, they don't really recognize me as their son." and he shook his head, "It's all because I never grew up with them."

"So what about this Rainbow Dash?"

Alex smiled sadly, "She's my mate...I know that might sound a little...odd, being mated to a pony and shit but...I love her...and I promised her I wouldn't leave her. Now here I am, a fuckin' Pokemon, and I have no idea where my mate is. I need to find them, Terrance, they are my brothers."

"I understand, Alex...why didn't you just say so earlier? I don't have a family either and..."

"And what?"

"You are really my only friend...I'm kinda like the outcast of society. Sure I know some people...but they don't really care. I've been living on the streets for as long as I can remember, spending whatever money I can find that had been dropped. All I know is that I was abandoned as an orphan, and this stone..." and he revealed the odd tablet again, "Is what I was found with."

"Who found you?"

"A family of Charmanders who left home to pursue greater things about two years ago."

"They left you alone, all by yourself?"

"Not exactly...I...I got angry, the reason why doesn't matter, what _does _matter is that I ran away. I was gone for two weeks, and when I returned, I came to find that they had, leaving behind a note saying that they had been called away to a new place, and that they really wanted to take me, but were on a deadline, and couldn't find me after two weeks of searching. I've been living on my own, on Sharpedo Bluff, ever since."

"I consider you a friend..."

Terrance looked up, near tears, "Really?"

Alex nodded, "You've helped me quite a bit...and you were there for me. Now, we need to find my family and get back home."

"I have one request..."

"Fire away."

"Wherever you are from, whenever you go back...take me with you. I don't want to stay here, there's nothing here for me anymore."

"But the Guild..."

"They've gotten along without me, they can get along without me again...besides...I can't run this thing by myself."

"My home isn't as wonderful as you think. This place is so much better."

"At least your home is _interesting_! Nothing really happens here..." and he sighed, "Please, I'll train under your leadership! Just take me with you!"

"We shall see," Alex replied, and they continued into the forest as the settlement behind them grew farther and farther away, as the night grew older and older, and the unknown world stretched out before them.

For a day and a half, they followed Dusknoir's trail, hoping to locate the crash site. By night they moved, avoiding the sight of any merchants, any exploration teams, avoiding anyone that might be searching for them. By day, they hid and slept, preparing for another evening of strenuous marching as the journey continued. They moved in the shadows, away from any dangers they encountered, and soon, they found themselves in the snowy mountains, far above the settlement they had left. As dusk fell upon the land, they trudged through several feet of snow as they scaled the mountaintop. Snow fell lazily from the heavens, settling on the empty world, no wind blew, there was not a single sound in the world. Everything was dead, but they continued north, Alex scouring the landscape as he searched for the wreckage.

When night fell, it was much to dark to see, and the mountain paths were dangerous, coming to sudden drops without warning, and instead of risking death by making a foolish, blind mistake, they camped for the night. When morning arrived, they sleepily awoke, barely getting any sleep, and they continued on. The bitter cold sank deep into their bones, and Terrance feared frost bite, Alex, his body already on fire, didn't need to worry, and Alex stayed as close to the treecko as he could, casting the warmth of his internal fires on the freezing grass-type as they traversed the dangerous mountain paths. "Ice...n...n...not g...g...good against g...grass!"

"I know," Alex replied, "Stay close to me, and you won't freeze to death.

"It's so...so _cold._"

"I know."

Suddenly, Alex stopped, and Terrance, breaking from the trance that he had put himself into to avoid growing bored at the never changing landscape, turned to face the cyndaquil, "Alex?" he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Look..." he said, his voice trembling.

In the distance, below them on the top of a shorter mountain, they saw a massive, cluster of twisted, black steel. Thick black smoke rose lazily from the wreckage, and Terrance asked, "Is that..."

"The _Retribution_..." Alex said, and he broke into a sprint, racing down the mountain. Frozen grass was visible behind the remains of the bow of the ship, as it had apparently crashed, dragging across the landscape before coming to a rest in a large drift of snow at the edge of a large drop that was so high, the ground was hidden in fog and clouds. Half of the ship was over the canyon, and Alex worried about the ship's stability. Much of the ship was almost impossible to identify, the glass was broken, the steel was twisted and bent, and pieces of the ship littered the world. Flames burned on and on from within, and after several hours, they finally arrived at the wreckage. Hesitantly, Alex stepped inside, Terrance remained outside, afraid to enter the maw of the ruins, "This isn't _nearly _as old as Dusknoir claimed!" the treecko grumbled. When Alex slowly stepped up the slope, as the ship had come to a rest at a 45° angle, the husk groaned in protest, causing the grass-type waiting outside to cringe.

"Come inside," Alex whispered, "Or else you'll freeze to death."

"Is it stable enough?"

"It will have to be."

"My God..." Alex begin, walking along the ruins of the ship, "It...it doesn't even look the same!"

"Are you sure that your friends are alive?"

"I don't know...I hope so. If not, I at least want to find the bodies."

Terrance gulped, "Uh...I've never seen dead bodies before..." and he seemed frightened.

"Come," Alex replied, and they continued on.

The deeper they got into the wreckage, the darker and warmer it became, and Alex triggered his night vision, beckoning Terrance to hold onto his paw. They walked together through the wreckage, Alex hoping to find the cockpit. "Uh...Alex?" the treecko began, "I have a feeling we're being watched..."

"The crash knocked out the electronics, so we're not being watched by cameras or anything...but I have a feeling that we're not alone. I sense both friendly and non-friendly presences here."

"I hope we find the friendlies first, and manage to get the drops on the non-friendlies."

"Same here," the Commander replied.

"This place is huge! Any idea where they could be?"

Alex suddenly stopped, shushing him.

"What?"

"Quiet!" the Commander hissed, and he stiffened, "Hurry! This way!" and he grabbed the treecko by the hand, dragging him into the dark depths of a nearby room.

"What's going on?" Terrance asked, sounding panicked, "I can't see anything!"

"Quiet! Stay down!" he ordered, and he hit the ground. Silence filled the world, but distinctly, they both could hear quiet footsteps.

"Who's there?" Terrance asked, and Alex forced his paw against the treecko's mouth.

Alex watched, spying Dusknoir passing by, walking carefully across the protesting ship as he left. The Commander's eyes narrowed, and once Dusknoir turned the corner, Alex elbowed Terrance, who briefly cried out, "Tell me," Alex began, "Why would Dusknoir be here, and nobody else?"

"Huh? What?"

"He had a team with him didn't he?"

"Yeah...why?"

"He doesn't anymore."

Terrance gasped, "You don't think that something happened to them do you?"

"Either something happened to them, they bailed out, or he did something to them. He doesn't appear to give a care in the world, but the others are missing."

"What are we gonna do?"

"We're gonna split up."

"_WHAT!? _I can't see in the dark!?"

Alex ripped open a closet door across the room, emptying its contents onto the floor. He revealed a pair of night vision glasses, throwing them to Terrance, "Put these on, I want you to keep going forward."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to follow Dusknoir, see where in the hell he's going...he didn't take the hall down that leads back to the Pod Room."

"Where did he go?"

"The hall to the torpedo room."

"Why would he...?"

"I have a feeling that he's wanting to make this 'dungeon' magically disappear."

"Why would he want to destroy it?"

"Unless he's hiding something and wants to cover it up."

"You don't think...no! He isn't a bad guy!"

"Listen, Terrance, keep heading up to the cockpit, you'll identify it because it's full of windows and futuristic looking computer terminals and shit, I'm gonna pursue Dusknoir. If anything happens, yell for me, okay?"

The treecko nodded.

"Good, let's go," and Alex adjusted the knobs on Terrance's glasses until he could see before running off.

Terrance poked his head out, looking nervously around before he began walking up the slope, searching for the cockpit.

Alex sneaked around the wreckage until he picked up on Dusknoir's trail, the Pokemon was still strolling along, heading directly for the torpedo room. He was afraid, not only were there torpedoes in there, but he thought that Elliot had stored some massive firepower, including the potential for possible Nova 6 warheads. Finally, he arrived at the torpedo bay, the door was almost vertical, directly above him, and he grabbed onto the door frame, sticking his paws into the catwalk as he climbed the wall, pulling himself through the portal and into the room. Each warhead appeared to still be intact, and those that had been thrown off of their racks were laying suspended by bungee cords and heavy straps. However, Dusknoir was nowhere to be found, and Alex remained careful to keep his back against the walls, carefully and silently sliding around beneath the racks, searching for any sign of the ghost type Pokemon. He stiffened as heard the sound of tools falling, and metal sliding against metal. Peeking out from his hiding place, he spied Dusknoir, across the room, back to him, the Pokemon had opened up one of the ship's ten 'smart' bombs, and was now messing around in the wires while humming a tune to himself.

The Commander continued his stealthy advance, pulling himself towards the top of the near-vertical room by pulling himself with the bomb racks. His foot slipped suddenly, and one of the straps lost tension as the metal clip slammed into the rack, creating a loud ring that reverberated throughout the room and ship, causing him to stiffen and cower. Dusknoir stopped, abruptly turning around as he searched throughout the room, plasma torch in hand. It was all Alex could do to hold his breath, then, the ghost type suddenly shimmered away, alarming Alex even more. He almost cried out as Dusknoir shimmered back into view, right in front of him...but his back was to Alex, and grumbling, he shimmered away again, teleporting to somewhere else. Alex, eyes wide, was frozen in place from fear.

Terrance quickly followed the directions Alex had given him. The grade had increased dramatically, and now he was clinging on at a sixty or seventy degree angle as he kept his hands wrapped around the metal catwalk, using it to steady his ascent. Surely the cockpit was around here somewhere! As long as Dusknoir, or any goons he had hired to aide him, showed up, he was fine. The thing was, he didn't know anything about this ship, about this technology, and he was afraid of what he would discover. Finally, he saw light above him, and he climbed up the now vertical ascent, grabbing onto the door frame as he pulled himself into the room. It was massive, and Alex had been right, terminals everywhere, computers littered the area, held up by welding and rivets. The windows were frosted over, so bad that little light showed through them, and what made it worse was that nightfall was quickly falling outside.

The room, although large and open, was still a maze of corridors, as all of the computers and terminals created aisles along the floor, which was now the wall. His night vision goggles were almost useless now, not only were the batteries almost dead, but they were damaged, and there were wires hanging out all over the place, obscuring his view. He thought he head a shuffling from somewhere in the room, and this put him even more on high alert, he was very superstitious, and he _did _believe in ghosts. He slowly walked through the ruined room, not knowing what he was searching for exactly, and he was unaware of the two pairs of eyes that spied on him from above.

Alex, having lost sight of Dusknoir, was frantically trying to relocate the Pokemon, but he was out of luck, he could hear the ghost searching for the intruder, but he couldn't see him anywhere. He had managed to pull himself into a decent hiding spot, bomb racks that stretched up to the ceiling and still held bombs were hollow in the middle, creating a sort of square of safety, and he sat on one of the Nova 6 bombs, back against what would have been the floor, eyes constantly scanning the small cage he was in as he searched for any sign of Dusknoir. He was safe here, and he had a relatively decent view of the room. After several breathless minutes, he could hear the sound of Dusknoir tinkering with the bombs again, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he emerged from his hiding place, spying the Pokemon at the side of the bomb once more, cyclops eye glowing red as his own night vision was active.

Alex advanced closer to the monster, preparing to attack when all of a sudden the Pokemon, not looking away or stopping what he was doing, said, "I know you are there...Alex right?"

The Commander stiffened, "Who's asking?"

"A cheery old fellow and a friend of everybody."

"Yeah, well you are no friend of mine."

"I'm sorry to hear that...but I guess everyone has to have an enemy, else we aren't alive, right?"

"Yeah, sure. Now, the _fuck _are you doing messing around with my ship?"

"Oh! This is _your _ship?"

"Yes it is, and I'd appreciate if you don't tinker with the warheads...they tend to wipe civilizations off of the face of the earth."

"I'm well aware what bombs can do, Commander."

"How do you know my title?"

"Easy! I know a lot of things...such as the fact that you aren't actually a Pokemon, you're a human, and the Great Commander Alex Vaughn of the Terminator Militia. Boy, am I honored to be in your presence."

"What are you _doing _here?"

"Exploring this new dungeon."

"You seem to me like your rigging this place to go sky high, or at least blast away the whole damn face of the mountain."

Dusknoir shrugged, "Nah! Why would I want to destroy this lovely machine of war."

"Why are you messing with the warheads?"

"I'm curious."

"I thought you knew all about bombs? Why are you messing with one now? I can tell you aren't disarming it. In fact...I think your little wires look like they're gonna be attached to a remote detonator, and a hidden one at that."

"You are very knowledgeable in your explosives, Commander."

"I'm a military commander...it tends to come with the title."

Dusknoir chuckled, "That it does."

"Now, leave my ship."

"Where's your hospitality?"

"Sorry, my hospitality went down with the ship."

Terrance walked around the wall, unsure of what exactly he was looking for. Scratching his head in confusion, a sudden form appeared at the corner of his eye, and he instantly ran to it, kneeling beside a strange figure. His eyes then widened in fear as he saw Sunflora, unconscious..."What?"

"Hello," a voice said behind him, and he screamed as he jumped up before he was pounced by an unseen entity, "Ah! _ALEX_!" he screamed.

Alex stiffened, hearing Terrance's call and he quickly let go of the catwalk, sliding down the wall as he fell through the door, hitting the ground with a rolling stop and sprinting back the way he came. "HOLD ON, TERRANCE! I'M COMING!"

He arrived at the intersection near the room where they had split up, quickly turning left as he sprinted up the slope and to the cockpit, feeling the ship groan beneath him as it began to slide towards the cliff. He arrived at a point where the hall became vertical and he, closing his eyes, leaped into the air, pulling off a wall jump as he shot through the door and landed on the floor of the room, a silhouetted figure was sitting on top of a flailing Terrance delivering punches.

"Oi!" Alex hissed, tackling the figure as they wrestled on the ground. He felt a furry hand grab him by the nape of the neck and throw him across the room. He smacked into the wall beneath the windows, causing the ship to slide even more until it was not tottering on the edge of the cliff. He stood up, feeling his wounds heal as the ship began to fall towards the cliff, quickly, he sprinted towards the figure, tackling him again as the ship fell back, sliding down the edge and growing more stable again as it landed on the flat mountain peak once more. "Terrance! Get the hell outta here!" Alex hissed, "I'll distract 'em!"

"There's two!"

"What?" and Alex felt something hard and cylindrical-a fire extinguisher-smashed into his back as he, dazed, fell forward. The figure slithered out from beneath him, standing over him, and in a familiar voice, hissed, "Identify yourself before I shoot you!"

"Terrias?" Alex asked, and he quickly flipped over and onto his back, grabbing for a flashlight he found laying on the floor and shining it on the servine's face. He winced, shielding his eyes, and Aria, standing behind him, prepared to attack again.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Alex exclaimed, "It's me! Alex!"

"What?" and the male servine seemed stunned before his mouth twisted in a grimace of fury, "You aren't Alex! You're a fuckin' cyndaquil! You're working for that dusknoir and these bastards..." and he pointed at the pile of unconscious explorers, "Aren't you?"

"No! You got it all wrong! Somehow, when we were grounded, and I fell out of the Pod Room, I transformed into this! Honest to God!"

Terrias, murderous expression becoming tired and relieved, lowered his shotgun, switching on the safety and holstering it. Instead, he ran at the Commander, picking him up and hugging him tightly, "Jesus, Alex! We were so worried! Where in the hell are we?"

Alex shook his head, "I...I don't know..." then, his expression sobered, and he said, "C'mon, we need to get our asses out of here, this damn rig is perched rather precariously over a seemingly endless abyss. So, unless you want to take the leap of faith...or lovers' leap I guess...come with me."

"That treecko who was here..."

"A friend," Alex replied, "Don't ask how, it's a long story, but we need to get out of here before this thing goes up and over."

Alex, Terrias, and Aria emerged from the wreckage of the ship, seeing hiding beneath a piece of the wing that had broken off, using it as a tent, with a fire he had created burning in front of him. Once he saw the Commander, he said, "Alex!" and ran out of cover, hugging him tightly, and when he saw Terrias and Aria, he yelped and jumped back, "P...P...Please!" he stammered, "D...Don't hurt me! Whoever you are!"

"Terrance, these are two servine...and two of my companions, meet Terrias," and the male servince nodded, "And Aria, his mate," and she nodded.

"Whoa..." and Terrance picked himself up, sitting crosslegged on the ground, eyes bugged at the two unfamiliar Pokemon standing before him, "You are soldiers?"

"Aye," Terrias replied, "And Pokemon," and he grinned.

"What Pokemon did _you _turn into?" he asked, "You don't look familiar."

"We're servine," Aria replied, "Evolved form of snivy, native to the Unova Region, and the preevolution to serperior. And we didn't turn into these Pokemon, this is our natural form."

"So what? Alex was the only one who turned into a Pokemon?"

"I don't know," Terrias sighed, "We lost the others after the ship crashed, I have no idea where they are. As for the Pokemon transformation thing...maybe this world just wants Pokemon and nothing else? We'll need to find the rest of Alpha Company first."

"Dammit," Alex hissed.

"What's wrong?" Terrias asked, crouching beside him.

"You want the truth?"

"Yeah...what's up?"

"I fuckin' miss Dash..."

"The effect on mate separation is already getting to you, huh?" and Terrias chuckled, "Ah, I know the feeling. I felt the same when I was taken away from the female cage and placed with the males..."

"At least you could still talk to her."

"True...but what about the time when I ran away? It was like a week before we went and rescued her."

"I'm not really wanting the intimacy," Alex sighed, "Well...I am...but what I meant was that I just want to be with her...to know she's okay."

"She's a big girl, I'm sure she can take care of herself. No offense, but she's got more balls than all of us put together, Cynder, too. If anyone can take care of themselves, it's them."

"Wherever Cynder is, I know Spyro's bound to be there, too, so that takes care of at least _one _of our problems."

"I'd expect Ember and Flame, and probably even Schakri to be around them also."

"Good point...and Dash might be around Twilight, Spike, and the other ponies."

"Plus you're gonna have the lions together..."

"Yeah...probably with Cheet."

"Prancy and Rudolph..."

"Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow..."

"See?" Terrias chuckled, "As long as we find the groups, we shouldn't have a problem locating everybody. For those that aren't really keen to any particular group, look for their mates if they have 'em, like Piermont and Cherub."

"First thing's first," Alex began, "We need to head back to the village and check with the townspeople. They all know and are trained to look for civilization and wait there if we're separated...Terrance, you said that our little town was the only one on the whole island?"

"Yep," Terrance replied with a nod.

"Good, that eliminates the need to do some 'village hopping'."

"There's a village?" Terrias asked, "And here I thought we were lost on some uninhabited island."

"So what? We're going back to the Guild?" Terrance asked.

"Aye," Alex replied.

"What about Chatot..."

"We have these two to back us up. If anything, we'll just say we went on a rescue mission after hearing that there were some Pokemon trapped in, say, Waterfall Cave."

"What about them?" and Terrance nodded to the still-unconscious explorers, who had been brought out of the ship and were now laying just inside.

"Well, when they wake up, we'll just have to use the power of suggestion and convince them that they started home, were ambushed, and locked away in Waterfall Cave with our two servine friends here...weren't you?"

"Yeah, it was brutal," Terrias said, rubbing his arm, "I can still feel the shackles...then you two came by and total whipped those bandits' asses!"

"See?" Alex said with a smile, elbowing Terrance, "All taken care of, Terminators can be excellent liars..._and _very convincing."

"Really? You sure showed Chatot then when you tried to talk him into letting us explore this ship."

Alex's mischievous grin collapsed, "Some people just aren't malleable enough, unfortunately, but _normally _it works."

"Uh huh..." and Terrance chuckled, "Whatever you say, Alex."

Without another word, the group, carrying the three unconscious explorers, began heading back to the village, and the Guild.

They arrived at around noon two days later, and upon entering the guildhall, they were instantly surrounded by Chatot and a band of guards, furious.

"Where were you!?" Chatot squawked, "Leaving in the middle of the night! Disappearing for _almost a __whole week_! This is unacceptable! _Unforgiveable_!"

"I'm sorry, sir," Terrias began, his voice morphed to sound like a small child, "My friend and I were playing near a waterfall around here, and then we were ambushed by robbers and knocked unconscious! Then these two brave warriors came in, took down the bandits, and saved our lives! We are eternally grateful, and here's 500 Pokedollars as a reward, and he dropped a bag of coins into Chatot's wing, Alex then walked over to the 'jobs' board, utilizing a sleight-of-hand technique to appear to rip the job request off of the wall and shredded it. They had actually managed to steal a piece of paper and an orange marker to make a fake job request before they had entered the guild.

"It's true," Bidoof replied, entering with his two companions, "We were heading back from the ship, and we stopped to talked to these two kids before we were all knocked out by the bandits...we're sorry for letting you down."

Chatot glared at all of them before sighing and saying, "Fine then...I'll excuse this. Next time, don't go under the cover of night, and for the love of God, TELL SOMEBODY WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO GO!"

"You told me to outdo myself," Alex began, "So I did..."

"BUT NOT TO BE SO RECKLESS AS TO TAKE A JOB WITHOUT TELLING ANYBODY AND SLIP OUT UNDER THE COVER OF DARKNESS!"

"Er...sorry, sir. It won't happen again..."

"It better well not!" and he scoffed before walking away.

"Well," Terrias began, "Charming fellow."

"Agreed," Aria replied.

"So, what now?" Terrias asked Alex.

"Simple, you guys join our crew and go along with us."

"Are you sure?"

"All it requires is a little visit to be paid with the excitable Guildmaster...follow me," and Alex led his two companions down the ladder to the bottommost floor, and to the Guildmaster's Quarters.

That night, all four of them slept together in Alex and Terrance's quarters, and while the treecko, exhausted, retired early, Terrias and Aria remained awake, both suffering from insomnia and an inability to sleep. Finally, Aria decided to retire, leaving Terrias alone, but as he entered the room he was sleeping in, he noticed that Alex's bed was empty...and the commander was nowhere to be found. Slightly worried, he quietly searched the sleepy guild, but found Alex missing. He returned to their room, noticing that the window was open, and he poked his head out, seeing Alex sitting on the sill just outside the window, looking towards the north. It was chilly that night, and a cold wind blew past them. Terrias carefully climbed onto the narrow sill, sidestepping towards the Commander before finally sitting beside him, "Everything okay, Alex?" he asked, concern thick in his voice.

"Good enough, I suppose."

"What's wrong?"

Alex shrugged, "I miss home...among other things..."

"You're worried about Rainbow Dash...aren't you?"

Alex sighed and nodded, "Yeah...I mean, I know she can take care of herself but..."

"Hey, I understand. You don't need to explain it to me."

"Besides, it's not solely Dash I'm worried about either...I'm worried about _everybody_."

"I'm sure they're all fine."

"I know that, Terrias...but that doesn't stop me from worrying. They're my family, y'know?"

"Yeah, I understand."

"What about you? How've _you _been since we ended up here?"

Terrias shrugged, "I dunno, we were a little dazed for awhile. After we...after _I_...saw you fall into the ocean, whatever monster had attacked us bent the ship right in half. I...I fell backwards and smashed into the wall of the room, damn near knocked unconscious. Then we crashed. Aria and I were injured, and everyone, save Piermont, Spyro, and Cynder, left to figure out where in the hell we were. When they didn't return after three days, and Aria and I appeared to have _mostly _recovered, those three left to find the rest of our guys. The both of us were instructed to watch the ship in the hopes that you showed up. Then that dusknoir decided to get a little curious, and we beat the living crap out of him, forcing him to retreat. A few days later, he returned, with reinforcements, who we quickly bested, but that cowardly bastard decided to flee while we were distracted with his cronies. That's when _you _showed up."

"Did any of them even tell you where they were off to?"

The servine shook his head, "No, they just...they just left. They talked to Spyro and just left. Then when they didn't come back, Piermont told us, 'Stay back here, if Alex shows up, make sure that he knows we're safe', and he left."

"Hm..."

"Sorry I can't be of more help..."

"No, no, that's fine. I'm just trying to figure out how in the bloody hell we're going to find them."

Terrias sat up and stretched, yawning, "Well, I don't know...I'm heading off to bed, you comin' with?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay then, goodnight, Alex."

"'Night, Terrias," and the servine left, leaving the Commander alone. He bowed his head, quietly saying a prayer for his companions before returning to his room, climbing into his bed between Terrias and Terrance, and falling into a light, dreamless sleep.

"_UP AND AT 'EM! IT'S MORNING!_" Loudred roared, quickly leaving as the quartet sat up, stretching and sleepily leaving their room and onto the bottom floor, where all of the apprentices were lined up, as per their daily routine.

"Now," Chatot began, "Recite!"

Once the daily recitation was complete, the group dispersed, and as per routine, Alex and Terrance, with Terrias and Aria with them, went upstairs to search the job boards for any missions.

"Oh!" Chatot called at them, "Come back down here for a moment!"

Exchanging unsure glances, Alex and Terrance went back downstairs, confused Terrias and Aria following them.

"Now, I don't expect you, Terrias and Aria, to worry about this, go on ahead, the rest of your partners will be there in a moment."

"Yes, sir," Terrias replied, and he and his mate went back upstairs.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked.

"Nothing is 'wrong', Mr. Alex, _however_, I thought I should inform you that the Guildmaster has a field trip planned in a few days, and if you work hard, you might be considered for a spot on the team."

"Really?" Terrance asked.

"Yes, so work hard!"

"Yes, sir!" and Alex saluted, "Thank you, sir!"

"Now, go!"

"Yes, sir!" the duo replied in unison and went upstairs.

"The hell's going on?" Terrias asked, "Did you guys get in trouble for running off?"

"Not at all," Alex replied, "There's a field trip planned in a few days, Chatot was just telling us to work our asses off so we can get a spot on the team."

Terrias suddenly grinned, "You know what this means, don't you?"

Alex, also grinning, nodded, "Uh huh...what better way to go on the hunt for our missing guys than going on a field trip across the damn island?"

"Egg-fuckin'-sackly! Thanks for the heads up, even if I don't know about the trip, and aren't supposed to go, no doubt because I just joined, perhaps if this entire team will go."

"Y'know," Terrance began, arms crossed, "Maybe he just didn't inform you two because you guys aren't the so-called 'leaders' of our party?"

Terrias shrugged, "Possibly."

"Anyway," Alex began, "Let's just do what we can to make these guys happy, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can head out to find the rest of Alpha Company, _and _the sooner we get back home."

"Agreed," Terrias replied with a firm nod, "Now, million dollar question..."

"What's up?"

"The hell are we gonna do with this treecko?"

"My name's Terrance..."

"Right, the hell are we gonna do with Terrance?" Terrias corrected.

"Take him back with us...if we can," Alex replied.

"Christ..." and Terrias shook his head, "All of a sudden, we're getting new members left and right!"

"Just this year," and Alex grinned.

"Yeah think about it though...who all has joined since January?"

"Let me think..." and Alex pretended to ponder, "You, Aria, Spike, Dash, Applejack, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Gilda..."

"Exactly!"

"Still not that many, this has actually been an incredibly slow year compared to most."

"But not with Alpha Company."

"Well, obviously. Alpha Company has boomed this year, but the rest of the militia has seen a rather large decrease in admissions...I believe its primarily to be blamed on this damn war. People are very...eh...hesitant...to take sides, especially with the nearby election, nobody knows what the hell the _Maxia _or the President are gonna do, both are incredibly desperate to win in November."

"Why the fuck do _they _care? This war is all their fault, and to be honest, I will be _very _surprised if they play fairly enough to at least give the Repubs and the Tea Party a chance."

"Prepare to be amazed my friend, cause the Dems are apparently too fuckin' retarded to try and bypass elections...not that I'm complaining or anything..."

"My prediction...dems win again."

"Unfortunately," and Alex sighed, "I agree. They'll find a way to cheat the system and 'win'. If the repubs win, they'll go off on a running tangent about how 'the election was rigged' and that the Republicans 'cheated'."

"Nah! They'll just say that the 'Terminator menace' utilized voter intimidation to force the general populace to vote Conservative."

Alex laughed, "True, true. Don't worry, we can take care of ourselves, we don't need the goddamn feds."

"We've been without 'em since 2010, I think we can survive a little longer."

"Yeah, no shit. Plus, with this continuing war going on, the Conservative North don't give a damn, just so long as they get promised protection from us, they will manage and govern themselves."

"Ironic if you think about it..."

"What is, Lieutenant?"

"The fact that the _north _are the good guys! You'd think that the Deep South, y'know, with Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and all of those others _normally _voting Conservative. Hell, _most _of those areas are all about God n' Guns."

"Agreed, it _is _kinda amusing...I mean, we have New England, Illinois-the single most corrupt state in the country-Michigan, and Oregon on _our _side."

"But we also have Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Kansas...I would think those states would balance out the evils here."

"Just to prove a point, I guess...it's not the Civil War era anymore, There is no clearly defined division of states between progressive and conservative, we're all meshed and blended together now. The fact we got a clean division was purely coincidental."

"Anyway, you think the United States has a chance?"

"Honestly?"

"Yeah."

"I think America is F-U-C-K-E-D...fucked."

"Ah, well aren't _you _the little optimist?"

"Bah! Kiss my hairy ass."

Terrias chuckled, "Unfortunately, I'm not a brown-noser, I'll leave _that _to Spyro..."

Alex glared at the servine, "Don't you _dare _start. Anyway, to put it bluntly, America has lost faith in God...has chosen their own selfish services and needs over Him, and He was the only one keeping us afloat and prosper. Now that we've abandoned him, as well as given an atheistic dumbass total control over this God-forsaken shithole we call a country, we're just watching as America slowly sinks into chaos and disorder. We have anarchists raining hell all over the place, Christians are executed and labeled as 'terrorists' and 'psychopaths', laws are going right for the balls of the Constitution, and the entire goddamn nation is going down in flames!"

"Yeah, and all _we're _doing is standing there, twiddling our thumbs, and watching the whole damn apocalypse unfold."

"Not necessarily," Alex replied, "We're there to pick up the pieces, to 'follow the worms' if you will, why in the hell else did you think 'Waiting for the Worms' is our anthem? It ain't purely because it is one of the best songs that Pink Floyd has performed, in my opinion, from their single greatest album...it's because that it is our niche! Our place in society! Our damn role in America now! Sure we're running to the bunkers now, but once everything is over, _we're _gonna be the ones wandering the damn streets and picking up the ruins of civilization."

"Amen!"

"Guys..." Terrance interrupted, "I don't mean to crash your moment...but what are you _talking_ about?"

"It doesn't matter..." Alex replied, "Or rather, if you _do _come with us...you'll find out soon enough."

The next morning, after the usual daily routine was finished, Chatot called Alex, Terrance, Terrias, and Aria over. "What's up?" Alex asked.

"We have four new members who are wanting to form an exploration team, I figured since you four are new here as well, you can show them the ropes."

"Sure," Alex replied, "We can do that."

"Good, they'll be down here any moment," and he walked away.

Several minutes later, Alex and Terrance were both alarmed to see the four new members as Gengar, Skunktank, Koffing, and a zubat. "Oh shit!" Alex hissed, "Here comes trouble!"

Terrance, upon seeing them groaned and mumbled, "Oh no..."

"What? Who are they?" Terrias asked, crossing his arms.

"Not people who are fun to play with," Alex replied, "Terrias, be ready to attack if they make a move."

"Commander, I'm _always _ready!"

"Well, well, well!" Gengar replied, "Look what the cat dragged in, I was hoping we wouldn't have to see you _losers _again!"

"Fuck you!" Alex replied, flipping them the bird, "You guys are nothing but a bunch of bullying chickenshits with nothing better to do than to either fuck around with guys smaller than you, or bone each other in the goddamn asses."

"Such big words from a wittle Pokemon!" Zubat laughed, "You guys were right! They _are _a bunch of morons!"

"Oi! The fuck are you calling a moron?" Terrias asked, stepping forward, "If you are gonna fuck around with my friends, I'll take you, here and now!"

"Is that a challenge?" Koffing asked, and he laughed, "_Ooh! _I'm so scared!"

"Oh," and Terrias smirked, "You will be once I'm rubbing your cocksucking face into the ground."

"What a moron!" and all four laughed.

"C'mon!" and Terrias rolled up his sleeves, balling his fists and raising his arms, "I'll take you, here and now!"

"Terrias!" Alex roared, "Now isn't the time to go Rocky Balboaon them!"

"I' m not afraid of a little crybaby like _you_," Skunktank said and he walked away, flicking his tail in disgust.

"Bastards..." Terrias replied.

"Yeah, now you know how _we _felt!" Terrance replied.

"You've met them before?" the servine asked.

"Yeah...idiots tossed my precious family heirloom into the ocean, just to mess with me..." and he revealed the stone again, "Then Alex here risked his own life to jump in there and save it for me."

"Wow..." Terrias mumbled, crouching down as he traced the intricate carving with a fingertip, "What an intriguing piece...what is it?"

"I don't know," the treecko replied with a sigh, "That's one of the _big _reasons why I decided to create an exploration team...with the hopes of maybe someday finding out what it is and what it's for."

Terrias shrugged, "Pretty convincing argument if you ask me..."

"Yeah...the only thing is that I was...um...too afraid to...and Alex here helped me overcome that fear!"

"He did?" and the servine sent Alex a look of admiration.

"Uh..." the Commander quickly replied, "Not really...you see...I just agreed to join alongside him."

"You gave me the courage to do this," Terrance replied with a firm nod.

"Glad I could help then, I suppose..." Alex replied.

"Anyway," Terrias interrupted, "We might as well get a move on."

"Agreed."

That night, while everyone was asleep, Skunktank and his team sneaked into the mess hall, unhappy with the food they had received at supper and intent on stealing more. As they scoured the kitchen, searching for any _decent _food, they came across the Guildmaster's stash of Perfect Apples, and feasted, burning through the entire barrel. Once they were full, they made their way back to the room they all shared, climbing into bed and falling asleep.

.

The next morning, after the daily morning routine was finished, Chatot called Alex, Terrance, Terrias, and Aria over to him. "What's up?" the Commander asked.

"Listen, I have a bit of a special assignment or you...uh...'off the cuff'."

Suspicious, Alex asked, "What is it?"

"Someone stole the Guildmaster's stash of Perfect Apples and ate them all...so unless you want to see his rage, which, trust me, it is _very _terrifying, I need you and your team to head to the nearby Apple Woods and restock our supply."

"Wigglytuff? Mad?" and Alex chuckled, "Seems highly unlikely."

"Trust me, I'm _more _than serious, now are you going to take this job or not?"

"Sure, we'll take it," Terrance replied.

"Good, I'll mark its location on your Explorer's Map, _please _try to be back in a timely fashion!"

Alex nodded, "Yes, sir," and ran off, his team behind them.

An hour later, they arrived at the entrance to the Apple Woods, and stretching, Alex began, "Well, folks, let's get this over with."

"The hell did you accept this for?" Terrias asked, "Seems trivial to me."

"Easy," the Commander replied, "The fact he came to _us _first usually implies that we're in high standing with him. If we pull this off, we might have a good chance of going on this field trip, if we fail, however, well, given how easy this job is supposed to be..."

"We're fucked," Aria finished.

"Precisely."

"Ah, I see now."

"Yep."

"Maybe the fact he gave us this job first implies that because we're rookies, this is a job that the grunts are supposed to do..."

"I doubt it," the Commander replied, "Keep in mind, now Skunktank and his cronies have a team. If this job was grunt work, he would have sent _them _to do this!"

"Good point."

"Exactly! Now, enough chat, let's get this finished!"

The Apple Woods proved more of a challenge than they previously anticipated, especially considering that there were many apple trees and bushes...but only one of them grew Perfect Apples, and _that _tree was supposed to be in the very heart of the forest. There was also a great deal of wildlife, and many of them were difficult to sneak past or defeat. However, after less than an hour navigating the labyrinthine forest, they finally emerged in the dead center, marked by an immense tree, one that towered over all others, and looking up several hundred feet into the lowest levels of the branches, they could spot the large, glistening, Perfect Apples.

"Excellent..." the Commander whispered beneath his breath, "Yokay!" and he turned to face his team, "Who here can climb trees?"

Suddenly, something snickered from behind the tree, and Alex's team immediately turned around, prepared to attack.

"So!" Gengar began, appearing from the shadows, "You morons decided to show up?"

"The fuck are you doing here?" Terrias remarked, "Don't make me kick your goddamn ass!"

"Bring it on!" and both teams clashed.

Skunktank went after Alex, utilizing every offensive move in his disposal, but Alex was swift, and managed to evade most of the attacks, countering with his own. Koffing went after Terrias, gassing him before the servine retaliated. Playing unfairly, Gengar appeared behind Terrias, holding a large tree branch like a club, and swung it hard, smashing the servine across the back of the head. Terrias down for the count, his mate, roaring with fury, managed to pull of several effective attacks on the two Pokemon that were gaining up on her, but they ultimately bested her as well. Soon, Terrance and Alex were back to back, surrounded by the other team, and although Alex pulled off every move he could, they didn't even seem to be fazed by the attack. Gengar and Koffing held him down with psychic, while Zubat and Skunktank took turns delivering a continuous stream of painful blows. Terrance watched, frozen in fear, unsure of what to do, and Terrias, roaring, picked himself up, charging after them. It was here that Skunktank unleashed a noxious gas that filled the entire glade, his team laughing as Alex's vision blurred and lost color and sharpness, and he went down, everything occurring in slow motion.

He was breathing heavily, slowly, his breath was labored, and whatever attack the enemy team's leader had used had paralyzed him, making every muscle in his body numb. He watched, unable to do anything, his breath painful, his vision blurred and unclear, his hearing distant, all of his senses seemed to have been sedated and weakened by the attack, and still the noxious black smoke filled the immediate vicinity. Alex watched in horror as they began to cut down the tree, and he watched before his eyes as the mystical tree grayed and shriveled, almost seeming to die right before him. The vicious explorers quickly collected the apples, and Gengar grinned maliciously at him, a look of pure arrogance and sadism on his face as all four of them launched another barrage of painful attacks against the helpless Alex, Terrance, Terrias, and Aria before leaving, using their psychic abilities to carry the barrels of apples out of the forest and back to base, leaving Alex's team there in the glade to die and suffer.

Finally, Alex's vision flickered as his mind grew numb and he felt each and every one of his senses shut down, enveloping him in a frightening claustrophobic darkness. Unable to hold on to the last fragment of consciousness, he fell, fell into the endless abyss, crying out for help as past nightmares flooded his poisoned mind, and as he fell, he finally slipped free of the last shred of consciousness, and he passed out...

Slowly, ever so slowly, Alex awoke. Cold, forest-scented air rushed down his lungs, clearing out his previously closed throat as he sat up, his eyes, nose, and mouth burning with a hellish fire. _Chemical warfare... _he thought weakly, feeling wells of fiery hatred and fury explode inside him, "Those bastards used fucking CHEMICAL WARFARE!" he howled, "Goddamn cheaters!"

He picked himself up, crying out as he lost his balance and collapsed forward. Squeezing his eyes shut, he waited until he had balanced out before he attempted to stand again, this time standing very slowly. His legs were still asleep, and they nearly gave out from beneath him. Angered, he looked around, remembering where he was and what exactly had happened.

Looking up into the sky, he was alarmed when he saw that the sun had already fallen, and night had engulfed the entire landscape, "Oh _shit_!" he hissed, hurriedly running to each of his companions as he woke them up from their gassed slumber. Each and every one of them felt sluggish and drowsy, their bodies and senses running at less-than-full capacity. "Recover! Quickly! We need to get our asses back to the Guild!"

Each one had a similar reaction to his own once they realized what time it was, and they hurried back through the maze of trees, barely managing to find their ways out of the forest as they sprinted back to the distant village and the Guild, oblivious to the immense physical strain on their bodies. Not to mention, the poison was still affecting them, reducing their health to less than half of what it was, and their limbs were still numb, feeling like dead weights. Eventually, after a little under two hours, they returned to the village, speeding up the plateau and to the Wigglytuff Guild's entrance. They barely managed to squeeze inside the tent before the gates sealed shut behind them and they rushed downstairs.

Upon emergence on their destined floor and heading to the mess hall, each one was furious with the Skunktank Guild, and were ready to exact revenge on them.

"You motherfuckers!" Terrias roared, storming into the mess hall, bringing on silence from everyone who immediately stared them down.

Barely managing to contain his anger, Alex pointed at the alarmed Skunktank Clan at the head of the table on the opposite of the entrance, "You bastards fuckin' cheated!" and he stormed to them, "I'm gonna strangle your goddamn asses!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Chatot exclaimed, "What are you _doing!? _Where have you been!"

"These bastards cornered us in the glade of Apple Woods, ambushing us and gassing us before making off with the apples and leaving us for dead!"

"Sure I didn't send them their," Chatot began, "But I scolded them already, and they apologized and promised not to do it again."

"To _HELL _with that idea!" Alex hissed, pouncing on Skunktank and wrapping the Pokemon's neck in his iron grip. The Pokemon flailed, struggling for breath as the others surrounded the commander, attempting to break them apart. The others in Skunktank's guild jumped into action, viciously assaulting the Commander, but he was unfazed. "DIE YOU SON OF A BITCH!" the Commander hissed.

"Alex!" Chatot roared, "ALEX!"

"BURN IN HELL YOU SON OF A-!" and the bird slammed the seat of a stool into the back of the Commander's head, causing him to hit the ground, and the lights of consciousness to immediately wink out of existence.

Alex's eyes opened, and he cried out when bright sunlight assaulted them. He sat up immediately, looking around, panicking, when he realized that he was back in his bed in the quarters of the Guild. Dazed, he sat up, tenderly touching the back of his head as he stumbled to the main room. It appeared that he had missed the daily routines, everybody was gone, even his team. He checked his watch, swearing once he remembered that time had frozen to the time of their entry into the strange storm that had ultimately sent them here to this...strange world. He then checked the clock on the wall above Wigglytuff's door, seeing that it read quarter before noon. "Oh my God!" he cried out and he rushed upstairs, hoping to find Chatot so he could apologize for his tardiness...however, the the first level of the subbasement was empty as well, and he, worried, went all the way to the top floor, leaving the Guild Hall and heading into Treasure Town where he nearly ran into Sunflora. "Oi!" he exclaimed, jumping back, then identifying who he had met, he rapidly answered, "What the hell happened? Where is everybody!?"

"Please," and she held up her hands, backing away, appearing deeply worried, "Don't hurt me!"

"I'm not..." and he sighed in annoyance, "I'm not gonna hurt you...where is everybody?"

"They...they're all out shopping! Getting things ready for the trip tomorrow!"

"Thank you!" he exclaimed, and he ran past her, heading to the market. He scoured the various stalls, not finding his friends, and confused, he spotted Chatot and Wigglytuff, walking up to them, "Hey..." he began, "Have you guys seen my team?"

Chatot seemed furious, Wigglytuff didn't seem to notice the interruption and immediately moved on to the next stall, "You!" the bird hissed, pinning him to the ground, "Are a nuisance! A pathetic waste of space! You are lucky that I'm not exiling you from the guild and the village!"

"Hey, hey! Easy!" and Alex wiggled out from beneath the bird, standing and wiping the dust off of his fur, "Is this about yesterday?"

"Yes it is! You almost _killed _one of our guild members!"

"He betrayed us, set us up for ruin, _and _I wouldn't doubt that _he's _the one responsible for making off with your apples!"

"Regardless, that gives you _zero _right to assault a member like that! I'm allowing you and your team to stay, but you can kiss your chances of going on this trip goodbye! Not only did your failure with the apples yesterday confirm that...such a simple job it was, too...but now you almost killed a fellow member! Your friends are in solitary confinement in the guild, they attacked _me _after I stopped you. You want to talk to them? Fine! I'll let them out once I return, but I am tearing down every little rank, every status, I am breaking down your reputation. This offense is repulsive! Unforgivable! I hope you liked being given the same abilities as a rookie member, because that's what you are going to be for a long, _long _time!" and he marched away.

Alex was stunned, and in an instant, he felt all joy and emotion, all excitement, and all hope for finding his team collapse. He kicked himself for acting the way he did. Even though he was into the trip for a chance to search for his missing companions, Terrance was the only one who actually _wanted _to go on the trip, was _excited _to, and now he was going to lose that as well.

"Oi..." Alex mumbled, collapsing in the street and rubbing his temples, "What have I done?"

As night fell upon the world, Alex was forced to admit to his companions about what Chatot had said to him.

"That's bullshit," Terrias hissed, "We all know what those bastards did, and he...he's _protecting _them!"

"He seems to believe that they are little angels," Alex replied, pacing around their room.

"That sucks...there goes our chance to locate Alpha Company, as well as however many days of hard work. It's...it's a load of bullshit!"

"Oh well, it's not worth worrying about...let's just go to bed."

The others sighed as well, and Terrias finished, "Not like there's anything _else _to do."

Outside, a dratini, a luxray, a ponyta, an espeon, an abra, a glaceon, an eevee, and a pidgeotto walked together through the empty streets of the village, unsure of where to go. "Rainbow Dash," the espeon began, "This is the only village on the island I think."

"Fantastic, Twilight," the luxray replied, "Did you just figure that out?"

"No need ta be mean, Dash," the ponyta replied.

"I'm just being honest, Applejack."

"Better question..." the dratini began.

"What is it, Spike?" the eevee, Pinkie Pie, began, hopping in place happily.

"Who cares," Gilda, now a pidgeotto, interrupted, "All that matters is that we need to figure out how we're gonna get out of this...wherever we are."

"Our highest priority," Dash began, "We need to find Alex."

"I know an' understand that ya worried 'bout yer mate, Dash, but unfortunately, it ain't just him that's missin', it's ev'rybody."

"I don't care," Rarity, now the glaceon, began, "Just look at my glorious sheen!" and she observed herself in the moonlight, "I'm _beautiful_!"

"You're always beautiful, Rarity..." Spike replied shyly.

"Well thank you, Spike..."

"Um..." Fluttershy began, "What...what am I exactly?" and she observed her claws.

"I think Alex calls it an 'abra' or something..." Dash answered.

"All I know," Twilight interrupted, "Is that we're Pokemon."

"Now, how in the hell did _that _happen?" Dash asked.

"I...I don't know. If we're all Pokemon, I can only assume that everybody is as well."

"The fact that it was a day and a half before we even turned _into _Pokemon isn't very swell," Rarity continued, "If we would have waited back at the ship for a little longer, we could have seen everybody else's transformations and could have known what to look for."

"Do you think that Terrias and Aria could have transformed as well?" Spike asked, "I mean, they were already Pokemon..."

"That's actually a very good point, Spike," Twilight replied.

"R...really? Thanks, Twilight..." and he blushed.

"The only situation," the unicorn-turned-espeon continued, "Is that this is definitely a strange spell, one _I'm _not even familiar with."

"I think I like my _new _form much better, Twilight Sparkle," Rarity replied, "I just look absolutely glorious! I never considered myself much of a 'winter', but I'm at the peak of fashion!"

"Yeah...that's great," Twilight replied, "Anyway, c'mon, let's just hang around until morning, maybe we can ask around to see if anyone has seen Alex or the others."

"_Alex!" Rainbow Dash cries, running up to her mate and instantly hugging him tightly, "I missed you!"_

"_I missed you, too," the Commander replies, unaware of the treecko who is spying on him, "I was so worried..."_

"_You weren't the only one..." she replies, her eyes glistening in the sunlight like hundreds of glittering rubies, "Alex...I want you to do something for me..."_

"_What is it, Dash? I'll do anything..."_

_She then whispers quietly in his ear, "Make love to me...right here...right now..."_

"_Here?"_

"_Yes...on this river bank...on the grasses...please..." and she places her head on his shoulder, allowing him to gently stroke her fur and mane...and then..._

..."_WAKE UP! IT'S MORNING!_" Loudred boomed, startling Alex from his dreams. Around him his companions shot up as well.

"Damn it..." Alex breathed.

"Right when it was about to get to the good part, right, Alex?" Terrias replied with a grin.

"Shut the hell up, and stay outta my dreams," he replied, throwing his pillow at the servine and striking him in the face. Terrias only chuckled and sat up.

The Commander and his team lined up with the other members of Wigglytuff's Guild. Alex didn't know why he had been summoned or awakened early, what was the point? It wasn't like they were going on the trip. He then frowned at the thought that Chatot maybe just wanted to wake them up to rub it in their faces.

Speaking of the devil, Chatot emerged from Wigglytuff's chambers, the actual Guildmaster in tow. "Listen up!" the short-fused bird began, "The Guildmaster now has the completed list of who is going on this field trip, so standby and wait for your names. When your name is called, head upstairs and wait just outside of the tent. Okay, now, let's begin..." and Chatot cleared his throat as he opened up the note and began to read the names, "Wigglytuff, Chatot, Sunflora, Loudred, Diglett, Dugtrio, Bidoof, Skunktank, Gengar, Chimecho, Koffing, Zubat..." once the Skunktank's gang had been called they sent off an amused grin at Alex and his crew, showing off that they had been called, "Togepi, Politoed, Corphish, Ledyba, Croagunk, and...uh...Alex? Ter...rance? Terrias and...Aria? Wait...this is _everybody_!?"

"Yep, yep!" Wigglytuff replied happily, "I figured it would be fun if we _all _went! So yep, yep, yep, yep!"

"...Okay?" Chatot began, sounding irritated, "Regardless, you four," and he addressed Alex and his team, "Get on up there..."

Alex was stunned, unable to believe it, Terrance, Terrias, and Aria seemed equally surprised, but no one complained as they hurried upstairs to join the rest of the guild.

"Hey! You!" Dash asked, approaching a dusclops, "You seen a human around here?"

"A human?" the banker asked, "No I haven't..."

"Huh...okay, well, have you seen a servine or two around here?"

"A what?"

"It's a Pokemon, about yea tall and wide, with like, angled maroon eyes, kinda scarred, green and tan with a yellow stripe down the middle of his head? Walks around in a big long, black, leather coat?"

"Oh!" the dusclops replied, "You mean Terrias?"

"Yeah! Terrias!? Where is he?"

"He's with Alex and Terrance's exploration team."

"_Alex_!? Where are they?"

"Uh...sure," and the dusclops pointed to the plateau where Wigglytuff's Guild was, "They're up there, ask Chatot or Wigglytuff, they'll direct you to them."

"Thank you!" Dash exclaimed, tossing a bag of Pokedollars she had 'acquired' onto the table before she ran off, the rest of her companions following her.

Alex and his team arrived upstairs, greeted by the cheers of the rest of the guild, with the exception of Team Skunktank. "Of course!" Gengar hissed.

"What? You expected that stupid balloon to leave them behind?" Zubat replied.

"Hump...good point."

"Well," Terrance began, "Apparently we aren't hated _that _much..."

"Of course not!" and Alex laughed, "Thank God, though, we were allowed to come along."

Suddenly, a luxray, tailed by several other Pokemon, rushed to the top of the plateau, and it marched towards the crowd, "Terrias!" she cried out, shoving her way through the crowd and embracing the two servine, "Thank God we found you!"

"Uh...Cynder?"

"Hell no! It's me! Rainbow Dash!"

"_Dash!?_" Alex exclaimed, "Dash! You're okay!" and he tackled her, kissing her fiercely.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Easy there, boy! Do I know you?"

"Dash! It's me! Alex!"

"Alex? Alex! _Alex_!" and she tackled him next, kissing him repeatedly. Everyone in the crowd, save a bemused Team Skunktank, let out a unified 'awww'.

"Um...am I intruding on something?" Chatot replied, pushing through the crowd.

"Not at all," Alex replied, standing, and clearing his throat, he introduced, "Chatot, this is my mate...Rainbow Dash."

"Your mate?"

"Aye."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the bird began, "My name is Chatot, I'm the Wigglytuff Guild's Guildmaster's right-hand Pokemon."

"You off and went to join guilds now, Alex?" Dash replied.

"Hey, it ain't _my _fault," Alex replied, "I did it so I could look for the rest of Alpha Company...and you...God, Dash...I missed you," and he rubbed his head into her side.

She hugged him, "I missed you, too..."

"I was so worried about you..."

"Same here...Yo, Chatot, mind if I tag along for awhile?"

The bird sighed, seemingly annoyed, but then Wigglytuff appeared, immediately saying, "Oh yes! Come along, the more the merrier!"

"Thanks," and Dash smiled at her mate.

"If you wish, I can make you an official member of Team Titans!"

"Team...Titans?" she began.

"That's the kind of...eh...'unofficial' name of our group," Alex replied, "It was Terrance's idea."

"So you are Alex's mate, huh?" the treecko began, "He's mentioned a lot about you on our travels."

"I hope it was good things."

"It was, my name is Terrance...Alex and I started this together."

"Really? How sweet. Hey...uh...Wigglytuff."

"Yesh?"

"Go ahead and sign me up."

"Sign us all up," the espeon replied with a nod.

"Twilight?" Alex asked.

"In the flesh...kinda."

"So the whole 'Mane Six', including Spike, ya guys are all here, huh?"

"Yep," Spike replied.

"Good, that saves us seven less to worry about...have any of you seen the others?"

"Negative, I'm afraid," Spike replied, "The last time we spoke to them was shortly after the crash, after we left to find out where we are...before we turned into Pokemon."

"Meaning," Terrias began, "Odds are, everybody else is a Pokemon, too."

"Son of a bitch..." Alex sighed, "I guess that was to be expected."

"At least we found your mate, Alex," Terrance replied.

"You're right," and Alex chuckled, "Or one of them at least."

"Wait...one?"

Dash scoffed playfully, "Yeah, one, he has one other that's here with us."

"Who?"

"Cyn...I just don't know where she's at..." and Alex sighed.

"One thing's for sure," Dash comforted, "She left with Spyro, Flame, Ember, and Skorpion, Piermont, and Cherub."

"So Pierre and Cherub actually decided to go with Spy and Cyn?"

"Ayup," Applejack replied, "I know, I was surprised as well."

"Anyway," Chatot interrupted, "You all have been divided into groups, and will be responsible for regrouping with us in the heart of Foggy Forest in three days."

As the sun peaked in the sky, the large group finally left the guild, heading deeper into the wilds beyond the city limits. The trip was long, and nobody really had much to talk about. Suddenly, Alex and Terrias broke the silence as they began to sing Johnny Horton's _The Battle of New Orleans_. "In 1814 we took a little trip, along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip. We took a little bacon and we took a little beans and we caught the bloody British in the town o' New Orleans."

Then Terrias joined in as the two sang together, "We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin', there was not as many as there was awhile ago. We fired once more and they began a'runnin' down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico."

Then Terrias took full control and sang the lead role, "We looked down the river and we seen the British come and there must've been a hundred of 'em beatin' on the drum. They stepped so high and they made their bugles ring, we stood beside our cotton bails and didn't say a thing!"

Once more, the both began again, "Well, we fired our guns and the British kep a'comin', there was not as many as there was awhile ago. We fired once more and they began a'runnin' down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico."

Here, Terrance interrupted, "What are you guys singing?"

"You don't know?" Terrias chuckled, "Even _I _know, my old owner liked that song."

"Remember," Alex began, "He isn't from _our _world. Look around, I highly doubt that song has ever been known here," and he waved around.

"Well _that _sucks balls," and the servine frowned.

"They don't know what they're missing exactly, so you can't _really _blame them."

"Anyway, back to my song..."

"Ooh-fuckin'-RAH!"

Singing, Alex continued, "Ol' Hickory said we could take 'em by surprise if we didn't fire our muskets 'till we looked them in the eye. We held our fire 'till we see their faces well, then we opened up our squirrel guns and really gave 'em..._well we_..."

Terrias joined in again for the chorus, "...Fired our guns and the British kep a'comin', there was not as many as there was awhile ago. We fired once more and they began a'runnin' down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico."

Terrias picked up here, "Yeah they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles and they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go. They ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em, on down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico! We fired our cannon 'till the barrel melted down, so we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round. We filled his head with cannonballs and powdered his behind, and when we touched the powder off the gator lost his mind!"

Both in synch, "We fired our guns and the British kep a'comin', there was not as many as there was awhile ago. We fired once more and they began a'runnin' down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico!" still singing in harmony, they continued, "Yeah they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles and they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go. They ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em, on down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico!"

Terrance only looked at them and shook his head. Their partner, Bidoof, followed closely behind, trying and failing to sing the song along with them.

"Anyway," Aria began, "Where in the bloody hell are we supposed to regroup with the others of the Guild?"

"Some kind camp in the middle of Foggy Forest, across the damn island," Dash answered.

"Fuck..." the female servine replied.

"C'mon now, Aria!" and the Pegasus-turned-luxray replied, "Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Back on Martaan."

"Ouch..."

"Here's a question for you, Dash," Twilight began, "How are you going to get things to work with Alex?"

"He might be a little smaller...but I can always crouch or lay down and just have him mount me."

Twilight sent her a bemused glance, then shook her head and continued on.

The luxray paused in her tracks, "What? You asked!"

"...Shall we buy a new guitar?" Alex exclaimed, singing the lead vocals for Pink Floyd's song, _What Shall We Do Now? _while Terrias sang the backup vocals, "Shall we drive a more powerful car? Shall we work straight through the night? Shall we get into fights, leave the lights on, drop bombs, do tours of the east, contract diseases, bury bones, break up homes, send flowers by phone, take to drink, go to shrinks, give up meat, rarely sleep, keep people as pets, treat dogs, race rats, fill the attic with cash, bury treasure, store up leisure, but never relax at all!? With our backs to the wall!"

They paused on a cliff overlooking a roaring sea beneath them. "Where the hell are we, _now!?_" Dash asked, astounded.

"Craggy Coast..." Bidoof began, looking at the map, "I think...I'm pretty sure."

"The hell are we supposed to do, then?"

"I assume we go through," Alex replied, looking at the gaping maw of the seaside cavern.

"Well..." Terrias began, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends!"

After several hours of trudging through the Pokemon-filled cavern, they finally emerged at the peak of the mountain, several hundred feet above the lively green forest shrouded in a deep, seemingly impenetrable mist.

"Foggy Forest?" Dash asked.

"I can only think so."

"Well...I guess it's time for us to go then..."

"Time to start scaling the mountainside," Alex replied, and he entered another cave across the cliff, "I assume this takes us down to ground level."

"Let's go then," Terrance replied, and he followed the Commander, the others in their party following closely behind.

It was almost nightfall by the time they arrived at the camp established by the Guild. Chatot, squawking angrily, hopped over to them, "About time you showed up! You are late!"

"Sorry," Terrance replied, "We got a little...lost."

He seemed angry that the team was still causing unconventional issues with him and the rest of the guild, but passed it off and led them back to the heart of the camp, eerily empty. "Where the hell is everybody?" Alex asked.

"They've already left to find the glen."

"Shit that's cool..." Dash replied, annoyed, "It's kinda late..."

"That's why you should have arrived earlier," Chatot replied, leaving the luxray to glare in his direction.

"Well, we better get a move on...we can camp once we gain a few miles," Alex replied.

Dash sighed but replied, "Alright then, let's get moving."

Terrias and Alex once more began to sing as they walked along through the dark, Foggy Forest, switching off on verses and singing the chorus together. Alex began in a deep baritone identical to Johnny Cash, "An old cowboy went ridin' out one dark and windy day. Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way. When all at once a mighty herd of red-eyed cows he saw. Plowing through the rugged skies, and up a cloudy draw. Their brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steel. Their horns were black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel. A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky, for he saw the Riders comin' hard, and he heard their mournful cry."

"Yippie yi yoh! Yippie yi yay! Ghost riders in the sky!"

"Will you stop singing, please?" Rarity asked.

Ignoring her, they continued, "Their faces gone, their eyes were blurred, their shirts all soaked with sweat. He's riding hard to catch that herd but he ain't caught 'em yet. 'Cause they've got to ride forever on that range up in the sky. All the horses snortin' fire as they ride on, hear their cry. As the riders loped on by him, he heard one call his name. If you wanna save yourself from hell a'ridin' on our range, then cowboy change your ways the way they are, 'cause you will ride, tryin' to catch the devil's herd, across these endless skies!"

"Yippie yi yoh! Yippie yi yay! Ghost riders in the sky! Ghost riders in the sky! Ghost riders in the sky!"

"Are you _trying _to be annoying?" Aria snapped.

"Hey! Uncalled for!" Terrias replied.

"Stop talking! Stop singing! Just..._SHUT UP_!" her outburst caused both the servine and the Commander to flinch, and she stomped on forward, leaving the two stunned Terminators behind.

"The hell kind of stick's gone up _her _ass?"

"She's pregnant..." Terrias groaned, "She's been this way for quite some time."

"Shit...talk about moody."

"Once the hatchling hatches, she'll settle down...I hope," but Terrias seemed tired and unhappy, "Until then, we've got to stomach this crap."

"Speak of the devil, when _will _her egg be laid?"

Terrias shrugged, "I don't know. To be honest, I don't know _shit _about my species."

"That's...that's bad."

"What can I say? We're still a largely new and undiscovered species apparently, it doesn't that not a whole terrible lot about Pokemon is known to _begin _with..." and the servine sighed.

As the night grew older, some of the fog cleared, revealing the beautiful nighttime sky above. Stopping in a large, open clearing, Alex decided to make camp, and he, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike set to work on constructing camp while Dash, Applejack, Terrias, and Terrance gathered food and supplies. Within an hour, under the light of the fat moon above, camp had been erected and everyone crawled into their individual sleeping bags in one of the four tents.

Dash stepped into the woods to relieve herself, and when she returned, she spied Alex sitting on a stump at the edge of camp, looking up into the sky and at the stars. She walked up to her mate, sitting beside him, "What are you doing?" she asked.

He shrugged, saying nothing, "Can't sleep."

She hugged him tightly, "I'm gonna warn you now, I'm in a cuddle mood."

Alex chuckled, "I don't mind...I'm just glad we finally found each other again," and he hugged her back.

"So am I," and she smiled, "I love you, Alex."

"I love you, too."

"So, do you have any plans tonight?"

He grinned at her, "C'mon, Dash, the hell do you think?"

"I know, I know...I'm just sayin'. Weirder shit has happened in the past."

"Good point...but to answer your question, no, I have nothing planned tonight."

"Do you want to...stoke the flames of our love with a passionate evening?"

"How in the hell will sex work for us?" and he laughed, "Look at me! I'm fuckin' two feet tall and your so big!"

"Y'know, all you _have _to ask is just for me to lay down, I will for you," and she laid down on her stomach, legs tucked beneath her, appearing like an actual cat, she occasionally flicked her tail up, "See what I mean?"

"Hell, if you want," and she rolled onto her belly, "You can scratch me...or eat out...I'm not terribly particular."

"You horny motherfucker," and Alex laughed again.

"Hey, why are _you _complaining? Most people would kill to have a chick as horny as _moi_."

"Not much privacy out here..."

"That's cool. Exhibitionism is _very _arousing in my eyes, besides, who _wouldn't _want to delve into a bit of lovemaking beneath this beautiful sky," and she looked up, her normally-violet eyes now ringed with gold.

"The rest of our group," Alex replied with a grin.

"Bah! They're a bunch of pussies!"

"Well...I'm not _real _aroused right now..."

"Oh don't you worry, sexy," she began, smiling mischievously, "Give me a few minutes, I'll change that _real _quick!"

"Forgive me if I don't..." and she cut him off with a kiss, slipping him her tongue, going deeper than any kiss she had given him in the past. While she did this, she pawed at his lower belly, trying to coax the object of her affection out from within, and once it finally began to emerge itself, she grabbed onto it, tenderly squeezing and tugging on it, breaking off the kiss and leaving Alex astounded.

"Like I said," she began, "I know how to change your state of arousal."

"I'm still not..."

And she closed her mouth over him, sucking and licking the blood-red tip of his defining organs gingerly, lapping the small amount of salty fluid that dribbled out from within as the object itself grew harder and more stiff, soon protruding from the ruffled tan fur of his belly like a slightly curved exclamation point. Pausing in her administrations, she looked up again, "You were saying?"

"Okay," he admitted, breathing heavily, "I'm horny, you win."

"That's what I _thought _you said," and she grinned as they embraced, her lowering to the ground as she coaxed him onto her back, adjusting her rear and moving her tail so that his tip rested against her warm, moist, and swollen lower lips. "Now," she began, "Enough chat...enter, fill me up."

He fulfilled her request, barely managing to withhold a gasp at the alarming tightness of her, apparently the transformation had made her even tighter, even if he himself was much smaller than normal. To cope with the initial awkwardness (even though he knew he was a Pokemon, the fact that he was engaging in sexual intercourse with a luxray still struck him as awkward and uncomfortable) he imagined that they were still in their normal forms, finding that, combined with her tightness, was promising to make this particular instance of mating relations quick. He moved slowly, trying his best to make the event as long and memorable as he could. She had given him full control this time, and was laying still on her stomach as he, who had mounted, entered from the rear, but as she grew closer and closer to orgasm, an occasional spastic twitch would send her involuntarily humping back towards him, and several times, to prolong the imminence of his own orgasm, he was forced to stop completely until he had 'cooled' before he would continue on, however, her spastic bucking was driving him closer, and he had to remain absolutely still, as this tight, the slightest movement he made would nearly send her into a screaming climax.

However, despite the difficulties in prolonging an imminent conclusion to this wonderful and long-awaited event, they managed to mate for almost an hour before he, finally reaching the brink, was violently forced into submission by her, who could not hold back the need any longer. She was bucking towards him violently, powerfully, each thrust more pleasuring than the last, the added lubricant her body provided further bringing him closer, and once he reached the point of no return, he managed to hold off for another ten seconds before he came, nearly paralyzed and knocked unconscious by the sheer power and intensity, it was by far the single most explosive orgasm he had ever felt, and it completely sapped his energy.

As soon as the pulsing flow ceased, he, stunned and paralyzed, slipped off of her back with a combination of their mingled sweat and collapsed to the side, breathing heavily, still riding out the waves of pleasure accompanying orgasm as they shared each others' pleasure via the way that only Terminators could. He laid on his back, mouth agape, gasping for breath, and she climbed her way onto his chest, curling up against his neck and falling asleep, her body's sexual heat, as well as the vibrations of her chest against his, caused by her rapid purring lulling him into a sound sleep. As usual, he held her, and upon the contact of his arms around her, and the gentle contact of their bodies, hers seemed to melt into his as she involuntarily relaxed in the comfort of her mate, her guard collapsing as she gave herself to him.

Now asleep, he dreamed, at first, of the hellish encounter with Terrias, and then it gave way to another sexual dream, much like the ones that had brought him to insanity. With Dash in his arms, he was overjoyed to be in her presence, and he loved her more than ever, feeling closer to her than ever before. True love...that was all he could describe it. Never before had he felt so blessed to be with so many who loved him, and it wasn't just the girl in his arms, but also the men in his army. He was proud to be friends with Alpha Company, to see them as brothers-in-arms and close friends, and the feeling was only sweeter as Dash, from sleep, readjusted herself until she was pressed firmly against her mate's side. Her natural perfume filled his nostrils, bringing on the closeness of the contact even more, and he could feel the fiery hotness of her still-damp lower lips against his torso. _I love you_... he thought, before finally surrendering the last of his earthly binds and ascending to the state of surreal utopia.

The next morning, everyone awoke early as Alex and his comrades continued their quest through Foggy Forest, searching for the waterfall that they were told to look for. At around 0900 hours, Terrias nodded towards a distant silhouette, and upon arrival, they were stunned to see a huge waterfall, falling from what appeared to be a floating island, floating fifty feet off of the ground, its peak several hundred feet up. "Well..." Rainbow Dash began, looking up as high as she could, but the flat top of the island was obscured by fog, "How do you think we're supposed to get up there?"

"I don't know, Dash..." Alex replied, "There's got to be _some _way..."

"Sure, if we could fly, but, in case you haven't noticed, I seem to left my wings back in the other world."

"Hmm..." Alex began.

"What are you thinking?"

"There has to be a way to get up there..."

"There's no proof that there _is _a way up there."

"Regardless, we must find a way."

"Hey," Terrance began, "Isn't it enough that we found the waterfall that Wigglytuff and Chatot were referring to?"

"Not at all," Alex began, "Now we need to figure out how in the bloody hell we're going to scale this damn mountain-thing so we can discover the hidden cove."

"Sounds like trouble with no promise of any serious reward if you ask me," Aria interrupted.

"Damn it, Aria," Alex began, "Is this gonna be another one of your goddamn PMS'ing days?"

"Hey! Fuck you, Alex!"

"That's what _Terrias _is for."

"Wait...what does this have to do about me?" the servine interrupted.

"Nothing, Lieutenant," Alex began, "I'm just making a pisspoor analogy."

"Well..." Dash began, "If you have any ideas, now is the damn time to think of something, else we are _fucked_, because there is _NO _other way in _hell _that we're gonna get our fuckin' asses to the top of this goddamn cliff. None of us can fly.

"I'll think of something..."

"Better think quick, this all seems pretty damn hopeless to me."

"Aww! C'mon! Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Fuck you."

"You'd like that wouldn't you."

"I would actually."

"Guys! Enough!" Terrias hissed, "Now is _not _the time!"

"What?" Alex began, "We're only saying...you and Aria-when she _ain't _PMS'ing-say the same damn thing."

"_Anyway_..." Dash interrupted, "Where do we start? Should I go hunt for some damn ropes or..."

"Hey guys!" Terrance's voice rang out through the still, early morning air, "There's a cave back here..."

"That doesn't mean it will take us up..."

"Hurry! This way!" and the treecko disappeared in the gaping darkness of the caverous maw.

"God dammit," Aria groaned.

Ignoring her, Alex nodded towards the steaming cave, "Well, I guess we better follow him..."

"What an idea!" Dash replied, rolling her eyes, and the group sped into the cave. The temperature was easily in the hundreds, and it felt as if they were in a volcanic crypt, plus the obsidian and Magma Diamond halls were dark and labyrinthine, making navigation different and making it _very _easy to get lost in the tunnels.

It was several hours before they spotted light ahead, and rushing towards it, they emerged on a cliff above the foggy forest, above the clouds, but still several hundred feet beneath the flat land at the top of the floating island. "Now what, Genius?" Aria snapped at Terrance.

"_Easy_, Aria!" Terrias exclaimed, "No need to be such a..."

"Such a _what_, Terrias? Hmm? I _dare _you to say it!"

"No need to be so rude..." the male servine corrected, "He's just trying to help us get out of here."

"Yeah well..." and the earth rumbled, sending everyone to the ground.

"What the _fuck _was _THAT_!?" Dash exclaimed, and Alex looked around uneasily, "Something's coming..." he whispered.

"What?" Dash asked, "What is..."

"_Shh!_" Alex replied, "Remain still, and remain quiet."

They did, and they could faintly hear the deep thud of footsteps, as well as the vibrations of the ground.

"Oh shit!" Terrias exclaimed, "The tyrannosaurus rex is here!"

"Enough!" Alex hissed.

"What? It's a Jurassic Pa..."

"Yeah! I know what it is! Just shut up!"

"But..."

And Alex raised a paw, silencing them, as soon as the footsteps slowed and faded, he signed for them to creep forward, and they quickly and quietly ran, crouching down, to a crevice in the stony face of the mountain, hiding in it as the footsteps returned, sounding quick and close. Whatever the creature was, it was big, and it was fast, and it had focused on the scent of the trespassers. "What the _hell _is that thing?" Spike asked.

"I don't know, Spike..." Twilight replied, and they stood, absolutely still, as the creature seemed to grow closer...and then...

...Silence.

There was no sound from the exploration team, save their rabid breathing, and hearts, thundering in their chests.

"WHO DARES TO TRESPASS ON MY PROPERTY!" a deep, booming voice sounded, echoing off the hills and cliffs, "I KNOW YOU ARE THERE! COME OUT AND YOU WILL NOT BE HARMED!"

Realizing that they were cornered like rats, the team had no choice but to oblige, and they emerged from cover, wandering out from their hiding place, hands above their heads, and Terrance struggled to keep from screaming when he saw what had discovered them...

"G...G..._Groudon_!" he exclaimed, "We mean you no harm!"

He roared at them, "YOU HAVE DESECRATED THE SACRED HALLS OF MY FIERY TEMPLE AND YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES! PREPARE TO _DIE_!"

"_LOOK OUT_!" Alex exclaimed, and he jumped out of the way as Groudon steamrolled towards them. The attack was barely avoided, and Alex launched a counterstrike, leaping off of the ground and latching onto the legendary Pokemon's back, delivery a barrage of blows in his effort to defeat the beast.

Roaring loudly, Groudon violently shook, dislodging the Commander as Alex went flying across the cliff, slamming into the wall and sliding down, unconscious, "_ALEX_!" Dash cried, running to her fallen mate's side.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Terrias roared, knocking Dash out of the path of the charging Groudon.

"Son of a _bitch_!" the servine hissed, running away as he found himself the next target of the angered legendary.

"Terrias! Watch your six!" Spike roared.

"Easy for _you _to say! This pissed-off beast ain't hot after _yo _ass!"

Suddenly a voice, as clear as crystal, and sadistic, rang out through the air, "Hey you motherfucking son of a _bitch_!"

Groudon, distracted, looked around, watching as a large garchomp emerged from out of nowhere, tackling the beast to the ground. The garchomp then landed on the ground, sounding a deep, bellowing roar as he laughed and said, "_Ooh-fucking-_RAH! Bi-atch! Come get some big-ass blue dragon dick!"

"YOU DARE INSULT ME!?"

"FUCK YOU DIPSHIT!" and the garchomp rose into the air, leaping over another charge by the enraged Groudon. "Oh, I'm sorry..." he began, "Did somebody open the door? It's a little breezy over here."

"HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME!" and he charged again. Once more, the garchomp avoided the attack, leaping into the air as he dove into the chest of the legendary Pokemon, spinning around like a drill as he drove Groudon back towards the edge of the cliff. "Die you SON OF A _BITCH_!" he roared, pulling off several slash attacks as he picked up the surprised Groudon, leaping into the air and spinning until he was upside down, commencing a pile driver as he spun towards the ground, and in a massive plume of dust and debris, and with a loud, explosion-like impact, both dragons struck the ground.

The exploration team, stunned, looked towards the enveloping dust cloud, obscuring the impact point of the two dragons. When a dark, rugged shape emerged from the fog, the garchomp appeared, a sadistic and mischievous grin on his face, breathing heavily, but otherwise unscathed, and caked with mud and sweat, "Me no thinks that that bastard survived!" and he laughed obnoxiously, "Stupid prick!"

"P..Piermont?" Alex began, slowly recovering from his daze, "I...Is that you?"

"The one and only, now a fucking garchomp, _KICKASS_!"

"Pierre!" and Terrias, grinning, ran up to the dragon, embracing him tightly, "Jesus Christ, man! Where in the hell have you been?"

"Oh, y'know, out and about, bangin' random ass chicks of all species. You'd be amazed by how horny Pokemon _femmes _get when you bring in a dragon who can prove he's the Alpha Male and is the best damn dragon on the whole goddamn...wherever we are."

"Seriously?" Dash began.

"Actually, yeah."

"You're such a gigolo."

"_GiggitygiggitygiggityGOO!_"

"You're so damn annoying, Pierre," another voice rang out.

"Yeah, yeah, fuck you, Rat."

Suddenly, a pidgeot landed, spreading its wings as an unhappy Raticate leaped off of its back, "Fuck you, Pierre."

"C'mon now, Spearow! Where's your sense of humor?"

"In my other body..."

"Spyro?" Alex began, "You're a..."

"Raticate...I know, bullshit, right?"

"So Cynder..."

"Yeah, I'm a pidgeot," and a spearow, a staraptor, a farfetch'd, and a swellow landed beside him.

"Hey," Piermont began, "Guess which one I'm bangin'?"

"You're so crude, Piermont," the staraptor, in the voice of Cherub, replied.

"So the spearow is..."

"Flame, unfortunately," he replied, "And the swellow is Ember."

"So, can the swellow swallow?" Piermont asked, chuckling.

"Huh?"

"My God, Pierre..." Cynder replied, shaking her head and chuckling, "You're crude as ever. Your transformation didn't change you one bit."

"Who are you?" another voice began, and an uxie appeared, as if from nowhere, "Leave here! Now!" he roared.

"Whoa! Easy there...don't make me do to you what I did to this bitch behind me," and Piermont kicked the corpse of the groudon, which then faded away as glittering dust rose from its body and dissipated into the air.

"How did you defeat my illusion!?" the uxie exclaimed, beginning to panic.

"Wait...illusion?" Alex asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You aren't here to take the Time Gear?"

"Time gear? What the fuck is _that_?" Terrias asked.

"So you aren't the Pokemon who's been stealing Time Gears then..."

"No," Alex replied, "We were just told to come here."

"You found it?" Wigglytuff asked excitedly.

"Oh yes," Skunktank replied, "We found it all by ourselves."

"Good! Good!"

"Now, for our reward..."

"Oh yes! Here you go," and Wigglytuff handed them a Perfect Apple.

"An...apple?"

"Not just any apple! A _Perfect _Apple!"

The others of his team surrounded Skunktank, and he said, "I believe it is time we get a _proper _reward!" and they surrounded the Guildmaster, preparing to attack.

"So, who's been stealing these 'Time Gears' or whatever?" Alex asked.

"That's what we've been trying to figure out…" the legendary being replied, "Rumors are that it is a Pokemon called grovyle responsible."

"How curious…" Terrance replied, "One of my evolved forms."

Alex laughed then, "Maybe it's _you_ from the future then?"

"I hope not…I'm not a thief."

"Regardless," Uxie continued, "We believe that the theft of the Time Gears is causing the disturbance in Time."

"Disturbance in Time?" Alex began, "What the _fuck _do you mean by _that_?"

"Alex…" Terrias began, "Could that be how we got here to begin with?"

"Ah," Uxie replied, "I _knew _that you weren't from here! I could sense it! Tell me…when did you arrive here?"

Alex shrugged, "A couple of weeks ago, I think…"

"I figured as much…was it storming when you arrived?"

"Yeah, actually, it was."

"Then it's just what I feared…"

"You mean, you _know _what that monster was that attacked us?"

"Yes, I do. It was Rayquaza, the whole temporal disturbance has angered him, and when your transport arrived…he thought you were the ones responsible for stealing the Time Gears. We all know now that you are not the ones…and we apologize deeply."

"Send us back!" Aria hissed, "We don't belong here! Send us back, _now_!"

"I apologize…but that is not my niche. If return to your home is what you desire….you must travel to the Temporal Tower itself and speak to Dialga, the Master of Time. The situation is that it is impossible to access the Tower unless you speak to his carrier, Lapras. Nobody has seen her in years, however, and nobody knows where she lives…or even if she is still alive. It is unsafe to traverse there at the moment, with the theft of the Time Gears, and now the collapse of the Temporal Tower, Dialga is also angered, further disturbing the tender balance of Time. Darkness now spreads across the land, with origins, we assume, from the Temporal Tower, and with Time worsening, I fear that corruption is now a threat to civilization."

"Corruption? What the hell are you talking about?" Alex asked.

"Dialga, being a powerful, legendary being himself, is susceptible to corruption; the Time Gears keep him in line as well as prevent the complete collapse of Time, and the fate of the world."

"Fan-fuck-tastic," Piermont interrupted, "So, what are you wanting _us _to do about it?"

"I am going to need your help to stop the theft of the Time Gears and restore balance to Time…maybe then you can find a way to return to your home world."

"All this shit about 'Time' fucking up understandably doesn't sound very realistic," Spyro replied, "I need more proof."

"There is little proof I can provide, save if you look around. Pokemon are growing increasingly violent, a clear sign of what is going on."

"Still sighs like bullshit to me," Terrias replied, "We need more proof. Undeniable proof. If time is fuckin' up everywhere, where's the weird-ass day and night cycles, hmm? Day and night seem normal enough to me!"

"That means nothing…you just need to trust me."

"I don't see any reason to believe any of this shit," Piermont replied, "All _I _care about is getting back home! This is _your _problem! _You _figure it out! Don't force _us _to do the crappy work!"

As Alex observed the conflicts going on between his team and Uxie, he kept thinking back to a single memory…an excerpt of Jazz's insane ramble of a speech that he had given the Commander back when Alex and his comrades had been captured, imprisoned, and tortured during the events of the Blood Week Crisis…

"…_This world, this universe, is like the base of a pillar, a foundation, if you will. Like Stephen King has seen, in the center of the base world is a tower, the physical embodiment of time and space. From the tower, you have endless chains of universes, all like pearls on a necklace. Every universe, real or __imagined, is an individual pearl on the chain. Imagined worlds are less strong and structurally sound than so-called 'real' worlds. They break down, the necklace breaks, and the pearls fall to the floor and are scattered. The base universe, which is the floor, absorbs the shards of the falling worlds, like droplets of mercury being attracted to one another to form a puddle, which is why you watched as the Skylands formed before your very eyes. Everyone here, everyone in your army, even myself, spawn from another universe that has fallen, a pearl that has broken from the necklace and fallen to the ground_…."

_Does that mean that this world…is dying?_ Alex thought.

"Alex?" Terrance begin, bringing the Commander out from his mind.

"Huh? What?"

"Are you going to stay and try to save our world or are you going to leave us here to die and fend for ourselves?"

"C'mon, Alex!" Piermont exclaimed, "It isn't that difficult of a choice to make! This isn't our home world, so it isn't our problem!"

After some though, Alex said, "We're staying."

"_What_!?" Piermont exclaimed, "Why the hell are we _staying_!?"

"Think about it, Pierre, what if we were in Terrance's shoes? If Terrance was the visitor to _our _world, and the world was dying, wouldn't _you _want Terrance to help us?"

"Fuck that shit! We can take care of this ourselves."

"Don't listen to him, Terrance, we'll help you."

"Thanks, Alex."

"No problem, so..." and he turned to face Uxie, "What can we do to save your world?"

"Follow me," and Uxie led them forward through the fog. When they emerged several minutes later, they fell upon a beautiful sight. A crystal clear lake lay before them, with a shining object in the heart of the lake, surrounded by a pillar of water launching into the sky like a fountain. The object was glowing neon green, casting that same light over the water, and fireflies, glowing brilliant gold, flew around the whole expanse.

"Holy..." Terrias began, "Where _are _we?"

"Do you see that object?" Uxie asked, "Glowing in the heart of the lake?"

"Yeah..." Terrance replied, "What is it?"

"That is one of the Time Gears...the other two of my brothers were assigned to guard them as well."

"Damn..." Spyro replied in awe.

"It's beautiful!" Cynder said dreamily.

Uxie continued, "I need you to stop the thieving Grovyle before he steals all the Time Gears, because if he does, our world will fall, light will end, and eternal darkness will begin."

"How do we stop the theft?" Spyro asked.

"Stop Grovyle."

"But we have no idea where he is!"

"Whoa!" voices from behind them exclaimed, and the group turned around anxiously to see the rest of Wigglytuff's guild, staring in amazement at the Time Gear.

"Intruders!" Uxie hissed, "I should have known not to trust you!" and he conjured the illusion of Groudon again as he prepared to attack Alex and his team.

"Wait!" Alex exclaimed, "We're not your enemy!"

"We're all you allies, Uxie," Wigglytuff replied, "Your _true _enemies tried to attack me and are now laying unconscious at the base of the Steamy Cave."

"I sense your motives are pure..." Uxie replied, calming, "So I will entrust you with this forbidden sight, as well as memory of it, only so you can help me," and he restated his situation.

Wigglytuff nodded, "We will try our best to stop this 'Grovyle', and we will keep your secret, you can trust us!" and the other guild members nodded in agreement.

"Good," and he rose into the air, fading out of sight.

"I believe it is time to head back home," Wigglytuff began, "This has been one fun field trip!"

Another week passed by with little information on the Time Gears, and although the senior members of the guild were constantly on the lookout for them, every day the results of their searches came to naught. Eventually, general interest in the legendary Time Gears collapsed, and things returned to normal...or as normal as they could possibly achieve. While everyone was occupied with normal day-to-day routines, Alex and the rest of his clan concentrated on locating their missing comrades. Every day, they hunted for any sign of the location of the remaining members of Alpha Company.

"What are we gonna do?" Terrias asked Alex. Both of them were awake and sitting on the ledge just outside their window.

"There's nothing we _can _do, Terrias. We're doing all we can to find the others...I just hope we can find them soon. I don't know how much longer we're going to be in this world, and if we happen to find a way back home during our quest...we will go back. I don't want to be here when this world dies."

"What are you talking about?" the servine asked... "Or is this about what Jazz told you during the Blood Week Crisis?"

The cyndaquil nodded.

"Right...I had the same thought earlier when we were talking to Uxie."

"Both of us did."

"Everything just seems...it just seems hopeless."

"We're not surrendering yet, Terrias."

"We need a different mode of approach. What we're doing right now isn't getting us anywhere."

Alex turned to face the servine, "We've already spread the word about our missing companions, all we can do now is just play the waiting game."

Terrias sighed, "Well, I'm going to bed, goodnight, Alex."

"Goodnight, Terrias."

And the servine returned to the bedroom. Alex stayed up a little longer, looking out over Treasure Town before sighing and returning to the quiet room. He snaked through the room, creeping silently so as not to wake anyone, and he climbed into bed with Rainbow Dash, curling against her warm belly and placing his head onto her flank. Accompanied by the sound of her heartbeat and her slow, steady breathing, he finally submitted to sleep.

_...He wakes, finding himself in a dark place. He can hardly see, and once his eyes grow accustomed to the light, he finally identifies the landscape as belonging to the Southern Wastelands. The city he's in is decrepit, in ruins, and ash rains down from the sky, like black snow. The streets are crater-laden and empty, with skeletal hulls of cars, tanks, and other vehicles laying strewn about. There is now wind, and the world is just...silent. He feels lonely, alone, an overwhelmingly intense feeling, one that terrifies him. Around him, the remains of the buildings slowly smolder on, and he walks down the eerily silent, depressingly lonely streets, looking at the ghostly remains of a once lively city before the effect of the war and such close proximity to the _Fiernes Curtain_ destroyed it and drove its inhabitants away, converting a once successful city into an uninhabitable wasteland._

"_Hello!?" he calls into the silence, suddenly, it isn't terrifying, it is lonely. His heart sinks, and he feels as if he has lost anyone and everyone he had cared about, and he was alone in this world, alone without any friends. As he walks along the empty streets, memories of all of his friends, of all the time he had spent with Alpha Company, all flash through his mind. This world...Alpha Company is dead here. He is the last one alive, and it is a horrible feeling, one that leaves him feeling deeply saddened. Suddenly, he breaks, and he collapses to his knees in the center of the abandoned street, crying uncontrollably, the Great Commander Alex Vaughn...now broken and irreparable. Without Alpha Company, he is nothing, and he doesn't want to live here, he doesn't want to experience life without those he called his friends._

_Spyro...Cynder...Terrias...Dash...all were gone._

"_NO!" he yells into the night, "DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE! Come back! Come back!" and he falls again as a fresh wave of tears flow down his dirty face and body._

_As he stares into his reflection in a still puddle of rainwater that had filled a crater in the street, he sees the face of a much older version of himself. Images...visions...begin to appear in the puddle of water, swirling into existence before his very eyes. In the vision, he sees himself, Rainbow Dash, Terrance, who is now a Grovyle, Gilda, Spyro, Cynder, Piermont, Cheet, Sonic, Terrias, Aria, and Twilight, all storming a burning building and donning heavy flak jackets and body armor. They charge forward, shooting their way through _Maxian _special ops soldiers and Elite officers. "Shoot 'em up!" Alex exclaims, "Take no prisoners! Avenge Crash! SHOW NO MERCY ON THESE BASTARDS!"_

"_URA!" his team cries as they rush upstairs, blasting their way through heavy resistance as they advance towards a panic room on the third floor of the skyscraper. Around them, the halls are aflame, the building is completely engulfed in fire, and they move forward, leaping over a hole in the floor as they land with a somersault on the other side, quickly jumping back up and moving on, leaping over a collapsed girder._

"_Death to the _Maxia_!" he exclaims, "Death to them _ALL_!"_

_They reach a T-intersection, a dead end. Both ends of the intersecting hall are collapsed and Alex runs over to the wall, placing a breaching charge as he steps back to the side. In a loud explosion, chunks of plaster and wood blow past them, and a thick dust clings to the air. They move into the newly created breach, brutally massacring the alarmed _Maxian _grunts who were sleeping in here. They continue their quick sprint through the building, finally arriving at their destination as Alex kicks open a door and marches in. Immediately, the others in his party surround him, all training their assault rifles before them. Each rifle is equipped with a laser dot sight, and they are all in a small study. The perimeter of the room is lined with burning bookshelves, full of innumerable amounts of volumes. Directly in front of them is a solid oak desk situated before a bay window, the lace curtains of the window now burning, and most of the glass shattered. On the desk is a reading lamp, an open volume, and writing utensils, and a Victorian-style leather swivel chair is facing away from them towards the window. There emerges a hoarse clicking sound...a dry, raspy chuckle, and the chair turns around, revealing a man in gaudy garb, hands clasped together on his lap. The man, appearing in his late sixties or early seventies, chuckles, a foolish grin on his face, and he says, "I have been waiting for you, Commander."_

"_You will die, bitch!" Alex hisses, and the man laughs._

"_Son, I _will _die, but so will you," and he laughs again as he parts his gaudy cloak, revealing a hundred sticks of dynamite taped together with duct tape, attached to his chest. "We will all go down together!"_

_Alex, suddenly sobering, lowers his weapon, and everything clicks into slow motion as he screams, "RUN!"_

_Immediately, his crew jump into action as they quickly turn around and run like hell back towards the street. Behind him, they can hear the maniacal laughter of the Brotherhood Sage and a loud crack sounds. They feel the pressure wave blast into their backs, stumbling them, and they can hear the roar of fire as they the path before them glows from the fireball behind them. They can feel the heat against their backs as they run, and soon, the fire is upon them._

"_THROUGH THE WINDOW!" Alex screams, "NOW! That's our only chance to escape!"_

"_We'll be splattered on the street!" Piermont remarks._

_Alex replies, "We still stand a better chance than going all the way back to the front door! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!"_

_As they reached the window, the explosions sends them forward and off of their feet, blowing them through the window as they free fall from three stories up and to the bloody, fiery, crater-laden streets below. Alex shields his face, screaming as he hits the street on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He bounces into the air, bouncing several times before he finally rolls to a stop and onto his stomach. Around him, his companions also strike the street violently, blown out from the building by the explosion, and Alex, dazed, slowly stands as he look up toward the window they had just rocketed from. The trailing fireball blew out from the gaping hole, thick black smoke and smoldering embers rising into the air and raining down into the street._

Someone's missing... _he thinks, and his eyes widen with dawning realization before..._

...He awoke, breathing heavily and sweating. Alex looked immediately to his left, seeing Dash still sleeping peacefully, undisturbed by her mate. The nightmares began to fade away a few minutes later, and as his breathing calmed, he lay down once more, once more using his mate's flank as a pillow. After several minutes, he drifted off once more, allowing sleep to overcome him and hoping that the nightmares didn't return...they didn't.

The next day, the guild was abuzz with activity, and Alex pulled Chimecho aside, questioning as to what everyone was excited about.

"You haven't heard?" the Pokemon replied, "The Great Dusknoir is here!"

"Say what?"

"Yeah! He's upstairs!"

They went upstairs and were astounded to see the guild surrounding a shy-looking Dusknoir, who was trying to keep his rabid fans calm. "Please, please," he said, "I am honored for your attention, but really, I must be going..."

"Ah shit..." Terrias hissed, "Not _that _bastard again!"

"He is really that bad?" Terrance queried, "Alex said that he was planning something..."

"I caught that motherfucker toying with one of the torpedoes on the _Retribution_."

"You sure?" Terrance asked the Commander, "I mean...he's a hero to a lot of us..."

"He's corrupt, I can tell..." and Alex's eyes narrowed as Dusknoir seemed to look right at him, "I just don't know what he's planning, I just know that it's something."

Suddenly, a frantic pelipper arrived, saying, "Alert! Alert! Another Time Gear has been stolen!"

"What!?" Chatot hissed, "From where?"

"The Northern Desert!"

"So Grovyle strikes again, huh?" Dusknoir asked.

"You know him?" Chatot asked.

"Unfortunately, yes I do. He's a hardened criminal, a fugitive, I've been trying to stop him for years, but he keeps evading me. He's a dangerous criminal, and should be destroyed if spotted. If you find him, don't ask questions, don't listen to anything he says, he's a renowned liar, just call me and I'll take him away."

Chatot nodded, "Will do, Mr. Dusknoir..." then, he called out, "_ALEX! TERRANCE!_"

"Yes, sir?" Terrance asked, speeding over to the angry bird with Alex in tail.

"Get over to the Northern Desert! See if you can track down that Grovyle!"

"Yes, sir!" Terrance exclaimed, and without allowing Alex to add anything to the conversation, they both ran off, the rest of Alex's squad in close pursuit. Several hours later, they arrived at the Northern Desert, and Terrance asked, "Okay...so where do we begin?"

"Damned if _I _know!" Alex hissed, "You just dragged my ass all the way out here!"

"Maybe we can locate either Azelf or Mesprit."

"Possibly...didn't we check this area already?"

"Yeah, I remember that we were sent here awhile ago...but we didn't find anything."

"So now, apparently, there _was _something here. Just fan-fucking-tastic!"

"Let's get to work then."

"Yeah, finding something that we overlooked the _first _time we were..." and he was cut off as his jaw dropped and he saw what lay before him.

"Whoa..." Terrance began.

"Oh my God!" Terrias exclaimed.

Time had stopped. The desert was completely quiet and still, thrust into darkness, the sandstorm that had occurred during the theft of the Time Gear had frozen, and now Alex could run his hand through the grains of sand, spreading them aside. "Jesus..." he began.

The few plants that grew here were now made of stone, and completely lifeless. All living things were frozen in stone, unmoving. Alex checked his watch...it had stopped, "This is bad..." Terrance said.

"No shit, Sherlock!" Aria snapped, "_Now _what?"

"We need to keep on moving, try to find where the Time Gear used to be."

Alex lost track of how much time they spent in the permanent darkness, the landscape that had been frozen in time, as if life had just been put on pause. The general aura of the environment was depressing, very lonesome, they knew and definitely felt the fact that they were the last ones alive here. Finally, they reached the heart of the desert, marked by a cluster of five or six swirling quicksand pits of varying sizes. "There is nothing here!" Alex scoffed, annoyed, "It's the same damn result as last time!"

"Maybe its beneath these quicksand pits?"

"Are you serious, Terrance? I ain't going down there! It's fucking suicide!"

"Alex..." Terrias began, he had crouched to the ground, closing his eyes and placing the palm of his hand against the cold, still, stone-hard sand floor of the frozen desert, "There's more to this...I couldn't sense it before because the ground was constantly shifting, creating caves and pits in our vision...but I can sense an opening, and Terrance is right, it's beneath these pits."

"Let me guess, you expect me to jump in there, right? Ain't happening!"

"We have no choice, Alex," Spyro replied, "If we want to find out where these go."

"I don't want to know!"

"If it is relevant to the stolen Time Gear, we're going down there."

"Son of a bitch...someobody's testing the waters, first! I volunteer Terrance, since it is _his _big idea to go down there in the first place."

"I...I guess..." the treecko began, frightened, as he walked up to the nearest pit and squeezed his eyes shut, trembling as he jumped into the pit of sand. He cried out as he began to slide toward the center, reaching the heart of the pit as he felt himself being sucked down and under, "HELP!" he cried out, and even though Alex's comrades seemed worried for his safety, even quick to try and help, Alex called them off, standing straight and tall, arms crossed, a look of indifference on his face as he watched Terrance sink into the quicksand.

"Don't just stand there!" Terrias exclaimed, "Help him! That damn thing will kill him!"

"He claims it's safe."

"You're endangering his life to prove a _point_!?" Cynder said, astounded and aghast, "You're a prick!"

Suddenly, the look on Terrance's face evolved from shock to relief, "Wait...there's something down here. Hey...!" and he finally went beneath the sand.

"Terrance!" Cynder called out and Alex's companions jumped in after him, Alex, now worried, jumping in to try and pull them out. They all cried out though as they slid towards the center of the pit and finally fell into it, opening their eyes once they reached the hard ground beneath them and felt the invasive sand disappear. They were in a subterranean cave, beneath the pits of sand, and Terrance, standing up and shaking the sand from his fur, sent a victorious glance at Alex.

"Shut up," the Commander replied, but he was grinning grimly, "Let's go."

An unknown length of time passed, and they finally found themselves in the inner sanctum of the underground caves.

"The hell are we?" Terrias asked.

"I assume the room where the Time Gear used to stay."

_You there!_ an omnipresent voice spoke, assaulting their minds,_ Identify yourself!_

_We mean you no harm_, Alex thought, _We seek only to find the thief of the Time Gears so we can stop him and restore order to this world._

_If you haven't noticed..._ and an azelf shimmered into view before them, "You are too late."

"I'm well aware," Alex replied, a grim look on his face, "Do you know where he's heading?"

"To the final Time Gear I'd imagine."

"Which is...?"

"In Crystal Crossing, beneath the Crystal Cave. I've warned Mesprit, but you must get there before Grovyle does!"

"We'll head there, maybe spring a trap for him."

"Good, you must hurry!"

"Let's move!" Alex ordered.

Azelf managed to teleport them to the foot of Crystal Cave, and Alex and his comrades quickly stormed the cave, advancing to the entrance of Crystal Crossing, relayed to them by Azelf via telepathy.

"You sure that Mesprit won't mistake us for Grovyle?" Terrance asked.

"I don't see how," Alex replied, "Azelf and Uxie have both warned Mesprit that Grovyle is the thief of the Time Gears, that he is causing all of this damn distortion of time, I'm sure they also informed him that we are here only to help save the damn world."

As soon as they arrived at the entrance to Crystal Crossing, Azelf's mental voice faded away, replaced by a new voice that Alex assumed to be Mesprit, _You are the ones that are trying to save us?_

_Yes, _Alex answered.

_Good_, and the earth rumbled as the floor before them rose into the air, sand, dirt, and other debris sliding off and to the ground. Mere moments later, a crystal-lined cave entrance lay before them, "Let's go," Alex said, turning to face his friends, "This is the entrance to Crystal Crossing. Advancing through the surprisingly linear tunnels, they arrived in a large underground spring, beneath the waters, the Time Gear glowed a brilliant green.

"It's still here..." Terrance replied with a sigh, "Which means it's time to spring a trap for ol' Grovyle."

Grovyle hopped along the path, knowing exactly where he was wanting to go. The only thoughts surging through his head were to take the artifact that he knew lay just beyond this tunnel. He had a mission that he needed to complete, and he would, no matter what the cost. When he arrived at the spring, his eyes widened at the sight of the brilliant glow of the Time Gear, and he anxiously hopped along the perimeter of the room, towards the earthen bridge that led out over the water and to a small island in the center of the spring, an island that rested above the artifact of his affection. Time was running out, and if he wasn't quick, he would fail his mission, and that was something that he could _not _do. He absolutely could _not _fail this mission!

Once on the island, he prepared to jump into the sea to remove the Time Gear from its sacred pedestal, but as he was about to jump, there was a strange sound, like static or white noise, distant at first, but fading in and becoming louder and louder. The earth beneath his feet was overcome by a series of brief quakes, and he watched in shock as large crystals of ice punched through the lake, towering high into the air until they nearly touched the domed roof a hundred feet above. From each ice crystal, the lake began to freeze over, and before he could jump into the water, he was surrounded by smaller ice crystals, creating a sword of barred cage, entrapping him on the island's surface, and he watched in despair as they lake completely froze over, sealing and trapping the Time Gear beneath the thick, impenetrable ice. "No!" he exclaimed, "It cannot be!"

"Hey asshole!" a voice said from behind him, and he violently turned around, only to be thrown aside by a powerful punch from a cyndaquil, "The hell do you think you're _doing_?" the cyndaquil asked, bracing to attack as several other Pokemon surrounded him, including two that he didn't recognize.

"You don't know what you are doing!" Grovyle hissed, "Let me go this instant!"

"Why are you stealing the Time Gears?" one of the unusual Pokemon said, sounding male.

"No time to explain!"

The apparent female version of the unusual Pokemon stepped forward, about to attack, but the cyndaquil raised a paw and said, "Don't, Aria. Harming him won't answer our questions."

"Why not?" the male Pokemon replied.

"Terrias, don't be stupid, you _know _why. Now," and the cyndaquil crouched beside Grovyle, "Why are you stealing the Time Gears?"

"Who are you?" Grovyle asked.

"My name is Alex Vaughn, a human from a distant universe, these here are my friends," and Alex introduced each one, "Now tell me, why are you stealing the Time Gears and bringing chaos and disorder to this world?"

"_Me?_" Grovyle hissed, "Bringing 'chaos and disorder'? I'm trying to save this world! Not destroy it!"

"Why should we believe you?" Terrance hissed, "Dusknoir told us you are an enemy!"

Grovyle's face then adopted a look of shock, terror, and also hatred, "Dusknoir? You _believe _him!? He's the one destroying the world!"

"Last I checked, _you _were the one disturbing the balance of time by stealing the Time Gears," Alex replied.

"You don't understand!"

"Oh, I understand just fine, another megalomaniacal prick who's out to take over the world. Unfortunately for you, the one who's finally caught you is someone who doesn't like to be toyed with," and Alex revealed a knife, "In fact, I know _exactly _how to deal with people like you."

"No! You are wrong! I'm stealing the Time Gears so I can take them to the Temporal Tower!"

"Why?" and Alex seemed intrigued, but hesitant to believe his prisoner.

"I'm not _from _here! I'm from the future! Dusknoir is corrupting Dialga with dark magic, and if _I _don't grab the Time Gears before he does, your world will be destroyed! In the future, the whole world is frozen in limbo and eternal darkness! I came back to steal the Time Gears before Dusknoir grabs them so I can take them to the Temporal Tower and restore time!"

"How will taking them to Dialga restore time?" Terrance asked.

"Listen and please believe me," the Grovyle began, trying to remain calm, "Every millennium, Dialga lapses into a period of senility. He may be legendary, but he is _far _from immortal. Every 1000 years, Dialga 'dies' before being resurrected again to usher in a millennium, a new life cycle. Those 1000 years are almost up, and Dialga is growing senile in his old age. Because of the slow death of the Master of Time, the Temporal Tower is falling into a period of instability and is beginning to collapse along with the very Master himself, for without the Master of Time to constantly maintain the tower, it is doomed to collapse and ring in the apocalypse. By stealing the Time Gears and bringing them all to the Temporal Tower, it can completely restore the Temporal Tower, as well as restore Dialga to a new lifespan _without _ending the world. In the future, Dusknoir utilizes the collapse of the Temporal Tower to steal the Time Gears and allow the world to become an eternal wasteland of pure darkness, evil, death, and sterility, where time itself is frozen forever. In addition to this, Dusknoir took advantage of Dialga's senility to corrupt him into evil, also managing to take control over the Master of Time. With Dusknoir as the puppet master and Dialga as the political figurehead, the world becomes something that I've been trying to prevent!"

"Funny," Alex replied, "Dusknoir says _you_ are the evil one."

"Of course he does! He _knows _what I'm trying to do, and he's trying to stop me before I foil his plan!"

"Why should I trust you?"

"Must you wait until Dusknoir takes control and the world reaches the point of no return before you finally believe me? By then it will be too late...but we can still stop it!"

"I call bullshit," Terrias replied, revealing his own dagger, "I say we kill him now."

"NO! Don't! Please! I can help you!"

"What should we do?" Terrance asked Alex.

"I still need solid proof."

"Alex..." Dash began, "We should believe him."

"What? Why?"

"Alex, do you _remember_ the Battle of Beta World Champaign!? The same thing happened to us! The _Maxia _got to President Obama before we did, convincing him that _we _were the enemy! That's what we're doing right now!"

"Still, I need proof."

"Do you have proof that Dusknoir is as honest as he says he is?"

"No...but _Dusknoir _didn't steal the Time Gears and fuck up Time!"

"I _didn't _mess up Time," Grovyle interrupted, "The Time Gears didn't cause the transformation of the world! The Temporal Tower's collapse did!"

"Then how come Time is only fucked up in places where the Time Gears are missing, hmm?"

"I took the Time Gears before the collapse, because if Time collapsed in an area and the Time Gear was still there, the Time Gear would be destroyed along with that region, and we can't risk losing the Time Gears!"

"Damn it!" Alex hissed, punching one of the ice crystals, "I don't know what we should do."

"Perhaps I should have said this sooner," Mesprit began, "But he's right, the Time Gears' theft isn't what is causing Time to freeze...it _is _in fact the Temporal Tower...we just thought that the Temporal Tower's collapse was the result of the theft of the Time Gears."

"See? I'm telling the truth. Now, I need this Time Gear...if you want to stop Dusknoir. At any time now, this cave is going to freeze over, and once it does, if the Time Gear...or any of us for that matter...are still here...we're done for."

"Why hasn't Dusknoir struck yet?"

Grovyle seemed annoyed with Alex's questions, but he remained calm and said, "Because so far, everything is going according to plan. Much of the world is already transformed, the Temporal Tower almost entirely destroyed, before Dusknoir takes over, claiming to lead the world to a new era of safety and happiness...in actuality, he destroys the world. Allow me to steal this final Time Gear, and I'll _prove _it to you that he'll try to take over early. Because I don't have all of the Time Gears, he isn't worried, because _all _of them are needed to prevent the destruction of the world. If I managed to grab this final Time Gear...he will not know what to do, and he will panic, probably enacting his plan early. Let me steal it and I _swear _to you that I'm telling the truth."

Alex sent a look toward Mesprit, "What should I do?"

The legendary Pokemon sighed, "I'll let him take it, but I _will _keep a _very _close eye on him, we all will. If he makes a move to deceive or destroy us, we will end him first...let's give his little plan a chance, I guess."

"Fine then," Alex replied, "It's yours..." right as he said this, the world rumbled and shook and Terrance screamed as he pointed towards the opposite end of the cave, where the world was already growing still and turning Gray.

"Oh _fuck_!" Piermont hissed, "_RUN_!"

Alex cut Grovyle's binds and everyone began to flee towards the entrance, everyone except for Grovyle. "What the _hell _are you _doing_?" Alex hissed, "Hurry!"

"The Time Gear!" Grovyle roared back, "I need the _TIME GEAR!_"

Mesprit began to glow, and an explosion of light shot from her body, racing towards Grovyle and pausing right before him. The glow dissipated, revealing the Time Gear, hovering gently before the Grovyle's eyes. "Take it!" the legendary cried out, "Now come on!"

Grovyle tenderly grabbed the artifact, holding it tightly against his chest as he began to hop quickly towards the entrance to the spring. Once they entered the tunnels, another flash of light shot from Mesprit's body, and the entrance collapsed behind them. "That _might _stall the advance of the freezing, but I'm not sure."

"_GO!_" Alex roared, and they ran as fast as they could through the tunnels. Chased by the destruction of time close behind them, keeping up with them, they raced out of Crystal Cave, turning around and watching in horror as the world around them began to freeze and still. Mesprit began to glow then, and in an explosion of brilliant blue light, they were teleported away from the cave, appearing right in front of the entrance to the guild.

"Hurry!" Alex roared, even though they were no longer being chased, "Inside! _NOW_!"

"Not us," Grovyle said, sending a glance towards Mesprit, "We need to regroup with the other two elves and get back to the stashed Gears so we can make sure that they remain safe."

"Take care of yourself, Grovyle," Alex said.

The Pokemon nodded before hopping away, hiding the shining Time Gear in a discarded blanket he found laying on the ground. Mesprit, shimmering into invisibility, followed him, and Alex watched as they took the back roads out of Treasure Town, staying away from the market and away from any residents.

"You think he's telling the truth?" Spyro asked.

"I don't know," Alex replied, still looking towards where Grovyle had disappeared in the forest, "But Mesprit and the elves will be sure to keep him in line, or at least make sure he doesn't try anything. He might be fast and elusive, but he _won't _be able to outrun the elves."

"I guess we just need to wait and see if what he says is the truth..."

"Yep, if Dusknoir flips and tries to become the leader of people around here, then Grovyle was right, and Dusknoir _is _the enemy."

"I still can't believe it..." Terrance said, frowning, "Dusknoir is a hero to a lot of Pokemon around here...including me, heck, he's my _idol_..I, and everybody else, would be heartbroken if the truth came out and he was some deranged dictator/bounty hunter."

"Unfortunately," Alex began, "When you get into the business that I deal with every day, betrayal is more common than one would like..." and the Commander sighed, "Trust me, it wouldn't be the _first _time I was betrayed, and it won't be the last."

"I see now why you are so...anti-social."

Alex glared at the treecko, but sighed and surrendered, shrugging, "I have a hard time trusting people, that's _my _situation. My history of betrayals, unfortunately, makes me believe that everyone has ulterior motives. I _don't _want to believe it...but I can't help it."

"I'm sorry..."

"Meh...don't be. Now, c'mon, let's see how Dusknoir is reacting to the news, if anyone asks, we didn't make it in time, and I'm sure the elves would back us up if Chatot and the others somehow managed to get a hold of them and confront them," and Alex entered the guild hall, the rest of his team behind him.

"Dusknoir!" Alex called, walking to the bottom floor.

"Yes, sir?" the ghost Pokemon replied, emerging from the quarters.

"I have some bad news..."

"What?"

"The final Time Gear has been stolen."

"Wait..._what_!?" and his cyclops eye widened, "Oh this isn't good, this isn't good one bit!" and he hurried off.

"...Well..." Piermont began, "Dunno if that was an overreaction...but he definitely isn't happy."

"Give it time," Alex replied, "Give _him _time for the news to settle, if he starts trying to take over within the next...eh...three days...then we know that what Grovyle claimed was the truth."

Two days passed and Alex and company saw very little of Dusknoir. From what they had heard, however, Dusknoir was trying to build an 'apocalypse force', a team of the best explorers that the guild had to offer, that would be set on living out the coming apocalypse. Of course, the guild, who didn't know about Grovyle's claims, or the fact that Alex and company had _let _Grovyle steal the Time Gear, was more than happy to join the 'Great' Dusknoir's force.

When the morning of the third day arrived, Chatot called a special meeting in Treasure Town, to which everyone in the guild, as well as everyone in town attended. The Commander and his team were confused about the summons, and also afraid of what news would be brought. When they arrived, they were alarmed to see a proud-appearing Dusknoir standing beside a bound-and-gagged Grovyle, who had closed his eyes and bowed his head, as if in prayer. Between the two was a swirling, dark purple vortex.

_Oh no..._ Alex thought.

_Shit! _Piermont hissed, directing the mental expletive at everyone who could hear him, _What the hell happened? I thought he got away!?_

_Apparently not,_ Alex replied.

"What happened?" Terrance whispered, "I thought..."

"Don't say anything," Alex warned, "Nobody knows about what we did...let's just hope that Dusknoir didn't get a hold of the elves or the Time Gears."

"Poor Grovyle..."

"His sacrifice was not in vain."

"Well done!" Chatot cheered, "You caught Grovyle!" and the town was subjected to applause, "What about the Time Gears?"

"Safe and secure," Dusknoir replied with a nod.

The town cheered once more.

"Oh no!" Terrance exclaimed.

"He's lying..." Alex whispered.

"What?"

"He's lying."

"How?"

"I can sense it."

"Me, too," Terrias replied with a nod.

"What will we do with him?" Chatot asked.

"Well...my time here is done, it's time I return to the future, where I belong...with Grovyle in tow, your world will be safe!"

The crowd announced their disapproval of Dusknoir's leaving.

"I'm sorry, everyone, but I appreciate your kindness and hospitality towards me. I assure you, though, the Time Gears are safe, and we don't have to worry about anything anymore! Ah! Alex and Team Titans!"

Alex winced at being addressed, and Terrance shrunk in place as the crowd all cut silent and turned to face the team.

"Uh...hi?" Alex asked.

"I appreciate _your _help as well in catching him. Without you, he wouldn't have been caught."

"But we didn't..."

"Of course you did!" and he laughed, "Oh they are just being humble, they've been a _real _big help, come here and let me give you all a handshake!"

Alex, stunned and speechless, turned to face Grovyle, watching as the Pokemon gave him a look of surrender and acceptance of his fate...there was also cunning in his glance, did he allow himself to get caught?

Alex, Terrance, and Terrias stepped forward, the others following close behind, preparing for any attacks.

"I congratulate you!" Dusknoir replied happily, and he thrust out one ghostly, shadowy hand. As Alex tentatively reached to shake it, Dusknoir's happy expression suddenly darkened into malice, and he forcefully grabbed both Alex and Terrance, pulling them towards the vortex beside him. He pulled them through as several sableyes appeared from the vortex, grabbing the others of their group and pulling them toward the portal.

"What? No!" Alex hissed, "Help!" he cried, the townspeople looked shocked and confused as Team Titans was dragged towards the portal. Chatot stared, stunned, but Wigglytuff stepped forward trying to help them. Already everyone except for Alex and Terrance had been pulled through, and as they were dragged, Dusknoir grabbed the bound Grovyle dragging him as well. "INNOCENT!" Alex cried, "GROVYLE IS INNOCENT!" but Dusknoir was trying to cut him off, "Dusknoir is the evil one! The world isn't saved! The Time Gears are still missing! It's Dialga! Time is ending because of Dialga! Dusknoir is the puppet master! He's controlling Di..." but he was cut off as he was thrown through the portal.

"Alex!" Terrance cried before he, too, was tossed into the portal, and as Dusknoir disappeared inside with Grovyle, several from the crowd broke apart to try and help them...but they were too late. In several flashes of brilliant light, the vortex vanished, and all the rescuers caught was open air.

Alex was dazed as he found himself in a terrifyingly dark world. The air was cold, but not an external cold, almost an internal cold, one that chilled to the very bone. "Welcome to the Dark World!" the sableye that had kidnapped Alex said with a laugh, "You won't return to your world!"

"Let me go you piece of shit!" Alex hissed.

"Gag him," a deep voice replied, and Alex had a thick piece of cloth jammed into his mouth. It had no taste, all it did was dry his mouth out even more. Once his vision finally began to grow used to the darkness, he felt himself being tied with a heavy rope to a wooden pole in the center of a massive courtyard. All around them, he could see hundreds of pairs of glistening gemmed eyes of sableyes glaring at them from the darkness, awaiting their execution.

From the darkness emerged a large group of sableyes, surrounding the bound Team Titans, preparing to attack. "So this is how we're going then?" Alex hissed, "You bastard!"

"I know that Grovyle told you the truth," Dusknoir's voice emerged from the darkness, "I need to make sure that the truth never gets out."

"Fuck you! I've been through worse than this! I will get out of here, and I _WILL _kill you!"

"Good luck with that, Commander," and he turned to walk away, "Kill them..." he said, before he left the building.

The sableyes charged at Alex and the rest of his team, sharpened claws preparing to slash and hack them to pieces. "Don't submit!" Alex roared, "Fight them off! Try to break free!"

Suddenly, using his telekinesis, Alex sent the sableyes flying backwards as he quickly used pyrokinesis to burn off the ropes, rubbing the sore spots on his wrists. The downed executioners recovered, charging at Alex, but he quickly and easily fought them off, setting the others in their group free as they fled from the courtyard of Dusknoir's castle, blasting through the closing portcullis gates as they sped down the road.

Behind them, Alex could hear the rapid chatter of the sableyes, rushing to stop them. "We need to keep moving!" Grovyle roared, "Hurry! This way!" and he led them into a nearby cave. They hid inside, hearing as the sableye, furious, chattered on and sped past. After several minutes of silence, Grovyle peaked out and said, "Okay, we've lost them...for now. Come, this way, we need to find a way to get back to your world. Do you believe me _now_?"

"Yes," and Alex nodded abruptly, "I believe you...big question, how are we supposed to get back home?"

"I have an idea..." he began, "I just hope she's okay."

"Who? Who is 'she'?" Terrias asked.

"You'll see..." and they continued on.

They trudged through the network of caves for an unknown length of time, hurrying to put as much distance between them and the sableyes as they possibly could. Finally, they saw light ahead, and pushing on, exited the cave into a dark, still, foggy, dead forest. "I hope she's okay..." Grovyle said, leading them through the forest and toward somewhere unknown.

"The hell are you taking us!?" Alex hissed, pausing in his tracks, "We're not going unless you tell us."

"Don't be reckless! You stay here, you die, simple as that!"

"I don't care! Tell me where we're going, and what the hell is going on!"

"I already told you about Dusknoir's kingdom in the future, this place, what you see here, this land is _my _home, I wasn't joking. As for where we're going, we're heading to see the Guardian of the Forest, if anyone can help us, it is her."

"Celebi?" Terrance asked, "The legendary Celebi _lives _here?"

"Yes, now, come, we must not waste time blathering! The sableye will eventually figure out where we went off to. Once they realize we're here, it won't be long before they know _exactly _what we're planning."

"Celebi is one of the controllers of Time?" Alex asked.

"Well...of sorts. She's helped me in the past, she's the one that sent me to your world in the _first _place, I can only hope that she's willing to aide us again."

After some time, they reached the very heart of the forest, arriving in a stone glade. A river appeared to have once run throughout the center of the clearing, but it had stopped moving, the water becoming solid, but not ice. Nothing was alive here, and Alex was alarmed to see that nothing was alive here in this world. Regardless of how long it would take them to find a way to get back home, he promised himself that he wouldn't return to Alpha World and New Alexandria until he saved _this _world from ruin.

"Celebi!" Grovyle called out, hopping deeper into the glade, "Where are you?"

"Grovyle?" emerged a voice from the darkness, and a shiny celebi emerged from the shadows, "What on earth are you _doing _here? The world hasn't changed!"

"Yeah, I know...Dusknoir caught me."

"Let me guess, you want me to send you back?"

"That would be wonderful."

"Fine then, but you will need to escort me to the Time Gate."

"We can do that," Grovyle then turned to Team Titans, "All of you, we need to take care of Celebi until we get to the Time Gate in Dusknoir's palace."

"You're shitting us, right?" Piermont asked, "We're going _towards _the people that want to kill us!?"

"There is no other way to get back to your world unless we do so...we also need to be wary of Dialga, no doubt he knows we're coming and will try to stop us in any way he possibly can. Even though he is in his Primal forme and his magic is infinitely strong, Celebi can create a portal long enough for us to get back home and finish this once and for all. I know where the Time Gears are, and they're safe, our next step is to locate Lapras so she can take us to the Hidden Land where the Temporal Tower awaits."

"We're behind you then..." Alex replied.

"As if we had a choice..." Piermont interrupted, grumbling.

"Stop bitching and moaning, Pierre, this is our _own _ticket home."

"Damn it...okay then."

"Let's go."

Eventually, they arrived at the remains of Treasure Town, and Celebi led them up the hill that formerly housed the Wigglytuff Guild, now housing a massive castle, "We're almost there," Grovyle said, "Be on the lookout for any..."

"Well, well, well!" an all-too-familiar voice rang out, "You are a creature of habit, Grovyle, that's never a good thing."

They all turned to face Dusknoir, standing behind them, surrounded by sableyes. "Fuck you, dumbass!" Piermont hissed.

Ignoring the forest dragon, Dusknoir continued, "How did I know that you would come back here? Best of all, you brought that troublesome Celebi with you! I can't thank you enough, Grovyle!"

"We won't submit to you!" Grovyle hissed, "You try to make us, and we'll destroy you!"

The ghost Pokemon chuckled, "I'd _love _to see you try! Guards! Kill them!"

"Celebi!" Grovyle hissed, "Do your thing, we'll hold them off until we're ready to go!"

The earth shook violently then, and a loud, deep roar sounded over the world, causing Terrance to wince and pale. "Master Dialga!" Dusknoir began, "Good to see you! Now, do me a favor and stop them, from escaping!"

Celebi suddenly began to glow black and moaned in pain as she collapsed.

"Celebi!" Grovyle cried out, "_NO!_"

Weakly standing as the black aura around her grew larger and more pronounced, she replied, "I'm...fine...I can hold him off for...awhile...ah!"

"_Celebi_!"

"Grovyle! Help me out here!" Alex hissed, and he rushed the sableye, attacking them directly.

Celebi then began to glow red as she weakly stood, and before her, a swirling electric blue vortex shimmered into view. "Go!" she exclaimed, breathing heavily, "I can't hold it for long...Dialga is...ah...hurry!"

Upon mention of his name, the deep, booming roar of the corrupted Master of Time sounded again.

"He's coming!" Grovyle hissed, "Everyone! Through the portal! _NOW_!" Team Titans rushed towads the portal, passing through instantly. Grovyle paused right before the entrance, turning to face a weak Celebi, "Celebi! C'mon! Let's go!"

"No!" she said, "I'm...to weak...if I go through...you won't make it...go now! I will manage!"

"Not without you!"

"Go!"

"I'm not..."

And she kissed him, "Go...I'll escape, don't worry, Dialga won't catch me..."

"Be careful..."

She nodded and waved him off, "Now...go...before I...lose control..."

Grovyle nodded sadly and turned, leaping into the portal. As soon as he entered, she surrendered control of the vortex, and it shut. Without the added stress of keeping the dimensional portal opened, she collapsed to the ground, panting heavily as Dusknoir, now furious, and his army of sableyes surrounded her. "We have you now!" Dusknoir said in a menacing, deep voice.

"You wish..." she replied, and in a flash of blindingly bright light, she vanished.

Dusknoir, blinking in alarm, frantically looked around before turning his head to the sky and bellowing a murderous roar, "Spread out! Don't let her escape!"

The portal flickered into view on the beach south of Treasure Town before suddenly solidifying, turning the sand to glowing hot glass. From within the electric blue sphere, Team Titans and Grovyle spilled out onto the beach. The portal soon flickered out of existence, and, after several minutes laying on the beach recovering, they picked themselves up, hearing the sound of the ocean waves crashing onto the beach, as well as the blowing of the sea breeze. It was late at night, and after looking around to ensure that they were, indeed, back where they belong, they hurried into Treasure Town, speeding through the closed-up market and to the guildhall on the ridge, looming over the village. They managed to arrive as the portcullis was closing, and barely all barely managed to enter before the gate slammed shut.

"Hurry," Alex said, "We need to locate the others and tell them what the hell is going on. No doubt Dusknoir is going to use Dialga to come back here as well, we need to hurry and get a move on before he arrives. If we're caught again..." and he shook his head, "I have a feeling we _won't _be coming back here again. Now, move out!"

As his team rushed down the ladder, Alex stopped and turned to see Grovyle, appearing sad and looking outside through the portcullis, "Grovyle..." he began, "You okay, buddy?"

"Yeah..." he said, his voice choked up, "I'm fine."

"I'm sure she'll be okay."

"I hope so..." and he turned to face Alex again, his normal, sober personality returning, "Now, let's get down there, we don't have time to waste," and he hopped towards the ladder, leaping down the hole.

"Agreed," Alex replied, running towards the hole and quickly descending the ladder.

Upon their entrance into the bowels of the guild hall, the other members immediately surrounded displaying how thankful they were for the safe return of Team Titans and Grovyle.

"What happened out there?" Bidoof asked.

"Grovyle is not our enemy," Alex began, "Dusknoir kidnapped us, was about to have us executed."

"We saw him force you through the portal...he was going to kill you?" Chatot asked.

"Yes, he sent a whole damn posse of sableyes after us, we damn near were hacked to pieces," Terrias replied.

"Are the Time Gears safe?"

Grovyle nodded, "Yes, I'm going to report to the elves...they're guarding them...we need to find Lapras to take us to the Hidden Land, we're living on borrowed time now."

"What's going to happen?" Wigglytuff asked.

"The apocalypse," Grovyle replied, and hopped back upstairs.

Terrance then spoke, "If we can get the Time Gears to the Temporal Tower, we can stop its collapse and prevent that future of Dusknoir's from occurring."

Wigglytuff then sent a look at Chatot, "Perhaps it's time that the truth is finally told?"

Chatot nodded, "Yes."

"Wait..." Alex began, "The hell are you guys talking about?"

"We've...run into Lapras before."

"What? Where!?"

"In a cave down by the beach, we'll take you down there tomorrow morning..." then Chatot added, "About how long do you think we have until Time completely freezes?"

Alex shrugged, "I honestly don't know, but if I were to make an educated guess, I'd estimate a couple of days."

"We're running short on time..."

"Yeah, no shit."

"Rest easy tonight," Wigglytuff said, "Tomorrow, we'll march to Brine Cave."

They left, and a series of voices rang out, "Terrias? Is that you?"

Team Titans turned to face as four manectrics approached them, with several other Pokemon behind them. Leading the manectrics was a prinplup. "I'm sorry," the servine began, "But do I know you?"

"Oh..." and they observed themselves, "Right...it's me, Sonic."

"Nice look...never thought of you as being a winter."

"Yeah, yeah, fuck you...uh..."

"It's me, Alex," and the Commander laughed.

"You were laughing at _me _for being a penguin, hell, look at you! You're a little anteater-mouse-thing."

"It's me," one of the manectrics began, "Simba. All four of us lions was turned into...this..."

"Lucky for you," a mightyena growled, "A cheetah reduced to a damn puppy dog."

"Cheet?" Alex asked.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"He's still sexy to me," a houndour said from behind him.

"Keisha?"

"Yes, sir."

"Great, and it looks like the gang is all here!"

"One less thing we need to worry about," Terrias replied, "Next issue, saving the goddamn world!"

_Alone...Alex feels alone..._

_He opens his eyes, finding himself in a place that resembles the Halo: Reach mission, Lone Wolf. _Wh..._ he thinks, _Where am I?

_There is the distant sound of gunfire, the thud of explosions, and the distant rumble of thunder. Sand blows past his body, swirling around his legs, and he sees that he is human once again. He turns around, realizing that he is on the steel catwalk balcony of a destroyed warehouse. Behind him, he can see into the darkness, and manages to pick out only Rainbow Dash._

"_Where do you think they are?" she asked, "I hope they didn't forget about us..."_

"_Don't worry, Dash," he replies, "They can't."_

"_The Hornet was supposed to be here an hour ago! Face it, we're left alone in this hellhole...I've never felt so...so helpless...so alone."_

"_We will fight until our last breath, Dash. I don't think they have forgotten us, but we must survive for as long as we can."_

"_We don't stand a chance!"_

"_It was a risk we could...staying behind. We knew this would be a suicide mission, it's time to cash in and roll the dice. Either we survive, or we die."_

"_I don't want to die! We're too young, Alex!"_

"_You are never too young to die," and he turns away, feeling numb, "Now, c'mon. We either die as heroes...or we die as cowards!"_

"_I'm with you..."_

"_URA!" he cries, and the two charge into the wastes below, watching as Brotherhood soldiers and _Maxian _Elite Officers surround them, attacking them._

"_Don't let them corner you!" Alex roars, and he can feel the trembling warmth of his mate against his back. They stand together, watching as the enemy soldiers draw near, and then they break apart, speeding forward as they slaughter the enemy soldiers. The sky is frozen in the light of late afternoon, around four or five o'clock, and it is full of clouds. Above them, they watch as enemy aircraft fly around, but no friendlies seemed to be anywhere._

_While they fend off the enemy, Alex is suddenly struck with the dawning realization that they really are alone..._

"_Do not submit!" he roars, "Fight for survival Rainbow Dash!"_

_Secretly, he knows that they won't make it out of here alive, they _had _been abandoned by their soldiers, left for dead, and now, it was just a matter of time. No backup was coming, no Hornet to take them away, their only mission was to take down as many as they could with them into death. For hours, they fought off the endless waves of enemy troops, growing exhausted as their ammunition supplies ran empty. Exchanging their guns for swords, they continued the onslaught of waves, and they fight together, united now more than ever. _We will die... _Alex realizes_, But at least...at least we will die _together_. As family, as mates...

_After several more hours, the light of afternoon never changing, Dash's pained cry sounds from across the map, and Alex, swiftly decapitating the _Maxian _Elite that was attacking him, quickly turns around, panicking, scanning the area for any sign of his mate. He runs through the dust and smoke, avoiding enemies who charged at him, emerging from the fog. Finally, he slides to a stop, watching as Dash, now bleeding from a large wound in her flank, continues fighting, even as her life's blood runs free from the open wound._

"DASH!" _he cries, running up to her._

"_You will die like all of your friends, you pathetic insect!" a harsh, raspy, male's voice says from behind him, and he swiftly turns around to see a man...looking like one of the Brotherhood's sages, standing there, bloodied sword drawn. "Today, the Great Commander and his mate will pass into the history books as a modern-day Custard's last stand...this...this wasteland...will be your tomb!" and he charges towards the Commander, slashing his sword and slicing across Alex's stomach. He cries out, collapsing to the ground, arm pressed against his bleeding stomach. The sage brings the blade of his sword to Alex's neck, grinning maliciously, "Goodbye, parasite!"_

"_You will have to go through _ME _first!" Dash roars, and from seemingly out of nowhere, the Pegasus launches from the fog, diving into the sage's body as she relentlessly delivers a constant barrage of punches and kicks. As Alex, recovering from the attack attempts to heal his wound...finding that it wouldn't heal, he watches, briefly, as Dash, now paling, fights relentlessly...but she was growing weaker at an alarming pace, she had already lost a lot of blood, and her wounds weren't healing either._

The blades... _he thinks, _They're poisoned!

"_Dash!" he weakly cries out, "His blades...they're poisoned!"_

"_Die!" she hisses, not hearing her mate, as she continues to attack the sage. He kicks her in the stomach, and as she jumps back, crying in pain as a fresh wave of pain tears through her injured flank, the sage, with amazingly agility despite his age, leaps onto his feet, revealing a dagger from the sleeve of his gaudy cloak as he charges at the Pegasus with a roar. Dash barely manages to avoid the lunge, swiftly kicking him in the back and sending him toppling to the ground. She leaps onto him, pinning him to the ground as she tries to pry the weapon from his hands, but his grip is strong as iron, and he manages to fight against her, bringing the blade closer to her neck as he prepares to thrust it forward._

"_Rainbow Dash!" Alex cries, slowly standing before collapsing again as agony tears through his body._

_Even though the wound on Dash's flank is shallow, it just barely managed to nick a major artery enough to cause her blood to pour out, and Alex, struggling to keep his entrails inside of him, realizes that she is on her own..._

_She grabs the man's hand, and with a lot of effort, manages to twist his fist completely around, jamming the knife deep into his heart. She holds the blade there as he twitches, gasping for breath and struggling to fight against her. Her face is twisted in a grimace of hatred, fury, and anger, and Alex is alarmed to see that she looks more like a solider now than ever before. Finally, the sage stills, and she releases her grip on the man, slowly and weakly standing as she stumbles over to Alex, extending a bloody hoof and helping him up._

"_Dash..." he begins, and she collapses to the side. He catches her, barely managing to support the both of them as he leads her back to the shack where they had began. Once inside, he closes the door, ignoring the enemies running towards them, and he places her onto the floor before standing and limping over to a bookcase, shoving it against one of the shack's two windows. The other one, he barricades with an old fridge, then he moves an oak desk in front of the door, trapping them inside, but also keeping the enemies out. There are many holes in the corrugated metal walls, and the corrugated tin roof is bent up and broken, allowing the golden sunlight to pour into the room, shining on the pale Dash's face._

_Alex returns to his mate's side, collapsing beside her as he tries to heal her. She is breathing heavily, alarmingly pale now, and is beginning to lose awareness. Her eyes appear to be spacing off, looking into the distance, and he struggles to keep her awake and conscious, "C'mon, Dash!" he says frantically, "Stay with me, Girl...stay with me!"_

"_I...I can't..." and she begins to cry, "It...it hurts..."_

"_I know, I know..." he replies, hugging her, "I know it hurts...but you gotta stay with me, okay?"_

"_O...okay..." she replies, her voice sounding small and faint._

"_Good girl...stay awake, I'll try to get us out of here."_

_He stands, stumbling over to a First Aid kit mounted on the wall across the room, "Alex..." she weakly calls, and he pauses in his tracks, turning to face her, "Yes, Rainbow?"_

"_We're...not getting out of here alive...are we?"_

"_No...no," he lies, "We'll be fine! They're on their way."_

"_D...Don't lie to me..." she says, tearing up, "They aren't...they aren't coming back..." and her voice begins to slur as she speaks._

"_Yes they are," he replies, and he grabs the First Aid kit, running up to her and tending to her injuries. She grabs his hand, her grip weak and fading, and her breathing is liquid and labored._

"_Alex..."_

"_Yes?"_

"_I...I..."_

"_You what?"_

"_I love you..."_

"_I love you, too..."_

_As he begins tending to her injuries, she cries out, cringing in pain as she cries, "My side...it...burns!"_

_Alex shushed her, "Don't worry...don't worry...everything will be fine, I promise!"_

"_D...Don't make a g...girl a promise if you kn...kn...know you can't...can't keep it..."_

"_You'll be fine! Stay with me, Girl!"_

"_I...I..." and her eyes suddenly widened as she blinked above her._

"_Dash?"_

"_S...s..so..."_

"_Don't be sorry, Dash, just...stay with me!"_

"_I l...l...love..."_

"_Dash? Stay with me, dammit! Stay with me!"_

"_You..." and her head falls to the side as the light of life in her eyes went out._

"_Dash! Dash!" and he shook her, panicking, "Come back! Come back to me!"_

_He shakes her heavily, angry, "DAMN YOU!" he cries, sobbing, "Don't leave me here, alone!" and he buries his head into her furry stomach, shoulders trembling with sobs. Crying and angry, he attempts to bring her back, but she doesn't respond, and after several minutes, he realizes...she was gone. Closing his eyes and lowering his head, he growled, an almost inhuman sound as he jumped up, running toward the door and throwing the desk aside as he stormed outside, brutally slaughtering the gathered soldiers. For several minutes, he brutally massacred them, soon finding himself in the center of the dusty compound. Soldiers surround him, all running at him, trapping him in the center of a circle, but he, with both swords drawn, hacks and slashes, even as the circle of enemies closes around him. Pain tears through his back, and he looks down, seeing the bloodied blade of a sword poking through his chest. The blade is torn free, and he collapses forward, but still on the ground, he continues hacking and slashing, his blows now weak and inaccurate, and the circle of enemies finally are upon him, preying on his mangled body like vultures to a fresh corpse. His blows slow and finally, paralysis overtakes his limbs as he drops his blade and his arm, bloodied from battle, falls to the side. He turns his head, looking at his arm, trying to close his open palm, but the muscle only twitches._

_He feels sharp pain all over his body as the enemies, now with blades drawn in close quarter combat, stab him repeatedly, and soon, the pain gives way to numbness as a deep warmth fills his body, and he feels light as a feather. He feels as if he's suspended in warm water, tied to the wall ground with airy binds. He rips at the imaginary binds, seeking to release the weight anchoring him down, and finally, he feels something give way as he feels the last of his weight vanish. He sits up, feeling comfortably numb, and turns around, seeing his body from a third person perspective, head cocked to the side, like Dash's was, staring at his arm. The enemies continue hacking at his body, but he smiles, the joke is on them, he feels nothing. He shoves his way through the crowd, leaving the circle of enemies and finding himself standing in the compound again, only now, he feels nothing, no pain, no exhaustion, no weight, all he feels is that wonderful warmth, as if he's laying in bed, wrapped up in warm blankets on a cold winter night, drifting off into sleep. Up on the balcony where he had first found himself, he sees Dash standing there, grinning widely and relaxing, leaning up against the banister of the catwalk, watching the enemy attack with the carelessness of someone watching their children play in a park._

_Alex walks up to his mate, wrapping his arms around her as they embrace, and she kisses him. As they kiss, a brilliant white light shines down on them from the sky, as if the clouds had parted, allowing rays of pure white sunlight to shine down on the happy couple. They once more are filled with the sensation of weightlessness and warmth, but not discomfort, and they watch, completely happy and carefree, as the ground beneath them grows smaller and smaller, more distant, and they rise into that white light. As they ascend into the sky, they hold each other, only feeling this close the first time of their mating after Alex's realization and acceptance of the idea. "Alex..." she whispers, her voice no longer directional, now omnipresent, "I love you."_

"_I love you, too, Rainbow Dash..." and he smiles._

_She buries her head into his chest, and as they rise, they hold each other, as the world around them fades to white..._

...and Alex woke up, blinking away the dreamworld as he stood up, stretching and glancing towards his sleeping mate, muttering something her own dreams. _That dream..._

He shook his head.

_It can't be..._ he thought, blinking away the memories of what he had just experienced. He was prone to nightmares quite often, especially of things this bizarre...dreams of ways the Terminator Militia would meet its downfall. He and Spyro had both been tormented with dreams like that, and the battles _had _occurred later in time, but always, the sudden end to one or more lives of Alpha Company had been prevented somehow. He hadn't had a dream like that since the last one, where he had seen himself during a battle of New Alexandria, the dream occurring specifically in Anderson Airfield, where, in a similar manner to this one, he had fought tooth-and-nail against enemy soldiers, armed only with a sword, before being surrounded and overwhelmed. This one...this dream...it was vivid, too real...no doubt, it was a vision.

He couldn't tell the others about it...he only hoped that no one else had dreamed about it, and that it didn't come again. The one thing about these visions of destruction...they _always _returned, like the sexy dreams between him and Dash before their formal meeting.

_They must not know_... he thought to himself, looking toward his sleeping mate, _Especially Rainbow Dash_, and he sighed, rubbing his eyes, _God I hope this isn't the true end of Alpha Company..._

The next morning, Wigglytuff and Chatot met them at the entrance gates to the guild compound. "I hope you guys are ready," the bird squawked, "We have quite a journey ahead of us."

"I think we are..." and Terrias turned to face the others of Team Titans, all who nodded in agreement.

"Then let's go," and they begin on their trip.

The sun had peaked in the sky by the time they had arrived at the entrance to Brine Cave. "Now," Wigglytuff began, "Lapras lives in the heart of the cave, if we keep moving, we should be able to arrive in less than an hour."

Revealing a torch, Alex lit the flame as Wigglytuff and Chatot led them into the cave, walking through seemingly endless corridors, the walls caked with slime and algae. The air was cool, damp, and smelled strongly of sea salt, and when they found the river, they followed it to the seaside exit of Brine Cave. "Whoa..." Terrance began, pushing his way to the center of the crowd as he looked at the wall and his jaw dropped.

"What is it?" Alex asked, walking beside his friend.

Carved into the wall was a strange rune, the very same that had been inscribed on the treecko's beloved, treasured stone tablet. He removed it from his backpack, placing it onto the ground and tracing the intricate ruins with a furry finger as he kept glancing up at the wall. "Interesting..." Alex began, "I wonder what it means?"

"It is a map of the Hidden Land," a female voice said from behind them, and they all jumped back to see Lapras surfing towards them, entering the cave from the sea and glancing at each and every one of them. "That tablet you have..." she continued, nodding towards Terrance's stone, "That itself is a key to the Temporal Tower."

"Ah!" Wigglytuff said, walking towards the lapras, "I think it's time to return my favor..." and he continued, "These Pokemon behind me are known as Team Titans, and the Grovyle with them is in possession of the Time Gears."

"Ah," Lapras said with a nod, "So you are the thief."

"I am not a thief," Grovyle replied, "I stole the Time Gears so that I could return them to Temporal Tower and stop the collapse, as well as prevent Dusknoir from corrupting Dialga and destroying the world."

"A noble quest indeed, I assume you want me to take you to the Hidden Land?"

"Yes," and they all nodded.

"I can and will...but there is one stipulation."

"What is it?" Alex asked.

"Only three of you are allowed passage into the sacred Hidden Land."

"What?" and Alex blinked in astonishment.

Lapras nodded, "You heard me right. 'Tis unfortunate, but I am only allowed to let three of you come with me. With Grovyle in possession of the Time Gears, and the treecko..."

"Terrance," the treecko interrupted.

"Right...with Grovyle in possession of the Time Gears and Terrance in possession of the key, that leaves only one other Pokemon that is allowed to come."

Alpha Company looked around, struggling to decide who to send. Terrias then broke the silence, "I vote Alex. If anyone can stop this...he can. He has more experience than all of us."

"I second that," Sonic said with a firm nod, "He deserves the honor."

"Alex..." Spyro said, "You are the only one that I _know _can prevent the end of this world..."

"You're strong," Cynder added, "You're brave, I know you can do it, you have my vote."

The others of Alpha Company nodded in agreement, and Lapras said, "So it is settled then, climb onto my back, and we will set out."

"Alex..." Dash said, walking up to him and hugging him tightly, and her eyes scanned up and down his body, "Be careful...I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Thank you, Dash."

And she nodded briefly, squeezing him before kissing him again. Once their kiss broke, Alex took a final look back at his troops, standing on the floor of the cave, watching their leave. Sonic nodded slowly, and Alex turned around again, jumping onto Lapras' back as they got comfortable.

"Take care of him, Lapras!" Dash called out, cupping her mouth, "Else I'm gonna come kick your ass!"

"Don't worry," and Lapras chuckled, "I will make sure he gets back here safely."

As Alpha Company, Wigglytuff, and Chatot stood on the banks of the sea, waving goodbye, Lapras set out, surfing across the water, and Alex watched, a sad look in his eyes, as his team grew farther and farther away until the cave was a mere dot on the horizon, before it, too, vanished beneath the clear blue sea.

An hour out, Lapras called back, "Look forward, do you see the shimmering in the air?"

They did, and sure enough, all three of her passengers could see that the sea ahead slightly shimmered.

"That is a disruption in Time, caused by the collapse of the Temporal Tower, exploited by me. What will happen when we pass through it...we will _literally _go to a dimension between here and there. Every minute measurement of the planet, even down to the smallest atom, has another, between dimension spaced between them. Normally, these spacial dimensions are so small that we pass through them without even realizing it, but the collapse of the Temporal Tower, as well as the very collapse of Time itself, is causing Time and Space to lose stability, they are evenly balanced, Time controlled by Dialga, and Space controlled by Palkia, this even balance is now threatened by the end of Time. Because of the collapse of the Temporal Tower, the tender harmony has become disrupted. When we pass through here, we will be in the Hidden Land, a continent entirely between here and there. At the peak of the Hidden Land lies the Temporal Tower where the guardian of Time, Dialga, awaits the final confrontation.

"His corruption has already begun, and soon, he will resort to his primordial self, he can't control it, and you may have to defeat him before he will allow you access to the physical embodiment of Time. He knows not what he does, he can't control himself, and he is as self-destructive as he is to the universe, you _must _stop him. Hold on!"

As they reached the shimmering air, and a low warble began to fill the air, an irritating sound, they began to shake uncontrollably, as if driving a vehicle over a bad washboard road.

"Don't mind the vibrations!" Lapras called over the rumble, "That is only us passing into the _between _dimension!"

Within moments, they all saw the Hidden Land shimmer into view, a massive, floating island, dotted in towering ruins. Lapras was no longer surfing, she was flying, and the sky was permanently trapped in an orange light. "How are you flying?" Terrance asked, astounded.

"It is quite difficult to explain, you see...I'm still in the other world, even though to you, I appear to be in the Hidden Land with you. All I see is the ocean spreading out for miles, but you...you should see the Hidden Land."

"We do," and Terrias nodded. The Hidden Land appeared to be a forest-covered mountain, the peak leading to floating stone steps that connected to a large, ornate building that hovered above the centermost point of the island.

"That floating tower," Lapras continued, "Is the Temporal Tower. One hundred floors lead to the roof, where Dialga awaits. I cannot go the tower because I am not in that dimension with you, but I should be able to drop you off on the shore. From their, advance to the heart of the island, there you should find the passage to the Temporal Tower. Once you arrive, scale the tower to the top, then confront Primal Dialga on the roof. Defeat him, and place the Time Gears where they belong, once you do...Time will be restored, and this world saved," as soon as she said this, she slowed to a stop, allowing her passengers to climb off and onto the banks of the Hidden Land.

"Thank you," Alex said to her.

She nodded, "I can't see you, but I know you are there...I sense it, and you are welcome. Farewell..." and the three watched as she flew off into the distance, soon becoming a speck before finally disappearing.

Terrance stared at the island before him, astounded, "Never before have I imagined actually _seeing _the mythic Hidden Land!" and he sighed, "Well...I guess we're entering the final leg of our journey, Alex?"

The Commander hesitantly nodded, "I guess we are..."

He seemed sad, but shook his head, "Anyway, I guess it's time to go."

"I guess it is," Alex replied with a nod, and together, the trio walked into the overgrown jungle, heading towards the heart of the Hidden Land, and the Temporal Tower.

Intent on their mission, they quickly raced through the overgrown jungle, navigating through the ruins of ancient civilizations, and before long, they reached the ruins of a temple, overgrown with vines and ivy. At the far end of the temple, they could see the first of the levitating, ruined stone steps that spiraled upwards to the base of the Temporal Tower, now directly above them. Unfortunately, the steps were spaced hundreds of yards apart, and there was no way that they get to the tower from them.

"What now?" Terrance asked, "We can't stop!"

"We need to find another way up there..." Alex began, looking around.

"Hey!" Terrance said, "Over here!" and they ran to the treecko, scaling a flight of broken stone stairs until they arrived at the top of the platform. On the floor of the platform, they could make out a massive, intricate symbol carved into the ground, much like the one on the wall in Brine Cave, and in Terrance's stone, and in the center of the circle there was a hollow, parallelogram shape, about four inches deep and a foot wide. The sound of an electric zap filled the air, and there was a loud boom as a sudden heat slammed into their chests, knocking them back. Terrance picked himself up, groaning, and jumped back, crying out as he saw a portal directly ahead of him. Within the portal, he could see billions of stars, as if the portal opened into space itself, and standing between the trio and the portal was Dusknoir, a malicious grin on his face, "Dusknoir!" Terrance cried out.

"You thought you could escape from _ME_!?" and he laughed, "I must compliment you, not only have you brought me to the Hidden Land and Dialga's doorstep, but, now I can kill you here, with no witnesses, and no one will know what happened!"

"Go to hell!" Alex hissed.

"Alex, Alex, Alex...petty insults will get you nowhere! Now, prepare to die!" the ghost Pokemon charged Alex at an impossible speed, diving into him and preparing to hack him to pieces with razor-sharp claws.

"Dusknoir!" Grovyle hissed, and the Pokemon dove into Dusknoir, knocking him to the ground as they wrestled.

Dusknoir, utilizing telekinesis, picked up the grovyle and tossed him across the platform. Alex, having recovered while Grovyle was distracting Dusknoir, charged the ghost type, delivering his own series of blows, but he cried out as he passed through the ghost type, instead hitting the ground and somersaulting to a stop. As Alex picked himself up, he saw Dusknoir sitting on top of him, the ghost's palm was placed on his forehead, and a deep, horrible pain tore through Alex's head, as if his brain was being ripped right out of his skull, "Now!" Dusknoir began maliciously, "Sleep!"

"_Commander_!" and Alex watched as Grovyle grabbed Dusknoir, pulling the ghost Pokemon off of the cyndaquil. For several moments, Alex lay on the ground, gasping for breath, attempting to recover from whatever Dusknoir had tried to do to him. Finally, his strength returning, he sat up, watching as Grovyle, having fully subdued Dusknoir, pushed the evil Pokemon towards the swirling vortex. Wind blew from the portal, a powerful whirlwind, creating a weak vacuum that tried to pull the environment into it. Dusknoir, trying to break free, attempted to continue launching attacks at the trio, but Grovyle, having firm control over the ghost's limbs, managed to prevent the attacks from striking their intended targets.

"_Grovyle_!" Terrance cried, leaping to his feet.

"Go!" Grovyle hissed, "There are other worlds than these! Get to the Temporal Tower! Stop Dialga! My time here is done! The Time Gears are with you!" and he shoved Dusknoir to the portal, finally throwing both himself and the evil Pokemon into the vortex which soon sputtered and closed behind them.

"Grovyle! _NO!_" Terrance cried, running to the spot where the vortex once was, and he collapsed to his knees, silently crying.

Alex, weakly standing, leaned against a downed pillar on top of the platform, catching his breath, "Terrance..." he began, "Now isn't the time to mourn...we must hurry to Dialga, or Grovyle's sacrifice was all for naught."

"What do we do?"

"We move on, and grieve later," and, wincing, he pushed himself off of the pillar, slowly limping towards the hollow shape in the center of the circular carving on the ground. He carefully crouched down, wincing again as he fingered the hole. "Hm..." he began, "Terrance, where's that stone of yours?"

"In my backpack...why?"

"Bring it here for a sec."

Terrance removed his stone, glancing at it briefly before walking over to Alex and setting it to the ground next to the hole. "What do you think?" the treecko asked.

"What I think...isn't this hole roughly the same size as that stone of yours?"

"I...I guess so..."

"Put it in there."

Terrance carefully picked up the stone, frowning as he traced the carvings one final time before reluctantly placing it into the hole. There was a dull click, and the ground shook beneath them as dust blew into the air around the circle. Soon after, the shape itself began to rise into the air, rising towards the base of the Temporal Tower. While they rose toward the base, they turned back to see how far they had come. If space and physics would have applied, it appeared as if they had placed miles upon miles of space between them and the beach, which was now just a tan line across the edge of the island. The elevator passed through a circular hole in the floor of the island that the Temporal Tower sat on, and with a dull click, it latched into place. After several minutes, they stepped off of the elevator and onto the brick floor that covered the top of the island. Standing before them, towering into the air was the Temporal Tower, in all its glory. They were so close to their objective, the end was in sight.

Suddenly, the ground shook beneath them, and they watched in alarm as land began to appear beneath the Hidden Land, fading into view, still far off and miles away, but nearing. Slowly, the land grew closer, and they hurried on. They sped through the many floors of the Temporal Tower, their objective being the rooftop. Upon their arrival on the roof, Alex looked over the edge, growing sick by how far up they were. When he looked toward the sky beneath the floating island he saw, much to his alarm, that they had grown much closer to the ground, and now, he was stunned to see that the ground was that of the wastelands south of New Alexandria, in fact, in the distance, he could see New Alexandria, the dome of the electron forcefield glowing a brilliant, electric blue.

"Where are we? What is that place over there..." Terrance asked timidly, pointing towards the distant city.

"Home..." Alex replied, smiling, eyes wide.

"What do you mean?"

"This is...my God...this is _my _world! That's New Alexandria, my capital city!"

"How did we get here?" Terrance asked.

Then, Alex's foolish grin became a grim smile, "Your world is about to meet its end..."

"What do you mean?"

"Someone told me that all worlds eventually break down, and when they do, they are somehow absorbed into my world."

"So you mean..." Terrance began.

"I mean that your world is ending very quickly, and the universal absorption has already begun."

"But...but..." and the treecko began to panic, "Everybody in my world will die!"

"That's why we need to stop this, and now! C'mon! We have no time to waste!"

They ran across the rooftop, littered with broken, collapsed pillars. Ahead of them, they could see a strange wall, with seven star-shaped indents along its face. Carved into the wall were ancient runes, and even though the rest of the world was overgrown with nature, the wall looked cleaned and pristine, the runes sharp and pronounced, as if they had just been carved. Arriving at the wall, their excitement began to build as they realized that they had reached their objective, the world was saved. Before they could reach it, however, both were overcome with complete paralysis, startling them. Their muscles would not respond, and they couldn't move. There was a voice like thunder that boomed, omnipresent, exclaiming, "HOW DARE YOU ENTER MY REALM AND DESECRATE MY HALLS WITH YOUR FILTHY, MORTAL PRESENCE!"

"What the hell!?" Alex exclaimed, "Let me go!"

There was a loud crack of lightning and a beam of pure white light rocketed down from the heavens, landing directly in front of them with such force that the shock wave blew them both to the ground, sending a wall of dust passing over them, and causing the whole earth to shake. When the dust cleared, they were stunned to see Dialga standing before them. The Master of Time looked furious, and his normally blue body was much darker, darkening to black, the ice-blue trim was turning orange, and tendrils of black smoke rose from his body.

"I AM DIALGA, MASTER OF TIME, AND I WILL _DESTROY _YOU!"

The final word of his exclamation was accompanied with another crack of lightning, and their paralysis broke as they quickly scurried to their feet. The earth rumbled violently beneath them once again, and the watched as they began to plummet from the sky, now at a much greater speed. Debris lifted off of the ground in the upwind, blowing away as the island plummeted. Ahead, New Alexandria was coming closer at an alarming pace, and they could see the speed barrier appear between them and the city.

The two Pokemon charged at Dialga, who effortlessly dodged the attacks, countering with several of his own. Alex unleashed his flamethrower on the master of Time, it struck its target, but Dialga didn't seem affected by it. He unleashed his roar of time attack, sending Alex flying backwards where he slammed into a pillar and slid to the ground, out of breath.

"_Alex_!" Terrance exclaimed, crying out as a wave of blue fire raced towards him. He narrowly avoided the attack, dodging again as Dialga repeatedly unleashed his roar of time. "Help!" he cried out, "Alex! _HELP_!"

The Commander picked himself up, shaking his head as he looked up, yelping in surprise and jumping to the side as another blast of blue fire raced towards him, slamming into the pillar and sending another pillar of dust in all directions. "Son of a _bitch_!" Alex yelled in surprise.

"_HELP_!" Terrance cried out, and Alex looked up to see the treecko fleeing, being chased by another ball of blue fire. The treecko leaped into cover behind a fallen pillar, ducking as the fire struck the pillar, sending acrid smoke and dust over the coughing treecko, now crawling prone away from the noxious cloud.

Alex ran towards Dialga, roaring as he leaped into the air, unleashing several flamethrower attacks at the behemoth. Still flying through the air, he angled his body, placing his limbs to his side as he began to rotate. Flames flared around him, surrounding him in a ball of fire, and he drilled towards the back of the massive dragon. His attack struck its target, causing Dialga to roar in pain and surprise. Alex quickly recovered, and as the dragon began to shake him off, he dove towards one of Dialga's neck spines, grabbing a firm hold. The Master of Time distracted by the Commander, Terrance stood up, closing his eyes and breathing deeply as he quickly meditated, summoning the courage to attack.

His eyes shooting open, mouth twisted in a snarl, he charged towards Dialga. Leaves began to swirl around him, a faint wind began to pick up, growing stronger, soon, hundreds of leaves, powered by a small tornado, sped towards Dialga as Terrance's leaf storm attack pulled off smoothly. Dialga was blown aside by the attack, dislodging Alex who hit the ground, sliding over the edge of the roof of the tower. Crying out in alarm and surprise, he grabbed onto the ledge of the building, looking down beneath him and seeing the temple they had come from, far below him. His grip was loosening and he began to panic, realizing that if he fell, he would be splattered on the platform where Grovyle had so recently sacrificed himself.

He finally slipped, screaming as he began to plummet...but then he felt a strong, furry hand grab his arm, catching him. Looking up, he saw Terrance, appearing worried, holding him tightly. "Hold on!" Terrance said, pulling Alex back onto the roof.

"Look out!" the Commander cried, and he tackled Terrance, knocking the treecko out of the way of the rampaging Dialga. The master of Time, charging towards them, tried to turn to adjust to their movement, but he was going to fast and ended up slamming, full force, into the wall. The wall shimmered briefly, as if Dialga had slammed into a forcefield protecting the wall, and in a loud explosion, Dialga was lifted off of the ground and blown into a destroyed pillar, emitting a pained cry of agony. Dust rose into the air from the pillar, obscuring Alex and Terrance's views of Dialga, and for several moments, they stood in place. The world was eerily silent, nothing, no sound. When the dust cleared, they saw Dialga, on his side, laying still in the crushed ruins of the pillar, another pillar had fallen on top of him, pinning to the ground. He didn't move, and they wondered if he was dead. "C'mon," Alex said, grabbing the gawking Terrance's arm and turning the treecko to face him, "Dialga's down for the count, let's fix Time."

They ran to the wall, stopping just before it. They didn't know what to do, and Terrance asked, "_Now _what?"

"I...I don't know..." Alex replied.

Suddenly, both felt the inclination to touch the wall, and as they did, white light seeped from the their palms, spreading over the face of the wall which now glowed brightly. "What's going on!?" Terrance asked in surprise.

"I...I don't know!" Alex called back. They felt the sensation of something being ripped from their bodies, and they moaned in pain as they doubled over. One by one, the Time Gears shimmered into view behind them, floating towards their corresponding indents and placing themselves into the proper slots. Once all were in place, the world shook one final time, and Alex, slowly standing watched as New Alexandria grew farther and farther away, and the ground beneath the floating island also grew farther away.

Dialga, groaning, shifted, causing the pillar that had fallen on top of him to roll off and crashed to the ground. The legendary Pokemon slowly stood up, and Alex and Terrance braced themselves to attack. Instead, Dialga looked at them both, telepathically saying, _YOU...YOU...YOU DID IT! YOU STOPPED THE TEMPORAL TOWER'S COLLAPSE AND SAVED ME...MOST IMPORTANTLY...YOU SAVED TIME, _then he growled, _I WILL FORGIVE YOUR TRESPASSING _THIS _TIME_, and with a loud bellow, there was a flash of light. When it cleared, Dialga was nowhere in sight.

Their mission complete, Terrance and Alex left the Temporal Tower, beginning to walk back towards the elevator. They were both exhausted, and said nothing. However, Alex began to breathe heavily, and his vision began to flash. He walked slower, his limbs feeling heavier, and he collapsed to his knees, _What..._ he thought, _What is going on?_

"Alex?" Terrance asked, turning around to face the collapsed Commander. "_Alex!_" he cried, running back to him and sliding to his knees behind Alex's side, "Are you okay?"

"I..." Alex began, "I don't know...I feel...strange."

"Alex? What's wrong?"

"I..." and he blinked, "I feel...light...weak...tired..."

Terrance exclaimed in alarm, "You...you're _fading!_"

"What-?" and he looked at himself. Sure enough, he was slowly starting to fade away.

"Alex? Don't leave me!"

"Terrance...I think it's time for me to go..."

"Don't leave! Please! You're my only friend!"

The Commander tried to stand, but found it difficult and collapsed again as sparkles surrounded him. As he faded away, more and more sparkles appeared.

"Alex!" and Terrance was sobbing now, "Don't leave me..."

"I...I'm sorry..." and the Commander collapsed to the ground, falling asleep...as if he was dying. Terrance stood over him, pleading for him to stay, and as much as Alex wanted to remain with Terrance, he could feel his homeworld calling for him, beckoning for him... "I'm going back home..." he said.

"Alex!" but the Commander could no longer hear the treecko, "_Alex_!" and Terrance watched as Alex completely faded away...

"No!" he cried, "NO! _ALEX! NO!_" and he collapsed in the spot where Alex had vanished, cupping his hand as he caught the last few sparkles in his hands. One by one, the sparkles fizzled out until nothing remained...and Terrance was completely alone.

Alex's eyes opened abruptly. He blinked, sitting up in bed and rubbing his sore head. Looking around, he saw Rainbow Dash on the couch across from him, sleeping. _Where am I_? he thought to himself.

Climbing out of bed, he stood up, almost collapsing again, he felt weak, feverish, and his head burned like fire. He shuffled to the bathroom of his room, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He was human again..._Was...was it all just a _dream? he thought, then shook his head, _Oh no...no, no, NO! It better not be! Terrance..._ and he felt solemn, _I miss him already..._

He left the bathroom again, stepping out of his room and finding himself in one of the corridors aboard the TMS _Retribution_.

_It _was _just a dream..._ and he groaned, startled when he realized that he was struggling not to cry. Without a sound, he walked across the ship and to the bridge, looking outside from the window and watching as the ocean beneath them stretched on and on.

Terrance returned to the Wigglytuff Guild, eyes red and swollen from crying. Upon his arrival, he was questioned by everyone as to what had happened, and he told them, told them _everything_. They told him that the others of Alpha Company had disappeared over night, presumably they had just up and left. Terrance told everyone he could about what happened, not wanting the memory of Alex to die.

Eventually, several months passed, Terrance had largely gotten over Alex's sudden leaving, and, having done his work early, decided to go for a walk, ending up on the beach where he had discovered an unconscious Alex. Upon watching the krabby gather around, blowing bubbles into the sunset, he began to tear up again at memory of Alex, and collapsed, reduced to tears once more. Bidoof, having decided to go for a walk as well, saw Terrance and immediately rushed to his side, asking if he was okay. Terrance told him about his and Alex's meeting, and the bidoof held him as he cried, lamenting the loss of his best friend.

Alex returned to New Alexandria a few days later, while time rocketed by in Terrance's world, in Alpha World, six months was less than a week. Life went on as usual for Alpha Company, the following weeks saw no action from the _Maxia_, and Alpha Company concentrated on their schooling, resulting in time seeming to fly by for them. Alex kept the 'dream' of Terrance and his experience in that odd world to himself, believing that it was only a dream and not wanting his comrades to worry about his sanity over a few dreams and dream characters.

However, he still found his mind returning to Terrance, and even if the treecko _was _only a dream character, a figment of his imagination, he still felt a deep connection with him, and was not wanting to surrender all thought about him. Often, while they were in class, he would find his mind returning to the World of Pokemon, and to all of the adventures he had with the treecko. It wasn't long before ther others began to worry about him, and even though he passed it off as nothing, they still worried about what was making him unhappy.

"It's nothing," he replied, smiling.

Dash didn't seemed to believe him, but only sighed, "You _would _tell me if something was wrong...wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would!" and he hugged her, "Why wouldn't I?"

"Good point I guess," and they continued working on their engine overhaul.

In the Hidden Land, on the roof of the restored Temporal Tower, Dialga watched as Terrance cried for his lost friend. "YOUR UNHAPPINESS IS FELT EVEN HERE," the Master of Time muttered, "YOU LONG FOR YOUR MISSING FRIEND. YOU SAVED ME, THE WORLD, AND EVEN TIME ITSELF, I BELIEVE I CAN SPARE YOU...A LITTLE GIFT."

That night, Terrance retired early, and the guild left him alone, saddened by their friend's heartbreak, but knowing that there was little that they could do. Deciding that they would try to calm him the next morning, they retired as well, and as the moon peaked in the sky late in the night, Terrance dreamed about Alex, not for the first time, not for the last time, moaning unhappily in his sleep. Then something aroused him, and when he opened his eyes, he realized that something was...different. Looking around, he realized that he was no longer in the Wigglytuff Guild quarters. Frightened, he looked around anxiously, "Hello?" he called into the empty, dark room, "Wigglytuff? Chatot? _Anybody_?"

He looked outside, watching as the first rays of sunlight shined in through the curtained windows. He heard the shuffling of footsteps, and the squeaking of bed springs, and he quickly hid behind the couch, peeking out as he saw a human, with a blue Pegasus beside him, emerge from a room and walk into the parlor. Both looked sleepy, and the human scratched his rear before stretching and yawning, pausing in front of the roaring fire. Terrance risked peeking out a little more, then stiffened when the human did, slowly turning around as he produced a knife from seemingly out of nowhere. "Who's there?" he called, "I know someone is there...show yourselves!"

Terrance, realizing that there was nothing more he could do, slowly stepped out of hiding, raising his hands, "P...Please! Don't hurt me!"

Alex stiffened, squinting his eyes as his jaw dropped and his hand relaxed, dropping the knife onto the floor, "T...Terrance?"

"Alex?"

Both stared in silence at each other for several minutes, before Alex said, "I...It's you...so it wasn't a dream..."

"_ALEX!_" and Terrance jumped into the air, tightly hugging the Commander, "I missed you!"

"So did I..." and as the treecko jumped out of the Commander's arms, landing on the ground, he produced a toothy grin, "So this is your _actual _form then?"

"Yes," Alex replied with a nod, "I'm a little...cooler...than a cyndaquil."

"Alex?" Dash began, "The hell are you _talking_..." and she was cut off when she saw Terrance standing in place, staring at the Pegasus, "Well..._I'll _be damned! It's good to see you again, Terrance!"

"Rainbow Dash?"

"Hell yeah!"

As Alpha Company awoke, they all had similar reactions to Terrance's sudden appearance, and Alex took it upon himself to introduce the treecko to everyone's _normal _appearances. As Terrance set out to explore the suite, Terrias called the Commander over and said, "So...what? Are you going to enlist him?"

Alex shrugged, "Depending on whether or not he wants to join."

"Odds are he will."

"I don't know, we'll see," then, "Hey, Terrance! Can I talk to you in private for a sec?"

"Sure," the treecko replied, and he walked on over to Alex, "What's up?"

"I have a question for you," the Commander replied, and he sat down on the leather couch, beckoning Terrance to sit by him. As the treecko sat down, Alpha Company dispersed to prepare for class that day, and Alex asked, "Do you...want to join my army?"

Terrance's eyes widened, "Really? Can I?"

"It's up to you. I'm gonna warn you, it ain't all fun and games. You will probably see shit that you wish you could unsee, and some things you will experience might actually give you nightmares...plus this is a _very _dangerous job, if you don't think you're up for it...don't join, this ain't no exploration team."

"I don't mind about the danger. Please, Alex, I want to join, you've done so much for me...it's the least I could do."

"Don't join to please me," he said, "I'm pleased with you regardless of what you choose, I just want to know if this is something you'd be willing to participate in, this is a very hard thing to accomplish."

"I think I can pull it off."

"So you're in, then?"

Terrance grinned and nodded, "Yes, I am."

"Excellent, we will begin training soon. For awhile, hang around with us, get used to the usual cast and crew."

"Can do."

"Good," and Alex stood up, heading to the kitchen.

"Oh, and Alex!?" Terrance called.

Alex paused in his tracks, "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For everything...for being my friend, for saving my world, for giving me courage...for everything."

Alex smiled, "You're welcome, and it's good to see you here again. I'm going to enjoy hanging out with you again."

"Same here."

"Now, get ready. Today is the beginning of the next chapter of the rest of your life."

"Sir! Yes, sir!" and Terrance saluted.

Alex smiled and disappeared into the kitchen.


	36. Chapter XXXV: Return to Normalcy

_**Chapter XXXV**_**:**

**-''Return to Normalcy''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-**_**04 October 2012**_**-**

**-**_**0600 Hours**_**-**

Alpha Company slowly crawled out of bed, exhausted as they readied themselves for the day's schooling. The _Maxia _were still hiding, remaining under the radar, and the entire militia, Alpha Company especially, was surprised at the length of time since the last _Maxian _attack. The Terminator Militia even began to wonder if the _Maxia _had given up. However, despite what most of the army believed, Alpha Company, especially Alex, knew that this extended period of time was not a good thing. Whenever the _Maxia _went under the radar for any longer than a couple of weeks, they were preparing for some kind of large-scale attack.

A few days after their return from the World of Pokemon, Terrance began his training, and Alex relied on his current protege, Rainbow Dash, to help him in training the treecko. Much to his surprise, the treecko was a natural, and even though Alpha Company had a few naturals in their force, they were far and few between. He was thankful for Terrance's abilities, because it saved him a lot of grief. "It looks like all of the little training you gave me during our journey is paying off, huh?" the treecko asked, sheathing his borrowed sword.

"Now you see why I did it."

"Yeah..."

"At this rate, I think you will be ready for your graduation exercise in as little as a few months. You still have the _Gauntlet _to deal with, but I can probably send you there with the ponies at the current rate you are learning."

"Cool!"

"Speaking of which," Dash began, she had been sitting down, watching them train, "When will you send us to the Gauntlet?"

"Soon, sexy, very soon."

Now, it had been several weeks since their return, several days since Terrance's arrival, and everything had returned to the norm. With no immediate threats occurring, Alpha Company returned to schooling, slowly becoming friendly and trusting towards their classmates. One thing they discovered almost immediately; college was an entirely different breed from high school. The people they dealt with on a daily basis were much more intelligent, much more respectful, and much more mature. Unlike the idiots of Main Campus, the occupants of 'W' Building watched each others backs. If someone on Main Campus were to challenge a member of the Diesel Program, not only would that Main Campus student have to deal with the Diesel Boy they challenged, but they would also have to deal with all eighty plus others of the program. They always defended each other, they were like a large family…a brotherhood…a concept that Alex was more than familiar with…a concept he remembered from his days in Thomas Jefferson. Only, instead of being alone against the student body, armed only by the members of Alpha Company, Alex was now being guarded by his fellow students.

He had developed a certain kinship with the former soldier. Both knew and understood war, and both had similar experiences that drew them together, even if they had been on different sides. _No_, Alex had thought, _We're not on different sides…_

Although the soldier was of the United States Army, he had left and retired once the seed of the _Maxia _had begun to sprout. He knew the extent of the corruption in the government, and he knew the truth and sympathized with the Terminator Militia. Plus, he had intelligence on the US Army, and even though most of it was now common knowledge or outdated, there were a few things that had not revealed itself yet, and Alex found a strong strategic ally in him.

More often than not, Alex relied on him as a confidant, allowing him in some minor strategic sessions that Alpha Company and the High Command held on occasion. Although he wasn't trusted enough for allowance in the more important and covert sessions, in terms of access, he was given a security Level 3 clearance, the minimum required for attendance, and still leagues above the other companies, save Beta and Elliot's small circle of elite Gamma Company troops, who were given, at most, Level 2 clearance, and _this _was usually only given after years of service and hard work.

The more Alpha Company got to know their class, the better they liked them, and the higher their trust became. Within a few weeks, Alex was already bringing up the subject of admission into Beta or Gamma Company in class, something he had never done in any other year of schooling. Much to his amazement, the class, even though fully aware of the risks involved, were willing, excited even, to be able to fight back against the United States Government.

Currently, Alpha Company was preoccupied with disassembling their engines, Alex and Spyro had been partnered together, but Terrias and Dash worked as a team right next to them, and they often helped each other out, much to the confusion from their instructor. Once Gordy made his rounds and had passed them, Alex slipped away from their engine long enough to quickly log into his account on his laptop.

"The hell are you doing, Alex?" Spyro asked.

"We need some music…better music than fuckin' country, I mean."

"What are you going to put on?" Dash asked.

Alex chuckled mischievously, and after a few more moments, the _Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 _soundtrack began to play, much to the unhappiness of their other classmates.

"Ah," and Dash laughed, "Soundtracks, should've figured. Alex, you are so ridiculous."

"Why? Because I love my freakin' soundtracks?" but he was grinning widely.

"Yep. Even though _you _like them, I would imagine the rest of the class wishes that they could blow their own ears out so they won't hear them."

"Aww…" and he frowned, pouting, "What a waste of a perfectly good sense of hearing."

For some reason, this only made the Pegasus laugh again.

"Hey!" and he adopted a look of mock unhappiness and hurt, "Why you laughin'?"

"You're funny, that's why."

"Yeah…well…well…you're funny _lookin'_!"

"Really now?" and she grinned mischievously, "That's the kind of speech that takes away my object of your fetish and obsession."

"Geh! Dammit."

"What's wrong, Ali? I thought I was 'funny looking' so why do _you _ care about whether or not you get a bit of tail, hmm?" and she only furthered her torture by grabbing him, squeezing his nether regions until he winced in discomfort.

"Dammit…now I know what Cynder meant by having someone by the balls...only this time, it's literal."

"She who wields the pussy controls the man's life," Spyro groaned, "Get used to it, Alex. The trouble with girls who are self-aware, and…sad to say…Dash happens to be a girl who is _very_ self-aware...Cynder, too. Fun as _hell _in bed, but very dominant. Hope you enjoyed your time as the dominant one who has power over everybody else, cause now you are about to surrender that almighty power to your mate, and trust me, she _wi__ll _take it from you."

"Ah _cr__ap…_"

"He's right, Ali," and the Pegasus winked at him before chuckling and walking away, flipping up her tail at him and briefly revealing herself in the process...a clear sign that she _knew _she had the goods Alex loved and cherished so much, and she knew how to pull him along on a leash with them.

Spyro and Alex both watched her leave, and once she was gone, Spyro turned to the Commander, asking, "When you guys are…mating…do you usually give control to her? Y'know, go reverse missionary, girl-on-top, or some other shit like that?"

"Full control..." then he added, "Usually she's on top...I'm on the bottom."

Spyro lowered his head and chuckled, "Oh, dude…big mistake. You fucked bro."

"What? Why?"

"That's the beginning of the surrendering of power. Right now, you will it…but soon, she will grab you right by the balls and completely hijack all control from under your grip. Even _I _take violent control over Cynder sometimes…so violent and controlling that it could _technically _be considered rape...if she didn't have her creepy-ass fetish for rape fantasy...but she likes BDSM anyway, and...has a creepy-ass fetish for rape fantasy...so that's A-OK. At least PETA or some other left-wing, animal rights fucktards won't get up my ass on it anyway," and he chuckled beneath his breath, "What Cynder doesn't know, is that I really see it as if I'm raping her...although she likes it...I go no holes barred on her ass...is that bad? I think it's instinctual...cause sometimes I can't help going hardcore RAGEmode during our adventurous sexcapades."

"She likes it, doesn't she?"

"Yeah..."

"So no, then."

"But the way I treat her...I'm basically raping her."

"It ain't rape, no matter how violent, unless one of them, be it the male or female, most commonly the female, is _not _consenting. Besides, ain't that damn near the textbook definition of BDSM or Dominance/Submission? Violent, consensual sex? If Cynder consents to it, it's not rape...as if that law applied to you anyway. You are dragons, you ain't human, you ain't, technically, even a real animal. Lucky you, you guys are above the law in this regard. Even if you _were _raping her, nobody will stop you, even if PETA or some other bastard is sitting there watching you guys. They'll just sit on their lazy, fat, fuckin' asses, eating popcorn and claiming, 'Oho! Well, this is just normal sexual behavior between dragons...I think...'. You know that's how it would go. As for the hardcore _RAAAAAGE_ mode...I'm pretty damn sure it's instinctual; the horny male wanting to prove that he's the Alpha Male, y'know, the whole 'survival of the fittest' nonsense. Wait...perhaps I shouldn't call it nonsense, that's how people and animals have managed to survive so long. Unfortunately, as for humans, we're all backwards now. It ain't survival of the fittest anymore, it's fuckin' survival of the dumbest and the laziest."

"Good point...but I think they'll still get up on my ass for raping a female. And no, they wouldn't be fat, because they don't eat meat. Fuckin' vegans."

Alex laughed, "Good point. Anyway...lucky bastard," he mumbled, and then he chuckled and gave the purple dragon a double-take, "Wait a moment, you _are _an animal...technically speaking."

"No shit, Sherlock," but he was grinning widely, "I thought we already established that."

"So what are _you _complaining about? You're safe. Besides, if PETA is gonna get on anyone's ass, it's gonna be mine. Thanks to Dashie and Cynder..."

Spyro shrugged, then after some consideration, nodded, "Good point," and he returned his attention to getting his magnet down into the engine to remove the push rods.

"Anyway...back to work," and Alex returned his attention to breaking down the head of the engine.

For several minutes, they continued on in silence, Alex's music, the faint country music playing on one of the students' laptops across the lab, and the sound of tools and machines being the only soundtrack to the day. Then, the purple dragon, who had been looking into the engine, cocked his head to look up at the Commander, "Have you _tried _ceasing full control during sex?"

Alex shrugged, "Eh…"

Spyro chuckled and returned his attention to removing the push rods, "I'll take that as a 'no'."

"So what if I haven't?"

"You should try it; it will 'remind' her that you are still large and in charge and that she is _yo_ bitch, and that you _aren't_ hers, besides, it's fun as hell jamming your dick deep down her goddamn throat...especially if unexpected," and the purple dragon bellowed laughter.

"Now _that _would be considered 'rape'. Besides...I don't want to hurt her…"

"Ah _fuck! _You won't hurt her, she'll be fine. As for the rape thing..._whoops! _My bad. _I is a bad, bad dwagon._"

"Sure?"

Spyro glared at him, "Trust me, I'm sure. She'll actually probably like you playing dominant…but who knows," and he shrugged, "I've been surprised before, and, if worse comes to worse, y'know, she's your mate, she'll still love you regardless."

"I hope so…"

Spyro smiled, "Hey, trust me, she _does _love you…else she wouldn't have wanted to mate with you to begin with."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…"

"However…thinking of her personality…you might want to prove that you _are _the dominant one in this relationship."

"What if she starts doing weird shit, like Cynder?"

"Then either do it or don't do it…but don't you _dare _pass her off on me if she's feeling up to shenanigans."

"D'aww…"

Spyro chuckled again, "You're such a dick."

"But you liked my dick."

Spyro facepalmed here, "Oh God…why in the bloody _hell _did you reopen that damn wound again!"

Alex shrugged, "Seemed suitable."

"Tell me something, Commander, and be honest...although I'll probably regret the answer…"

"Ask away."

"Are you sheltering…feelings...for me?"

"Heh?" and all sense of amusement left the Commander's voice.

Spyro sighed in annoyance, then bluntly asked, "Dude…are you bi for me?"

Alex's jaw dropped, "The _hell_ kind of question is _that_!?"

The purple dragon raised his paws in surrender, "Hey, I'm just askin'. 'Cause if you do, I don't play that way."

Alex's eyes narrowed, " , I'm not gay…"

Spyro interrupted, "I know you aren't gay, else you wouldn't be banging Cyn and Dash,"

"…And I'm not _bi_," Alex finished, ignoring the interruption.

"Then please do us _both _a favor, and drop the subject of that little…incident…forever. We both had a nasty experience against our will…let's just drop it and forget it ever happened…"

"Easier said than done…I will never get the taste of your…yeah…out of my mouth," and he shuddered.

"And _I _will? Now, let's just drop it here, right now. Unless you are so fucked up that you _want _it again," and he shook his head, "Uh…please don't answer that…"

"What are you guys talking about?" Dash asked, appearing beside them and making them both jump.

"Uh…nothing," Alex replied, "We're just talking about random shit."

"Okay…listen, Alex, I'm gonna go take a piss, if anyone asks, just tell them where I am."

"Got it."

She kissed him briefly before saying, "Love you," and walking away.

They both watched as she left, and Spyro said, "Awww! How _sweet_."

"Meh…"

"She _wuvs _you!"

"And I _wuvs _her back."

"Anyway," and the purple dragon checked his watch, "Class is almost over, let's start cleaning up."

"Yes, sir."

Later that day, Alpha Company were forced to endure another class of Math-131. Although their math teacher had yet to make any advances towards the unknown student of his affections, Alex could sense that the time was near, and he was scared for his life. Judging by the worried look on his second-in-command's face, he could tell that Spyro, too, was worried about who their math teacher was horny for.

Most of Alpha Company, including Terrias could care less, and the servine was sleeping, feet propped up on the desk, arms crossed, chin on his chest. "Terrias," Paulus began, "Feet off the desk, and wake up."

The servine opened one maroon eye, "Yeah? Fuck you," before closing it again and relaxing once more.

"Terrias!"

"The fuck you want?" and the servine sounded irritated.

"Off, now."

With a groan of disapproval, Terrias complied, "Now that we have that worked out, back to class."

Once class was over, everyone stood to leave, until Paulus called Terrias back. "Shit..." the servine breathed, "You guys keep goin'," he said, "I'll be back in a few..."

"Yes, sir," and they stood just outside the door, enjoying the night while Terrias disappeared back inside the building. Piermont reached into his pocket, revealing a cigarette, and he jammed it into his mouth as he used his pyrokinesis to light it. "Give me one..." Spyro stated.

"What? You don't smoke!"

"I don't care, I need one," and Piermont handed him a lit cigarette.

"I swear," the purple dragon began, "This damn professor will drive me to drink."

"Hopefully, we'll get used to it," Alex sighed.

"Yeah, _hopefully _ain't good enough, and his brow furrowed."

"He isn't _that _bad," Dash said.

"Right," Cynder replied, "Besides, it's not like you have to deal with him for very long."

"Yeah," Dash begin, "This is only a...what? Semester-long class?"

Cynder glanced at the Pegasus and nodded.

"Right. You only have to deal with him for a single semester, I don't know what you're bitching about."

"I don't like him," Spyro replied, "Especially with the surprise knowledge that he has a fucked up sexual fetish for somebody."

"Yeah," Alex chuckled, "One of us guys...I wonder which one."

"Who knows..." Spyro breathed, "All I know is I hope to _God _that it isn't me."

"He doesn't seem _that _bad..." Terrance began shyly.

"Oh trust me," Alex told the treecko, "It gets worse, you got him on a _good _day."

"What?" Terrias asked harshly, marching into the classroom.

"Have a seat," Paulus began, waving towards one of the empty desks.

"Fuck..." the servine breathed, but complied, "I better not be fuckin' ass-raped or some shit."

"No...unless you _want _that."

Terrias stiffened, "The fuck do you mean...?"

The math instructor grinned widely, winking at the servine. Terrias' eyes widened with dawning realization... "Oh..." he choked, and he cried out in alarm as he jumped up and ran towards the door. Paulus, with all his fatness and weight, was alarming quick, and managed to get to the door before him, closing it.

"Where are you going, my little snake friend?" he asked, stepping forward.

Terrias stepped back in response, hand to the hidden revolver in the holster attached to his chest, "Listen here..." he began nervously, "You stay the fuck back, sir! I'm warning you!"

"What's wrong?" Paulus asked, "Why do you deny this?"

Terrias laughed in mockery, "Why? Because I'm not a fag, unlike _you_."

"That hurts..."

"I don't give a shit! I put queers like you into the ground, boy!"

"How sexy...so you like bondage?"

Just then, Terrias revealed the revolver, taking aim, "Stay back! Now! One more step, and I put a bullet between your eyes, dirty fuckin' cocksucker."

Paulus recoiled, raising his arms in surrender and laughing nervously as he stepped back, "Easy there...no need to get testy."

"Really now?" and Terrias cocked the revolver, "I beg to differ."

"Don't need to shoot..."

"Fuck you, I'll do whatever the hell I want!"

Terrias then aimed low and fire two rounds...one into each of the math teacher's kneecaps. He went down with a cry of pain and Terrias took this opportunity to dash out of the room. Paulus stood up, leaping between the door and barring the path. "You aren't going anywhere!"

The servine then threw the first punch, knocking him square in the jaw. He hit the ground, covering his face as Terrias pounced upon him, delivering a constant barrage of punches, "Not...today!" he hissed, "Not...ever!"

"Ow! Stop it!"

"Die you motherfucker!" Terrias howled, but Alex kicked open the door then, squeezing off a single bullet in his P2K that landed a shot in the servine's foot. He went down in surprise, and as the math teacher stood up again, he was driven to a stop by the barrel of an AK47 pressed tightly against the back of his head.

"Stay down," the cold, cool voice of Piermont said from behind him, "Don't move, and I won't shoot."

"You okay, Terrias?" Alex asked, quickly healing his friend's wound and helping him up.

"I'm fine," he said, annoyed, "Except for the gunshot, I was doing fine, the fuck do you _do _that for!"

"We don't need to start anything because you were pissed and killed him."

"He came onto me!"

"I'm well aware," and Alex stomped down on the back of the teacher's head, knocking him out, "Now, while we still can, let's get our asses out of here."

"Won't the police come looking for us? I bet you _anything _that once he wakes up, he will spin some wild story about how we ganged up on him and beat him within an inch of his life."

Alex grinned, "Don't worry, I've already taken care of that."

"What?" and the servine was surprised, "How?"

The Commander walked across the room, reaching into the ceiling tiles and revealing a small camcorder plugged into a hidden outlet. He rewound the tape, "I have the whole incident right here," he said.

Terrias grinned widely, "You crafty sumbitch."

"What? You think I'm gonna trust this guy? Hell naw!" and the Commander popped out the tape, putting in a fresh one before resetting the camera and hiding it again. "I have proof of just how fucked up this guy is right here."

"What if Administration _knows _and disregards the tape?" Spyro asked.

"Oh fuckin' well," Alex replied, "At least it can stop this queer-ass bastard from suing us for some faulty truths," as he saw Paulus stir again he walked over to the teacher, saying, "Nighty night!" before stomping on his head again. Turning to face his comrades, he said, "Now, let's get our asses out of here before we're discovered."

"Agreed."

The next day, Alpha Company marched single file into the diesel labs, where several four cylinder engines had been set up for the day's fuels class. Terrias yawned, saying, "Fuck man...I just want sleep."

Alex, chuckling, replied, "That's what you get for staying up late getting some tail."

Terrias scoffed, "Really? I haven't gotten _any _since Aria began being a little bitch. Fuck...pregnancy brings about the worse in _both _the soon-to-be mother AND father."

"I assume you'll probably get used to it."

"Heh...yeah...she doesn't want to sleep with me, because she's..." and he turned around to make sure that his mate was nowhere around, then he whispered, "She's _very _moody...and that's as much of a turn off for me as anything."

"What's wrong, Lieutenant," Spyro began, "Not into dominance?"

"Fuck no! I'm the leader of the bedroom."

The purple dragon grinned, "Sure don't seem like it."

"Bah! Just you wait, I'll strike back as soon as she gets off her personality disorder."

"How in the hell you cope with this?" Alex asked.

"Easy," and Terrias seemed offended, "I'm not like Spyro and Cynder...y'know, always thinking about sex. It's not like I spend every damn night nailing her...even before her pregnancy. I'm not addicted to it like they are."

"Easy, pal," Spyro replied, "I'm not tryin' to mock you or anything..."

"Anyway..." the servine continued, ignoring the purple dragon, "If worse comes to worse...there are other methods for release. For example the 'M' word."

"'M' word?" Ember asked, Flame standing beside her, "What is that?"

The senior members of Alpha Company all planted their heads in the palms of their hands or paws, struggling not to laugh. Struggling not to crack up, Sonic said, "We'll tell you when you're older..."

Ember frowned, "Not funny..."

Alex grinned and nodded, "Oh yeah...it's not funny," then he paused in mid-nod, shaking his head.

"Ember..." and Piermont shook his lowered head, "Oh God..." his voice was about to crack from laughter, "How old are you, girl?"

"Fifteen..."

And this made Piermont laugh even harder. "Well, aside from ol' Spearow heading into pedophilia and nailing a minor, I must say, this is quite amusing!"

Spyro did not appear amused, "I'm not 18...I'm 17."

"Oh...right..." and he feigned a cough, "Right...Cuttin' it a bit close there, aren't you, Champ?"

"Not like I'm going _giggity _over her anymore," then, beneath his breath, he added, "As if I ever did...damn you, Cynder."

"Aww..." and Cynder nuzzled him affectionately, saying in a voice usually used against young infants, "You know you _wuv _me, _Speawoh._"

"'Speawoh'?" and Piermont cracked up, "That's _rich_! Spearow...Speawoh...I gotcha."

"God..." and Alex shook his head, "The hell is wrong with us?"

"We're fucked up in the head...that's what," Sonic replied.

"That's Bismarck corruption for you," Spyro added, and everyone cracked up again.

"Fuckin' Bismarck High School," and Sonic shook his head, "Ah...almost forgot about them, and we've only been out of it for a few months."

"It's because of this long-ass Summer..." Alex sighed, suddenly sounding tired, "A lot of shit has happened since we graduated."

"Hm...was Bismarck even all that fun?" Dash asked.

Alex turned to face her, "Kinda...probably the best four years out of all my damn schooling..."

"Mainly because we weren't really outcasts there..." Spyro replied with a sigh, "We were _almost _seen as equals."

"Things have never been really good for us," Cherub began, "We've always been the outcasts in class."

"Yeah..." Simba replied sadly, and Nala nodded in agreement, "It's been a hard life for us...all of us."

"So..." Dash began, "Should I be glad that I _just _joined?"

The others of Alpha Company shrugged, "It depends on whether or not you enjoy being treated like shit."

"You were mistreated?"

"Like I said before," Simba spoke, "We've never really fit in, and I wouldn't doubt if it was because of the fact that we are...well...unusual."

Kovu picked up here," It's not very often that you see creatures like us wandering around. Especially since we have a past as 'innocent' children's characters behind us...thanks to these damn movies, video games, and other shit like that."

"Probably the only reason we were tolerated at Bismarck and here," Cheet interrupted, "Is because of the fact that those kids, as old as they are, are beginning to reach that period of nostalgia where they miss some of the things they used to love when they were younger...it reminds them of a more peaceful and much less stressful time."

"It doesn't matter," Alex replied grimly, "All that matters is everyone here right now...Alpha Company...our brothers-in-arms...our brethren. All we need to worry about is watching each others backs."

"A-fuckin'-men," Piermont replied with a firm nod.

"As for you, Dash, don't worry about our past...it's just that. What happened happened, our past is long gone, all we have to look forward to is the future, and that's what we should. I have a feeling that this war is almost over, and when it ends, and we're accepted once more for who we are...the Terminator Militia will once more see an era of prosperity."

Dash remained quiet for a few moments, thinking this over, then suddenly asked, "What will we do?"

"What do you mean?" Alex asked, confused.

"I mean...all we _really_know is this war. When it ends..."

"What will we do?" Spyro finished, "I understand what she means. When peace returns...Alex, all we've _known _is warfare since 2008. Hell, even Cynder and I only knew peace for a few months...once the President was elected..." and he shook his head, "My God...and look around us! Terrias, Aria, Dash, Twilight, Spike, Terrance...all they know is this war. When it ends...how will we know what to do? How will we get used to the sudden loss of things to do?"

"Easy, Commander," Alex began, looking off into the distance, through the garage doors and outside towards Main Campus, "We rebuild."

Spyro scoffed, "Where will we even _begin_?"

"Ah...that _is _the million dollar question, isn't it?"

Spyro nodded.

"We'll know when we get there."

With this final thing said, they ended their conversation and returned to work.

Outside, a distant thunder bellowed, faint at first, but growing progressively louder. A faint, chilly wind began to pick up, blowing through the shops. The chirping of cicadas continued on, and despite being early October, the temperature was about eighty degrees, humidity excluded. The chilly wind felt good against their skin, but it carried with it the smells of the city, and Alex was alarmed to realize that he felt unusually melancholic. He found it hard to concentrate on timing his engine. Instead, his thoughts kept straying away as he pondered upon a variety of events, speeches...just overall moments...with his team. He looked at each of them, all engrossed in their work, and he felt a deep sense of pride that slightly raised his mood. Fifteen years...

Fifteen years ago...where was he?

He watched Simba, Nala, Cheet, Kovu, and Kiara especially, they had joined back when they were still cubs, now look at them, fully adults now. He remembered each one, fond memories...and close encounters...he had when they were still small enough that he could hold them in his arms. As he watched, Simba and Nala, on a team together, helped Cheet and Keisha with their engine. There they were...the two most senior members...the two that, along with him, started this massive army to begin with, way back on a hot day in the summer of '97. Since that fateful day, they had grown to this. Alpha Company was fifty members strong...microscopic compared to the other companies...but they all were a family. He suddenly felt the melancholy return as he remembered the oldest member next to the original three...

_Crash_...he thought, filled with a deep sadness. Since Crash's death, Alex had been too preoccupied with current events to really think about the bandicoot, and felt guilty about it. He had basically watched his friend die, only to say, "Oh well, shit happens," and continued on, leaving the fallen soldier behind...a forgotten corpse on the empty battlefield. _The Maxia_...he thought, feeling a deep hatred well inside of him, _All of this...this is all their fault! If they wouldn't have been here...Crash would _NOT _have died...this war would have never happened!_

As per usual, the benefits he had received from the war quickly arrived to counter his negative feelings. _Terrias, Aria, Terrance, Dash, Spike...would they still _be _here if the war never occurred?_

"Of course not," he said to himself, sighing, "This war brought us together...this war helped formed Alpha Company, sanding down any rough edges that may have still existed. Without the _Maxia_, things would be so much different...or would they?"

_Don't regret this war, Commander_, his logical side spoke up, _NEVER forget this war! If anything,__ it is a lesson of life, a lesson that you should learn as a military leader. Throughout this war, you have seen the relationships between the members of Alpha Company, and the militia as a whole, evolve. Every war ends eventually...and the same will be fo__r this one. Remember, the _Maxian _hold on the nation is loosening...the people are realizing just how terrible war is._

"We will find out, won't we?"

_How do you mean?_

"This election...if that bastard is reelected..."

_Then the country has sought her fate, and is willing to accept it. We can't change the world, we can only standby and watch...but the _Maxia _grip on the nation _is _being lost...trust in them is dying._

"For now, anyway."

_You overthink things far too much, Commander. What happens will happen, but you can always be there to ensure that you and your friends and family remain safe and strong. Think of Spyro._

"What about him?"

_Remember what initiated his search for faith and God._

"The Battle of Champaign...back in April of 2011..." and his memory, as well as the world before him, flashed back to the massacre nearly two years earlier...the one where only he and Spyro emerged from the wreckage and ruins...emerged from the mass grave of five thousand soldiers.

His mind then flashed back to the conversation he had with Spyro soon after the incident...when Alex was standing on his usual perch, looking out over the _Fiernes Curtain_, lost in deep thought...

_...Spyro stepped onto the balcony, watching the Commander for several minutes. Alex stood on__ the edge of the balcony, lost in thought, cold blue eyes looking over the dark city and towards the distant _Fiernes Curtain_, burning on and on. The purple dragon's mind was tormented by a specific subject, aside from the massacre that he had so narrowly e__scaped...one that made him question everything he believed._

"_Alex..." he finally began._

_No answer from the Commander._

"_Alex?" he asked again._

"_What do you need, Spyro?" he asked, his voice distant._

"_I...I need to talk about something personal..."_

"_What do you need?" and Alex turned to face the purple dragon, who blushed fiercely and looked away._

"_What's wrong?"_

"_Alex...after this...this massacre...I've been thinking a lot..."_

"_About what?"_

"_How did we survive? How in the bloody _hell _did we surv__ive? We should have died..."_

"_Obviously, God had other plans."_

"_God? Dammit, Alex! Now isn't the time for fairy tales! What kind of god would do this to five thousand innocents? What kind of god would spawn this bastard in the White House? What 'god' would create the goddamn _Maxia_?"_

"_One who decided it was time for some ethnic cleansing."_

"_Alex...please, seriously, tell me...how did we survive?"_

"_I _am _being serious, God was protecting us. For whatever reason, He decided that it wasn't time for us to pass away. I__ don't know why, but I _do _know, that we should take this as a clear sign that it wasn't our time."_

"_Alex...there isn't a god. There can't be...even if he is such a righteous and forgiving god. What god who would call himself 'good' let this war occur? Let the _Maxia _be born? Let innocents die with no help of redemption or aide?" and he looked away, appearing sad, "Why? Why would a god let this happen?"_

_Alex shrugged, "I don't know, but it is best if we don't question His motives."_

"_Spoken like a true preacher," he said sarcastically, "That's all I hear from Christians, despite the lack of proof, of any miracles in this damned world, they always claim that there is an explanation behind everything, that in the end, justice will be served equally," the purple dragon then turned back to face the Commander, a spiteful look on his face, "Where was god at that massacre? Hmm? Where's god striking down that bastard in the White House? Where's 'god' and his so-called 'miracles'?"_

"_Looking at this from an atheistic point of view...we were destined to walk away from that massacre."_

"_I don't see how...there was no reasoning for that massacre, and it's a shitty-ass attempt at sounding atheistic."_

"_Spyro, I want you to tell me something, and to be completely honest."_

"_I'm listening...please mind the religious crap."_

"_God has played in many, many things for myself in this army."_

"_Jesus Christ, Alex...I don't want to hear any preaching."_

"_Just shut up, and hear me out! Cynder..."_

"_Yeah? What about her?"_

"_Why did you save her life?"_

"_What?"_

"_Why did you go into Convexity, risk your own life, just to save hers?"_

_Spyro shrugged, "I just...felt like I had to...that I was supposed to...what does _that _have to do with __anything?"_

"_Spyro, God doesn't speak to people like I'm speaking to you. He speaks to people through their hearts...leaving impressions, strong intentions, driving people to do something."_

"_So what? All of those people, like Charles Manson, Jack the Ripper, they were all commanded by God to commit their horrible crimes?"_

"_Not at all!" and Alex seemed flabbergasted, "Spyro...Every day, there is a constant war in our hearts, God and His will, against our nature, our greedy, lustful, sinful nature, spearheaded by the Lord of Darkness, Lucifer himself. Those who are driven to commit evil acts are not directed by God, they are directed by Lucifer. The _Maxia_, for example, were driven by Lucifer to bomb us in Champaign. God...you can tell when God is speaking to you, because His intentions are pure, harmless. Sometimes, even, He will lead you to do something completely outlandish, with no reason as to why, but great things come out of it."_

"_So don't people of faith get led to dark acts as well?"_

"_Yes, we call it 'temptation', but some people can't even hear the voice of God, and are driven entirely by evil. T__hese people are not being forgotten by Him, they have merely shut Him out of their hearts and minds, constant rejection of Him and His grace have led them to live lives where they have no moral compass. With God, there is Hope...and that is one of the reas__ons why I don't understand Atheists. Why do you _not _want hope of a paradise in the afterlife? Why must you constantly torment yourself with a grim future? Then I realized, it was because they had ignored the voice of God for so long, that they were no long__er receiving of it. Their hearts had hardened. Spyro...I worry about you, I don't wish the fate of eternal damnation upon you, you are a good friend of mine, hell, you are damn near my brother."_

"_Your worry for my safety upon death is needless, I will be fine."_

"_Regardless..." and Alex prepared to go back inside, "I pray for you, every night, and I pray that you eventually find faith and safety in God. It doesn't matter how you feel about Him, He loves you, but you can't be saved and spared if you don't accept Him into your heart. Stop being pessimistic and allow a little hope in your life. Instead of seeing darkness and nothing but bad tidings ahead, look for the light at the end of the tunnel, look for hope...look for salvation and ease on your heart."_

_Spyro smirked, "Cynder keeps preaching the same damn thing...has been since I saved her..."_

"_She only wants the best for you, Spyro."_

"_Given how she was raised, I'm surprised that she can even _believe _in God."_

"_Sometimes, people need the shock of a dark past to bring them to faith."_

"_I...I still can't believe this...it's just...it's just _too_ impossible!"_

"_Spyro...what you do is your choice, and I stand beside you either way...but I still pray for you, every night, I pray for everybody," and he began to walk away, pausing as he said, "But...if you don't adopt faith...you will not see Cynder in the afterlife. You will suffer from eternal damnation, while she is in Heaven...her heart broken as she watches you suffer Hell's tortures, unable to help you in any way," and he returned inside._

_Spyro was struck by this final statement, "Wait...what did you mean by that?"_

_But Alex was already out of earshot._

"_Alex? What did you mean? ALEX!"_...

...The Commander blinked away the memory, shocked from his thoughts by the voice of Gordy, "Alex, my man, why aren't you workin', buddy?"

"Oh...sorry, Gordy."

"What's up? You alright?"

"I'm fine...just...thinking."

"O...kay then?" and he left.

Once Gordy had moved up the line for the next inspection, Alex turned to face Spyro, watching him turn the engine over with a pry bar against the flywheel as Cynder searched for top dead center so they could set the valve lash on the second cylinder. He was overjoyed that Spyro had reconsidered and decided to adopt faith, and he realized that without the _Maxia _involvement, Spyro might have still been lost, having strayed from the path of righteousness, wandering towards eternity in Hell...a gruesome fate that he didn't wish on his friend.

With a sigh, he returned his concentration to the project before him.

All was quiet on Mattis Avenue as traffic died down on one of Champaign's main thoroughfares. There were a few occasional cars, but not many as most drivers were either at work or in class. However, where the University of Illinois campus' main street intersected Mattis was still extremely busy, and one bus driver, wanting only to get back to the bus garage so he could go home, was less than overjoyed to have to sit and wait on a bunch of spoiled college brats' fancy imports and reckless driving. Finally seeing an opportunity to turn, he began to do so, but a Mustang, racing past him at 70 plus MPH cut him off at the turn, and he slammed on his brakes just barely enough to prevent broadsiding the dumbass. Swearing profusely and happy that he had already delivered the elementary school children, he let loose his fury in several creative expletives before attempting, once again, to pull into a turn.

However, right as he was about to turn again, lightning, a strange purple kind, struck down immediately in front of him, popping his ear drums and startling him to the point of almost wetting himself. "What the _hell_?" he hissed, but when several more streaks of lightning zapped down directly in front of him, sending sparks flying every which way, he covered his face in terror, afraid of getting electrocuted, or of the lightning striking and shattering the glass windshield. However, the lightning remained consistent to a single area, and he smirked at the old wives tail that lightning never struck the same place twice. After several more violent strikes of random purple lightning, he saw an odd, tiny, electric purple sphere, barely the size of a golf ball, suddenly flicker into existence, hovering a few feet off of the ground. Wondering if he was seeing things thanks to the alarmingly bright flashes of lightning that he had accidentally seen, he blinked several times...but it still remained. Rubbing his eyes, he cried out in alarm as the orb of purple expanded rapidly, creating a sphere with a five foot diameter. The ball of electric purple flashed several times, pulsating rapidly before exploding and dissipating in several white rings of shock waves. When the light cleared, he saw a blue-furred horse, wearing one of those cheesy wizard hats, the purple witch hats with the yellow stars all over it, and a lavender, silk cape, standing in the center of a ring of molten and cracked asphalt beneath her hooves. He could tell it was female, as he saw no defining organs, and he didn't think some horse breeder would castrate an unusual colored horse like this, not to mention, the features of the horse were...almost feminine. The mare, who had been looking down at the ground, eyes closed, suddenly looked up, ice blue eyes opening and staring angrily, right at the bus driver. Her eyes seemed to glow an aqua color, and he winced.

She backed up, as if she was going to pounce upon him, and as she leaped towards him, he ducked out of the way, just as she hopped onto the hood, denting it, before crashing through the windshield. Now inside the aisle of the bus, she continued dashing through the length of the bus, crashing through the emergency door at the back and onto the street. She looked around, seemingly searching for something, then continued on down the street, intent on something. The bus driver, shaking in fear, sat back up, wide eyes blinking as he watched the indigo mare disappear beyond the horizon. He swallowed and reached for his cellphone, sitting on the dash, frantically typing 911 as he dialed for the police. "Hello, Officer? I would like to report a...uh...incident..."

"Oi!" Piermont hissed, "Spearow!? The fuck did you do with my bolt?"

"What bolt?" the irritated purple dragon asked.

"My fuckin' head bolt! You fuckin' stole it!"

"Fuck you, I didn't take any of your shit."

Piermont raised his fists, "I know you did, you son of a bitch!"

"Hey, Pierre," Cynder replied unamused, "Why don't you go wank yourself or something."

"Kiss my hairy ass, this ain't about you."

"Piss off!" Spyro hissed, "I didn't take your goddamn bolt, why in the hell would I want it?"

"I don't know...to piss me off!?"

Cynder smirked, "Like that's too hard?"

"Fuck you, Cynder."

"Hey, Pierre, did you look in your toolbox?"

"What?" and he checked the open, top drawer of his toolbox, "Oh...found it..."

Alpha Company struggled not to laugh.

Piermont, frowning, said, "Oi! Shut up, all of you faggots."

"Now, apologize to Spearow," Alex said, struggling to maintain control.

"He can suck my big, hairy dick."

"I love you, too, Pierre," the purple dragon idly replied with a wide grin.

"Fuck you!" and he walked away.

"Sorry for that," Alex told Spyro, grinning, then, he whispered, "He's on the rag!"

This sent everyone, especially the girls, over the edge, and they completely lost control, laughing wildly.

The blue mare slipped into the diesel shops, gagging at the disgusting smell of diesel and oil that lingered in the air. She saw a large group of largely animal creatures surrounding a young man in the center of the circle, dressed in leather with greased hair and looking less than amused. The group surrounding him was struggling not to laugh, and obviously were failing. "I assume I'm in the right place," she said with a groan of irritation, "But it smells absolutely _atrocious _in here!"

"Who the fuck are you?" the leather-clad boy asked, nodding towards the mare. His friends turned to face their visitor.

"How rude! I am the Great and Fabulous Trixie! Sorceress extraordinaire!"

"Oh God..." Twilight groaned, "Trixie..."

"Who?" Spyro asked.

"A snobby girl who thinks she is a superior unicorn."

"Lovely...just what we need, arrogant little bitches on _our _turf, as if we didn't already have _enough _trouble to deal with," and Spyro lowered his head, closing his eyes and shaking his head with a sigh.

"Da fuck you want?" Piermont asked, arms crossed.

"I have you know, I'm looking for the Great Commander Alex Vaughn."

"Who's askin'?" Alex asked, stepping forward towards her, arms crossed.

"Are _you_ this 'Great Commander'?"

Alex nodded, "Aye, what do you need?"

"For reasons that don't need to be mentioned...Celestia wants me to spend a few weeks with you."

Alex raised an eyebrow, "Really now? What did you do?"

"It does not matter," she hissed, brow furrowed, "All that matters is that I get this ridiculous task of community service over with," and she stuck up her chin, "Then I, the Great and Noble Trixie, can stop dwelling with powerless bottom-feeders like you and that...Twilight Sparkle," and she grimaced as Twilight, arrogant grin on her face, jutted her chin into the air and turned her back on Trixie.

"Charming girl," Terrias said, arms crossed, raising a single eyebrow in amusement.

"In smells simply awful in here!" Trixie complained, "What _is _that?"

"Work," Alex replied, wiping his oil-covered hands on a cloth, "Better get used to it if you will be spending any length of time with us. Unless we're deployed or summoned, this is where we're gonna be all day, every day."

"Oh, that's just wonderful!"

"Best part is," and here Alex grinned, "_You _get to participate in all the fun as well!"

"The Great and Magnificent Trixie will _not_, I repeat, _NOT_, get her hooves dirty."

"Hey," Spyro smirked, "How about you stop referring to yourself in the third person, and use pronouns like _normal _people."

"Ugh! How rude!"

"You've _got _to be joking," Twilight groaned, "Celestia seriously wanted you to be here with us?"

"Twilight Sparkle? Why, is that _you!? _I didn't see you behind all of these filthy people." Trixie replied cruelly, "Their grime was obscuring your natural glow."

Twilight raised one eyebrow in annoyance, but replied, "In the flesh, but don't you _dare _try to pull a fast one on me."

"Oh I won't, I simply _love _your hair today!"

"Uh...thanks?"

"Can we please leave? Perhaps you can buy us some lunch?"

"Hell to the no!" Twilight replied, "We're busy here, _working_, it's a concept you might want to get used to. We do a _lot _of it, and you are gonna participate. The only reason why I could think that Celestia would send _you _here is to knock you off of your...pardon the pun...high horse...or for community service, which means you must have caused Equestria _some _kind of trouble."

"Ugh...so drab in here! Why is it so dark?" and Trixie walked away, ignoring the unicorn.

"Of course she doesn't listen," Twilight groaned.

"Oh God..." Alex replied, shaking his head, "Just what we need, some noble bitch to nag about every little damn detail...just fuckin' _wonderful_. Right now, I'm actually kinda hoping we're deployed, put Trixie on the front lines, see how she copes."

"Alex!" and Twilight glared at him.

"What? The hell did I say?"

"She might not be the most...pleasant...person to be around, but I wouldn't wish harm on her..." and she began to walk towards the retreating pony.

"I'm glad _you _wouldn't..." he mumbled.

"What was that?" Twilight asked, pausing abruptly and turning her head to give Alex an irritated glare.

"Nothing, Dear!" Alex called to her, and once Twilight continued on, Terrias and Spyro, who were standing beside him, began to snicker.

"I hate that bitch...Trixie, I mean," Dash said with a frown, suddenly appearing behind her mate.

"I can't imagine why," and Alpha Company followed the two unicorns.

While they sat back in the classroom, eating lunch and waiting for their next class at one, Trixie constantly walked around the room, commenting on anything and everything, and nitpicking for things to complain about. Alex's tolerance for her was growing thin, but he was desperately attempting to ignore her in an effort to avoid a violent snap, but it was growing increasingly difficult. He was a soldier, 'ignore' wasn't in his dictionary. He was trained to observe every little detail for anything wrong, anything off, to avoid any dangers, or to warn others of impending danger. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore, and he snapped, "Oi! Shut the _fuck _up before I rip your goddamn tongue out!" he roared, startling the pony.

She stared at him with a worried look on her face, gulping. As soon as he seated himself, finished fuming, the arrogant smile returned, and she said, "No need to be cruel..."

"Hey, Trixie," Dash began, looking up from the laptop in front of her, "I suggest you shut up now before he loses it and really _does _go apeshit on you. If there is _one _thing I know about my mate, he tends to keep his promises..." and then she shut up, suddenly realizing her mistake.

"Wait...Alex is your _mate_!? Ugh! How disgusting!"

"Ah! Fuck you! It's my body, I can do with it whatever I damn well want."

A mischievous light flipped on in her eyes and Trixie said, "A mate, huh? Perhaps he should be a...a _stallion_!" and in a flash of light, Alex cried out as he felt back in his seat.

"Alex!" Dash cried, running to her mate's side, but she gasped and fell back in surprise. Spyro and Terrias ran to Alex's side, both having similar reactions to Dash, while the others of Alpha Company immediately jumped up and braced themselves to attack her.

Alex, groaning, sat up again, shaking his head, "Ow..." he remarked, "Ugh...I feel sick...the hell was _that _for!" he snorted, whinnying. At the odd sound he emitted, he stiffened, and his eyes widened as he looked down at himself, "Oh my _God!_" he whinnied, "The fuck _am _I?" No longer was he in his diesel uniform, what he saw was thick, dull red fur attached to his body. In place of hands and feet, he now had hooves, and he looked up, snorting, "Oh God...what the _fuck _did you _do _to me!"

Trixie, grinning mischievously, said, "Why, now you are a stallion worthy of a princess!"

"I'm...I'm a _horse_!?"

"If you put it that way, yes. Technically, you are an Earth Pony."

"Oh God...I think I'm gonna be sick..."

"Would you be happier if I made you a Pegasus?" and in another flash of light, Alex looked, eyes wide, to see wings on his back, "Heh?" he remarked, neighing. "Da _fu-_"

"How about a unicorn?" Trixie interrupted, and in another flash of light, a bright red horn protruded from his forehead and the thick black hair that was his mane. "_Aiiyeh!_" he exclaimed.

"What about an alicorn?" and in yet another flash of light, he had both wings and a horn.

"_Argh!_ STOP FUCKIN' _DOING _THAT!"

"I think an Earth Pony suits you more, but, if you want to be an alicorn, then be my guest. At least Rainbow Dash can get a _proper _mating flight," and Trixie left the room.

Alex groaned as he observed himself, and the others of Alpha Company immediately broke out in laughter, "It ain't funny..." Alex replied unhappily.

"You're right..." Piermont began, grinning wildly, "It's fuckin' _hilarious!_"

Alex snarled and snorted, "Fuck you!"

"Ya know..." Dash began flirtatiously, "You _are_ a really sexystallion..."

He snorted in disapproval, "I don't want to be a horse," and he sped out of the room, calling out, "Hey! Trixie, how long will this damn spell last?"

Twilight suddenly appeared beside the Pegasus, startling her, "You know...now that Alex is a horse...he _might _actually be able to breed now..."

"Wait...you mean..."

"If you have ever wanted to have a child, now is the time to try and conceive...if this spell lasts longer than a few hours or minutes, I mean."

Remembering their nightmarish time with Alduin, Dash shuddered at the thought, "I don't know...Alduin was not easy to take care of...plus birth is supposed to be painful...I don't like the idea very much. Not to mention, it destroys your body, and prevents you from living out your dreams..."

"Hey," and Twilight shrugged, "I'm just making a suggestion. If there is even a _remote _possibility that you would want a child with him, now is the time to try and make one. Plus, you can get the mating flights that you have always dreamed about."

Dash groaned, "Good point..."

"Anyway, what you two do is entirely up to you," and she left back to the shops, the rest of Alpha Company following her, leaving Dash in the room, alone, to ponder this new realization.

"Oi!" an equestrian Alex began, stomping towards the end of the shops, where Trixie's disgust seemed to have surrendered to curiosity, as she stared in awe at a large CASE Combine.

Upon Alex's angry exclamation, Trixie walked up to the Commander, giving him a flirtatious look and saying, "Well, aren't _you _cute!"

"Turn me back! Now!"

"I'm sorry," she began, an arrogant smile on her face, "But the spell will expire in a week or two."

"_WHAT!?_" and Alex's jaw dropped, "Seven days? Seven..._fucking_..._DAYS!?_"

"Come on now, Commander, it isn't _that _bad. Consider this as a gift...so that you and your mate can enjoy each other in a new way...a _natural _way."

"I'm not a damn horse! I'm a human! A _human_!"

She smirked, "You look more like an alicorn to me."

"Dammit!" he hissed, stomping away.

"Alex!" Dash called, running after her mate, "Alex! Settle down! Settle down!" and she ran up to him, stepping in front of him and blocking his advance. Once Alex was forced to stop, him fuming, her face grew stern and she replied, "Calm down, Alex!"

"Look at me!" he began, "Dash, _look at me!_"

"I know, you're sexy..." and a seductive glimmer appeared in her eyes.

"_I'M A FUCKING PONY!_"

"Look at the bright side, Alex..."

"_What _bright side!?" Alex exclaimed, "Just fuckin' _look at me!_"

"Alex, instead of fighting and bitching about it, look at the bright side! Look at all the possibilities!"

"_What _possibilities!"

Dash, irritated, sighed in annoyance, "Alex...we can _breed _now."

This stunned the Commander, "Wait...what?"

"Alex...you and me...we can actually _breed _now!" and she was blushing fiercely, "We can...have children now...and we can..."

"Can what?" he asked, his voice small.

"We can go on a mating flight..."

At first, he didn't see the big deal in her announcement, but he could tell by the nervous glimmer in her eyes that she wanted to try things with him that he, as a human, would find to be either too difficult or impossible, to do. He recalled how, in several post-lovemaking sweet-nothings, she had discussed how she dreamed about him taking her on a mating flight one day...and how she constantly, in the throes of passion, told him to, "Show me how to fly."

In an instant, all fury at his unexpected transformation left his mind, this was important to her...and now, he could give her the dream mating event that she had always wanted. Plus, the idea that they could...they could now have _children_...

"Dash..."

She had already left, however.

Dash seemed distant and attempting to avoid Alex for the rest of the day, and that night, once everyone had returned home to New Alexandria, she went to bed much earlier than everybody else, causing a concerned Alex to approach her. When he entered the bedroom he shared with her, he found it empty, but he could distantly hear the sound of running water, and his bathroom was closed, the light was on, and the door was locked. Wondering if she was okay, he unlocked the door and entered, hearing the shower running, and he felt a wall of steam blast right into him. Walking into the room, he moved aside the curtains, peeking inside, finding Dash sitting in a corner, idly playing with herself.

"Everything okay?"

Not looking up, she replied, "Fine..."

His eyes couldn't help but to stare at her exposed and _very _aroused regions and he felt a sudden tightening in his loins, signaling the immanency of an erection as her lips weakly pulsed beneath her gentle touch.

"Need any help?"

"Nah," she replied, "I'm fine, thanks."

He felt that tightening intensify, and he withdrew his head from the shower, looking down between his legs and nearly poking his own eye out, causing his eyes to widen with surprise. _Heh..._ he thought to himself, _Talk about being hung like a horse..._

"You sure?"

"Yep."

"C'mon, Dash...I didn't mean to offend you earlier, I was just pissed about the sudden transformation."

"I'm not mad or offended," and Dash looked up, her eyes maintaining their usual mischievous light, proving that she wasn't fazed at all by his outburst earlier, "I just felt like masturbating tonight instead of mating...that's all."

"Damn..." Alex breathed.

"What? You horny, too?"

"Well, I dunno, see for yourself."

And she poked her head, water dripping down, through the shower curtain, spying his rather large self, and she cracked up, laughing wildly. "Holy crap! It's fuckin' _huge_!"

"Yeah...I know..."

"Well then...if you are feeling up to a little...hard reception...might as well come on in," and she stepped aside, allowing him entry. Almost immediately, he, not used to being quadrupedal, slipped in the shower and fell, and Dash was immediately pouncing upon him, "Oh..." she began, "The things I'm gonna do to you..."

Remembering what Spyro had told him earlier, Alex grinned mischievously and violently twisted his body, causing her, who had been sitting on his and pinning him to the ground, to lose stability and fall to the side. In an instant, he rolled on top of her, leaving her on the bottom, laying sprawled out on her stomach, and Alex, sitting up, straddled her, his sex-defining appendage resting on her back, "Nuh-uh. This time, it's _my _turn for control."

She cocked her head to face him, a smile of mischief forming on her face, "Really now? Hope you're ready to wrestle for it!" and she bucked violently, knocking him backwards until he was laying on his back once again. She was once more straddling him, grabbing him violently and pulling him into her lower lips where she proceeded to rock gently towards him, "I think I'll maintain control, thank you."

He squirmed beneath her weight, "Not fair! You always have control!"

"Cause you give it to me. Right now, I want it...but if you want to fight...then I guess no entrance for you," and she removed him from inside of her, pulling on it gently, "How sad...you could have had much more than a simple, boring handjob."

An idea flashed in his mind, and he smirked as she closed her mouth over him, licking and sucking gently. Remembering one specific quote from Spyro...

…"_You should try it; it will 'remind' her that you are still large and in ch__arge and that she is _yo_ bitch, and that you _aren't_ hers, besides, it's fun as hell jamming your dick deep down her goddamn throat...especially if unexpected."_...

Grinning widely, he grabbed her head and forced her down, jamming himself deep inside of her. She gagged as he reached the point of climax, only loosening his forceful grip once he had finished. She immediately backed away from him, coughing violently. "The hell did you do _that _for!?" she replied furiously, saliva and his seed dripping in strings from her mouth.

He kept grinning, "What's wrong? Didn't like the taste of _control_?"

"You could have killed me!"

"Trust me..." and he quickly pounced upon her, once more pinning her to the ground and entering her from the rear. He lowered his muzzled until it was against her ear, pressing deeper and deeper inside of her rear as he whispered, "If I wanted to kill you...I would have."

Once more, he rocked forward, ignoring her cries and complaints, until her cries of pain and discomfort became a moan of passion and sexual arousal. He thrusted hard and deep once he reached his climax, filling her to the brim, withdrawing only when he was finally finished. Even after he had dismounted, she remained on the ground, muzzle and forelimbs pressed to the ground, rear curving up into the air.

Her rectal muscles twitched at the unusual feeling of his seed dripping down from within, and she groaned, "Ow..."

"I'm happy now."

"Good for you..." she replied unhappily, "I'm not..."

"D'aww...why are you unhappy, Dashie?"

"I just got fuckin' assraped."

"Isn't anal fun?"

"Not when I'm the bitch...I have _some _tolerance...but I _don't _like you going so deep and actually coming inside of me...urgh..."

"But it was fun! Admit it!"

"Fuck you..." she groaned.

"No thanks, I'm good for now."

"Good for you...please, at least...finish _me _off?"

"Nah."

"Dammit, Alex...don't be that way!"

"C'mon, you're a big girl! You can do it."

"So what? You're gonna edge me close then completely refuse me? Talk about hitting below the belt."

"Nope, it's called 'teasing', besides, you were fingering earlier, intending to climax without me, just finish yourself off."

"I didn't expect you to..."

Alex shook his head, "Nope, that means nothing."

"You're such an ass."

"No, I'm not a donkey, I'm a stallion."

"That's not what I meh-_y...GOD!_" she howled as he fingered her quickly and violently, licking her until she reached a squirting climax. As soon as she finished, spraying his torso, she fell to the side, laying sprawled on her side, panting for breath.

Alex, licking himself clean of her delicious feminine juices, grinned, "Happy now?"

Dash, still breathing heavily, nodded abruptly, "Oh my God...that was...that was _intense_...probably the most intense orgasm I've ever had!"

"You are welcome," and he nodded, "Love ya, girl!" he said as he climbed out of the shower, closing and locking the door and reentering the parlor, leaving her alone, still sprawled out on the shower floor.

On his way back to the parlor, he passed by Cynder, heading to her own bedroom, and she pulled him aside, asking, "Y'know, I wonder what it'd be like to have a horse," and she grinned mischievously.

"Sorry," he said apologetically, "Already tapped out, you can thank Dash for that."

She frowned, but her frown quickly became a grin of mischief once more, "That's fine, but I'll be knocking on your door early in the morning."

"You'll wake up Dash though."

"Fine then," and she grinned again, "Come to the balcony tomorrow at...say...three AM, I'll be there, wide open, ready, and waiting for you. We have an hour to do whatever we want, then we can slip back inside and climb back into bed before the others wake up, so they don't suspect anything."

"Okay, I can do that."

"Just do me a little favor..."

"Sure, what's up?"

"Do _NOT_ wake up, Dash. This little event will be just between you and me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good, now crouch down for a moment."

He did, and she kissed him, slipping him her thin tongue as he met it with his own. Once their secret kiss broke, she smiled at him, blushing, and disappeared inside her room. After a few more minutes, Alpha Company broke apart, everyone heading to their respective bedrooms as they retired for the night, not looking forward to class the next day...especially math class.

The next morning, Alex slipped out of bed, sneaking across the suite and outside to the balcony, where, sure enough, Cynder was outside, leaning against the the balcony, looking out towards the _Fiernes Curtain_. "Cynder?" Alex whispered, standing beside his dragonian mate.

"Alex?" and she turned, eyes alight, "I was hoping you could make it...are you ready?"

"You can stoke the fires and _make _me ready in an instant...and he crouched down. Cynder instantly began to tenderly stroke him, "But hold on..." and he lightly grabbed her paw.

"What?" she asked.

"Before we begin...are we going to experiment?"

"No," Cynder replied, shaking her head, "Not this time...it will be just a normal experience."

"Not feeling up to experimentation? That's a first for us I believe."

"Alex..." she began, "I _do_ experiment a lot...and I admit that I have liked many of them...but I have never actually...done it normally...with you. Usually, I just use you for the things that Spyro refuses to try but..." and she shook her head, "Since you've become completely enamored with Dash, and it's been so long since we've...y'know...I realized how much I missed you...and missed your unique touch. I just...I just want to _not _take advantage of you during the rare, wonderful moments we share together. At least once, I just want us to mate like we normally would..."

"So...what you're saying is..."

She walked forward then, bending down as she raised her rear to him, flipping up her tail in the process and showing off the extent of her arousal to him. Instantly, her familiar, unique, arousing, musky odor began to emanate, filling the air and wafting into Alex's flaring nostrils, turning the rusty gears of instinct that all animals and humans have, building up his arousal and threatening to seize control from his awareness on an instinctual level. He now understood what Spyro meant by losing control and feeling as if he was violently mating...almost raping her, because those violent, primordial urges began to arise, remnants from a long-passed and long-forgotten time where the female went into heat and was forcefully mated to the Alpha Male to prove his dominance and superiority. Her eyes were pleading, expectant, "Let's just do this normally...okay?"

"That's fine with me..." and he mounted her, entering immediately and finding it odd that she seemed tighter, and with more resistance than normal...but he figured that it was his enlarged self. It took awhile to reach the moment, both were still sleepy. Also, Alex's endeavors with Dash were still very recent, and he was still in his recovery period. However, he pressed on, and once he reached the point where his arousal became very clear, Cynder sighed at the sheer size of him, her experienced reproductive system not used to his new form. He also went slowly, gently, not wanting to harm her, relishing in the contact and enjoying that she was, for once, taking their relationship seriously.

With her usual sly and dominant facade put aside, he realized that she was actually very shy, and almost reluctant, for them to do this. Several times he offered to stop, so as to ease her discomfort, but she just shook her head, saying, "No...please continue...I want this...I want you."

Only nodding in reply, he still moved slowly, afraid of hurting her.

"Alex..." she began.

"Yeah?"

She was breathing heavily, her entire body was hot beneath his touch, and as she kissed him, her breath was hot and steamy against his mouth, "I..." she said, shuddering, "I..."

"What?" and he realized that he was beginning to move faster now, he was reaching the point of climax. She did the same, rocking backwards against him, briefly moaning as her natural, hot lubricant splashed across him, making it easier on them both.

"I...I...I love you..." she whispered, and they both reached climax at the same time, collapsing beside each other as Cynder, for a brief few minutes until they had completely calmed and settled down, wormed her way into his outstretched limbs, pressing her hot, slick, sweaty body against his, her musky odor first intensifying, then quickly dissipating. Her heart beat quickly against his body, and he could tell by the way she acted that she truly did love him...that she _did _in fact, hold him on a level close to, even if still below, Spyro.

"I love you, too, Cynder..." he replied.

Her body twitched and her muscles spasmed, and he realized she was crying. He stroked and scratched her gently, concentrating on the very base of her tail, an extremely sensitive part of her body, and one that he knew she liked to have touched. However, it was slick, and when he looked at his hoof, he saw blood smeared. Suddenly worried, he observed her, watching as blood ran from her body.

"Cynder! A...are you okay?"

"I'm fine..." she said, smiling sadly.

"I...I hurt you..."

"No," and she abruptly shook her head, "No you didn't."

"But you're bleeding!"

"I know..."

"What...how?"

"Alex...I healed..."

"What?"

"I healed it...I healed my body..."

"What...so I basically..."

She nodded, "Yes, deflowered once again," and he suddenly realized why she seemed so much tighter than normal...and why that barrier seemed to have reappeared. He had figured that he was just prodding the wrong area, as he wasn't used to the size and shape of her reproductive tunnel after so much elapsed time since their previous mating, and his now-changed form.

"Why? Why would you do that?"

"To prove to you that you are, indeed, my mate, and not some second-placer used only for the truly dirty acts."

"You didn't need to prove yourself..."

"I felt...guilty...for all the disturbing acts I put you through," she said, sitting up and looking down, watching as blood continued to run from between her rear legs, "So...I basically made myself a virgin once again...to be broken in by you. Consider it as an apology..."

"You didn't have..."

"Yes, I did," she replied, interrupting him, "Alex...we really are mates. Even if we've been treating each other like 'friends with benefits'...we really are mates...and I love you..."

"Cynder..."

"I love you..." and she hugged him, kissing him softly.

"I...I love you, too..."

"I feel like I haven't been keeping up my end of the bargain in terms of frequency of our mating..."

"Cynder...we knew it would only be an occasional thing when it happened. Hell, we didn't...or at least _I _didn't...expect it to last longer than the week we were allowed."

"It wasn't supposed to..."

"Then how..."

"I talked to Spyro the day when he came back. I told him that, regardless of the species difference, or the fact that he had gotten to me first, regardless of _anything_, you were still my mate. I basically told him that we were going to keep up our little affair, whether he liked it or not. As long as he has Ember, he has two mates to please, and we exchanged an eye for an eye. He has two mates, and I have two mates, it is only fair."

"But Ember is with Flame now, she is no longer with Spyro."

"Yes, but that is of their own choosing. They could always go back to each other if they wanted to. Technically, they _still _have to, even though they don't and probably won't. I'll be damned if I'm gonna treat you the same way. Alex...you are my mate, and so, you will be treated as such. Besides, Spyro's sex drive is beginning to die down...I don't know why...I just know that it is. He isn't as...eager...or excited as he was. I think it's probably because that we do it so often that it's not fun anymore. If we take it slow, or go on a hiatus for awhile, the drive will return...but I don't really know for sure, neither does he. Don't tell him I told you this, however, he is extremely embarrassed by it. Even if I'm not always available, and I understand that you already have one mate, and will soon have another to deal with...if you can manage a late night or early morning wake-up call, let me know, and you can have me. If you wake up, feeling a little aroused from a sexy dream, and either you don't want to wake Dash or Sarah, or both are simply not in the mood...just let me know. I am always open to you..." and she walked towards the balcony, looking towards the _Fiernes Curtain_ again, "You are my mate. I understand that. Because of what we did, even if there wasn't any serious intentions...we are still together. You may not have claimed my virginity...until tonight...but I did claim yours. My body is yours...and I will always take you in my arms. You know that...don't you?" and she turned to face him, a worried look on her beautiful face.

"Of course..."

"Good," and she looked away again, "I'm sorry..."

"For what?"

"For all the disgusting things I put you through...do you forgive me?"

"Cynder, you don't need to apologize."

"I promise, if you will continue to be with me...I promise that I will either stop completely or at least restrict the amount of experimentation we do. It's not fun or enjoyable, for either party, if both are not wanting it and only one is. If you don't want something, just tell me. I won't be offended, and I'm always open for the standard procedure."

Alex nodded, "Okay."

"And thank you..."

"For what?"

She turned to face him, smiling, her eyes shining in the light of the _Curtain_, "Just...for being you," and she walked back towards the entrance into Club Camelot. Pausing in the doorway to say, "I love you, very much, and I always will. Despite what you might think, and even though Spyro is my primary...no...there is no preference...even if he is my _first_ mate, and you are my second, you still hold a very cherished, special place in my heart, and I would be as heartbroken if something happened to you, as I would be if something happened to Spyro."

"Does Spyro know you are thinking this?"

"Yes...in fact, he's been thinking the exact same thing. He's actually the one that suggested I talk to you about this. I told him I would...but I've been, I guess, nervous to."

"You don't need to be nervous around me."

"I know," and she smiled at him again, her loving, tender, warm, caring smile, "But I can't help it."

"Is this whole talk related to the...conversation him and I had earlier today?"

"In part, yes. I know you are just, for the purpose of some mild humor, bringing up that little...incident between you two...but it is something that really hurt him, traumatized him. As funny as it sounds, I'm dead serious. I know you aren't too pleased to bring up the memory either...but please do me a favor and refrain from talking about it, ever again. I don't care what feelings you have on it, or if you _do _shelter a certain...attraction...to him, just don't bring it up again, please."

"Sorry, I won't."

"I trust you," as she walked towards the door again, she paused in the doorway one final time, "Oh, and one last thing..."

"Yeah..."

"If you _do_...love him..." and she paused for a few moments, "I...guess...you can continue _something _with him...but be careful not to bring it up around anyone here, especially Piermont. Despite how much of a hardass he is, he, like most guys, _does _have his own share of homosexual attractions. For a straight male, they are far and few between, but most everybody has that _one _instance where they feel...attracted...to another of the same sex. I understand that you, being a scaly, might have that attraction to Spyro...and I'm starting to wonder if he has that same attraction towards you."

"Huh?"

"Let's just say that there have been certain...dreams...that have spawned as I sleep. I doubt they radiate from anyone else, and I _know _they don't radiate from me, centered between you and him. Him and I seem to be the only ones experiencing these sexy dreams, but I don't bring up the topic, although I feel that he knows that I know about them."

"You just said not to bring anything up with him."

"I wouldn't because, like I said, those memories...and his apparent tendencies towards you...are something that he can't help and that he is _extremely _self-conscious towards. If he, hypothetically speaking, brings up the subject to you, I will say nothing if you pursue an occasional relationship, but I don't want to know about it, and I strongly suggest you keep it under the cuff. Don't let the camera crews that follow us all around find out, and don't let _anyone _know."

"I don't necessarily approve or feel aroused at the idea of gay sex."

"Neither does he..." she began, "But I have a feeling..."

"What?"

"...That the whole...'incident' might have held a certain...appeal...to him."

"You're not saying that there may be future attempts at 69'ing...are you?" and he groaned.

"I don't know, and I'm not saying anything, remember? If you _do _continue anything, just...keep it occasional and completely, 100% private. I wouldn't tell anybody, not Dash, not Terrias, not Terrance, not me, and _especially_, not Piermont. If you _do _have remote feelings for him...I understand. Remember, I'm the one who found a certain fondness in the few adventures I had with Ember..." and she blushed fiercely, "That was _my _onegay...or I guess one lesbian...experience. I also want to share a little secret with you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay?"

"Right...and I promise."

"Ember and I...we still do occasionally partake in things...usually, it's just masturbating together, or 69'ing, we even scissor each other sometimes...but both of us don't tell anyone."

"Mind if I ask when the last time was?"

"If you're gonna get off on the thought, hell naw," and although she grinned mischievously, she was still blushing deeply.

"Not at all..."

"Okay then...we actually just did it again earlier today."

"Really? When?"

"In between Fuels and Electrical, while you guys were out eating...did you notice I disappeared for a while?"

"No..."

"Good then...I'm sneaky like that."

"Is it every day?"

"No, not really, more like once every week or two. Sometimes a little more frequent...but always when we can manage to slip out unnoticed."

"So what...you're giving me permission to continue a gay relationship with Spyro?" and he raised an eyebrow in mockery.

"I'm saying that you can if you _want _to, I just don't want to know about it. The less I know, the better, and I'm gonna leave this conversation with the thought that you will laugh me away and realize that it won't happen. Truthfully, deep down inside, though, I have a nagging feeling that it's going to happen...I may not be _that _smart, but I do see your relationship with him growing beyond normal friendship and even beyond 'bromance' if you know what I mean."

"Bullshit."

"That's what I thought and expected you to say...but I overheard your little sex conversation with him earlier, and I think he was...quite interested in it...but I digress. What happens happens, just...keep it to yourselves, and please keep my secret safe, okay?"

Alex nodded, "You can trust me."

"I know I can..." and she left back inside.

He stayed outside for a few more minutes, mulling over everything that he and Cynder had talked about and watching as the sun slowly began to rise in the east. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he returned to the darkness of Club Camelot, managing to slip past the still-sleeping Alpha Company and sneak back into bed with Dash, an hour before their alarms went off, waking them for the day.

Cynder's mood towards Alex was noticeably different. She was much more…clingy, choosing to hang around him much more often, confusing Dash as well as the rest of Alpha Company. Several times, Piermont used the dragoness' newfound attraction to the Commander as a way to mock Spyro, but the purple dragon said nothing…he knew why she was doing it. "What's wrong with Cynder, Spearow?" the emerald-colored forest dragon asked in a mocking tone, "You're not good enough for her anymore?"

"Piss off you little piece of shit," he remarked, "She's keeping up with her responsibilities."

"Huh?" and the dragon turned to face her, she nodded in reply.

"He's telling the truth," she replied, "It's time I treat Alex the way I should…"

"Whoa…" he remarked, "Deep shit."

"Shut up, Pierre," Alex replied with a sigh.

"So what, she's actually treating you like a mate _should _now? What changed between you two?"

"None of your damn business," he replied unhappily.

"Christ, don't need to be a dick…"

"What I do in the comfort of my bedroom is not your business."

"Whoa…so you guys are _still _bangin'each other?"

"Yeah, what's it to ya?"

"Holy crap…I thought your little affair was supposed to be over _long _before now."

"It was…" Cynder began, "But then I realized it wouldn't change the fact that he's my mate, and so, I believe that I should still continue to treat him as such."

"Hmph," Piermont replied unhappily, "Lucky bastard, Alex."

"What?"

"You have _two _mates! About to have _two _mates _and_ a wife! You lucky bastard!"

"It's actually hard work," the Commander replied, "Cause now I have _three _girls to please. I don't have that much strength and stamina!"

"Oh…good point," and then he grinned widely, "Dumbass! How in the hell are you gonna pull _that _one off?"

He shrugged, "I'll figure it out eventually."

"Sucks to be _you_," and he laughed as he walked away.

"What a dick," Cynder said.

"Yeah, no shit."

The day continued on as normal, although he was still less than overjoyed about being transformed into a horse, he had decided to make the most of it, and was allowing Dash to train him on how to fight in his current form. Several times she bested him, and he wondered if she was enjoying defeating him continuously. Still, he persisted, and soon he found himself on a level just barely beneath the quadrupeds of Alpha Company. Once he began to prove that he could hold his own against the ponies, some of the bipedal members decided to test his limits, their primary choice as a competitor first being Terrance, as he still relatively new in his fighting style. Once he defeated the treecko, he found his next opponent to be Spyro's protégé, Spike, and after _he _was defeated, Alex was finally matched against Terrias, who had proven that he was among the most superior in his fighting style.

Alex struggled, especially once they reached swordplay, but in the end, he managed to gain the upper hand and defeat the servine. Once Terrias knelt to the ground in defeat, Dash stepped forward, saying, "Well done! You learn quick."

"Yeah, I'd hope so," Alex replied, awkwardly standing up, "Fuck this quadrupedal shit..." and he groaned, "Can't walk up stairs, can't stand, keep tripping over my own damn feet."

"Yet you can still kick ass in hand-to-hand combat," Cynder replied.

"I got lucky."

"Whatever you say, Ali, whatever you say."

"Ali..." he smirked, "Where in the hell did that name come from anyway?"

"Would you rather be called 'Al'?" Piermont asked with a mischievous grin, "Cause that just makes you sound fat, we can call you 'Big Al' if you want."

"Yeah...fuck you. Besides, 'Al' is more for 'Albert' than 'Alex'."

"Right, but we can call you 'Alexander'...or better yet, 'Alexandria'."

"_Hell _no!"

"Why? Don't want to be named after your capital city?"

"Nope, nope, nope, . There is now way in _hell _I'm being called 'Alexandria', that's a chick's name. If I'm gonna be called Alexander, then tag 'the Great' onto it."

"You ain't a king," Piermont said, crossing his arms and chuckling, "You're just a military commander."

"How noble..." and Alex nodded in approval.

"Nah, you aren't the _good _kind, you're like Fidel Castro."

"Hey," and Alex's demeanor suddenly darkened, "That's not even funny."

Piermont raised in hands in surrender, backing away, "Fine, fine! Jesus...don't shit a brick..."

They trudged along to Political Science, being held on Main Campus. This was the only class they had on Main Campus that neither member of Alpha Company was worried about. Their teacher, although a master at maintaining a neutral appearance, was, in fact, strongly Conservative, and supported the Terminator Militia and their cause. Almost every member of the program was enrolled in the class at the same time as Alpha Company, and they all were in class together. five or six Main Campus students were also in that class, but only two of them were obvious on their political leanings...both liberal. One of the students also had taken a certain fondness to Alpha Company, specifically the ponies, and it wasn't hard for them to find out that he was part of the 'brony' movement. Any time they saw him, he was trying to flirt with Twilight, but she didn't seem to take an interest in him, in fact, she didn't take an interest in anybody.

Two other members didn't seem to give a care in the world and rarely paid attention or talked to anybody about anything. They didn't even talk between each other, they spent all of their time sleeping, listening to music, or on their smart phones. Making the class even more enjoyable was that one of the students, an Egyptian Muslim, constantly bashed the Terminators and the Christians, and Alex, supported by nearly everyone else in the class, were quick to go on the offensive. Even the teacher defended Alpha Company against her, much to her chagrin. Today, however, Alex was grinning mischievously as he entered the classroom, he had a surprise waiting for them.

One by one, the diesel kids walked in and took their seats, and five minutes before class officially started, everyone was seated and ready to go. As the teacher, Anthony Perlman, who they just called 'Tony', closed the door and prepared to begin the class, there was a faint squealing sound from outside, and scratching on the door. The students all looked in confusion towards the door, and Alex said, "Oh, my bad, I'll get it."

As he opened the door, Viktor flew in, squawking unhappily and flying around the room. It landed abruptly on the Egyptian's shoulder, and she screamed out, diving for cover as she tried to shake Alex's crobat off of her. "Viktor! To me!"

The crobat's ears pricked, and it squawked once, turning to face its master before it rose into the air, flapping over to Alex and landing on top of his head where the Pokemon crooned in joy before nuzzling Alex's muzzle.

"What...what _is _that thing!?" the other liberal girl exclaimed, cowering from the crobat who glared anxiously at her.

"It's called a crobat," Alex replied, "Ain't he cute?"

"It...it...it's _disgusting_!" the Egyptian girl replied, "Kill it!"

"Aww, he's just my little pet."

"Please put it away, Alex," Perlman said, struggling not to laugh, "Before she wets herself."

"I think I already did..." she replied.

"_Giggity_!" Piermont exclaimed in a voice, perfectly matching Quagmire's. The entire class broke out in laughter, and everyone save Alpha Company looked around to figure out who had said it.

"Who said that?" the girl asked, "I'll castrate the boy who said that to me."

Discreetly ducking in his chair and covering his mouth with the palm of his gloved hand, Sonic said, also perfectly imitating Glen Quagmire, "Giggity_GOO!_"

"Stop that!" the girl hissed, "It's not funny!"

"Oh honey, it's very funny!" Piermont replied again, this time in an imitation of Elvis Presley.

The girl, confused as to who was speaking, angrily looked around the room, glare of pure hatred and rage in her eyes. Of course, nobody revealed the truth, and even then, only Alpha Company knew who _exactly_ was doing it, the diesel boys knew that _someone _from Alpha Company was saying it, but they didn't know _who _exactly. After a few more moments, Alex returned Viktor to his pokeball and put it inside of the backpack thrown across him.

"_Chyort_!" he hissed, "I still feel like a pack mule..."

"Stop bitching," Piermont replied, "If it is _so damn _demeaning, then take it off."

About halfway through class, Perlman called a break Alex, Dash, and Terrias took this time to further train Alex how to fight as a horse. Spyro watched them, occasionally dropping hints and tidbits of advice to the Commander or complimenting on his actions, sometimes, he would interrupt the training session to show an example of a specific move that the other two were trying to teach him. Spike, Spyro's recently graduated protege, watched the whole event, taking mental notes as to how improve his _own _quadrupedal fighting style, as he was trained in both four-legged and two-legged combat.

Having completed a rear-legged roundhouse kick, Alex stumbled weakly, pausing to catch his breath.

"Well done!" Dash, who was hovering, replied, clapping, "Now, let's see you take on a _real _battle!"

"What?" Alex replied, sweat dripping down his brow, looking up and grinning, "You gonna show your _true _power to me?"

"You cannot comprehend the true form of my attack!" Dash replied.

Sonic smirked, "EarthBound reference...nice one."

"Bring it on," Alex replied, lowering his head as if going to charge. He snorted, puffs of steam emerging from his nostrils.

"Ura!" Dash exclaimed, and she charged forward at an incredible speed, broadsiding Alex and causing them both to tumble to the ground. Both were quick on their feet, Dash delivering a constant barrage of attacks and Alex narrowly dodging each one, before finally being knocked aside by a roundhouse from her. He hit the ground, hard, on his side, sliding into the wall, and Alex, disoriented, stood up, shaking off his disorientation before proceeding to dodge a stream of elemental attacks launched by the Pegasus. She somersaulted in midair before smashing down into the ground, causing the ground to buckle and a large, jagged stone to jut from the earth. She kicked this, sending it flying Alex's way. He dodged it, and Dash did this move again, this time sending three different stones, all side-by-side, towards him. He dodged these before shattering a fourth that she had sent at him. When the dust cleared and he still stood, she user her hydrokinesis to summon a mist into the air, a thick mist that limited visibility to near zero. Groping around in the whiteness, he heard a hissing sound and barely managed to avoid a large tongue of flame that shot from the mist. More and more of these flames added into the mix, and when the ground began to shake, as if a drill was beneath him, Alex leaped into the air, hovering as another large stone passed by beneath him.

He laughed, "C'mon, Dash! Ya gotta try better than tha-" before he was knocked out of the sky by a powerful gust of wind.

Now grounded, he was struck by another stone, and flames grazed his side. On the ground now, writhing in pain, he closed his eyes, relaxing as he placed a hoof to the ground. Instantly, he reached out with his mind, and out of the blackness that he saw, a chalk outline of the world around him panned out from his form, showing him where Dash was, and her next attack. Effortlessly, he dodged, utilizing this amazing...and difficult to master...ability of telepathic perception to predict where and when Dash was going to attack, as well as identifying where exactly she was. He used this ability, dodging Dash with astounding reflexes, and once the Pegasus was exhausted, he countered, hitting her hard and quick. "What the-?" she began, unable to finish her sentence before a loud exclamation of "_Oof!_" and she went flying back, hitting the ground and rolling to a stop. Alex stood above her, preparing for any more tricks that she might have. She held her hooves to her face, "Okay! Okay! I'm done! I'm done!"

Alex, wary of a sly final attack from his mate, helped her up, and she stretched, rubbing the back of her head, "You okay?" he asked.

"Ow...I think you won."

"I'd hope so...if not, we can always go _Round 2_."

"Nuh-uh! _Hell _no! You hurt when you're intent."

"C'mon now! Even when practicing swordsmanship, you won't leave without a few bruises and broken bones."

"Still...you're tough and you're always hurting me, man. Not cool, yo."

Grinning mischievously, "I don't _always _hurt you."

"Yeah you do!"

"When?"

"Well, let's see...you hurt me last night when we had se..."

Alex quickly covered her mouth, "Se-ome serious swordplay..." he finished, interrupting her, "Yeah...I know, my bad, I forgot."

Dash, rolling her eyes, abruptly bit down on his hoof, causing him to hiss in pain and recoil. Wiping her mouth of blood, she said, "You say as if nobody here knows about us!"

"No need to fuel the flames..." and he glanced towards the non-diesel students...the _outsiders_...who were in the class with them, "They don't know."

"D'aww _fuck_! You think they're really all _that _concerned about our relationship?"

"If I turn back into a human...yeah."

"But you _aren't _a human, you're an alicorn, I'm a Pegasus. What happens between us right now is completely, 100% normal. Animals breed, it's what we do."

"Yes, but they know that I'm _really _a human...just...temporarily trapped her. They still see me as a human, only looking a tad bit different. If news were to get to them that we're mates...they might still view it as a human boning a horse..."

Rainbow Dash glared at him.

"Sorry, a _winged _horse."

And he grinned playfully as she punched him in the shoulder, "You're so mean! I'm a Pegasus, _a_ _Pe-ga-sus_," and she nodded, shaking him.

"I wuvs you."

"Fuck you!" but she hugged him anyway.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" he whispered to her.

"Oh yes, yes I would."

Attention away from them now, he slowly reached down to stroke her, but she smacked his hoof, "Nuh-uh! No touching! But..." and she whispered into his ear, "Ask me again tonight..." and she winked.

She walked away, mischievous grin on her face, and Alex closed his eyes, turning his head to the sky, "Think of something disgusting...think of something disgusting..."

Once the threatening tightening of his loins receded, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Close call," Spyro said from behind him, and Alex turned to see Spyro and Cynder.

"How would you know?"

"I know you, and I know Dash, plus, I know how easy it is to drawn a boner from you, so yes, I knew what was gonna happen."

"Don't worry," Cynder began, "When I saw that you and Dash were having a moment..."

"We manipulated everybody's minds and turned their attention away from you, so you could have your thirty seconds of privacy," Spyro finished.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Cause you've done that for me and Cynder...so I thought I'd return the favor. Besides, the entire class doesn't need to know that you and Dash are planning on more sexual escapades...sexcapades...tonight."

"Thanks, then."

"No problem, man," and Spyro clapped him on the flank, walking away. Alex turned and watched the two dragons walk back to their seats, and the conversation he had with Cynder earlier that morning returned to his mind.

_God I hope I'm really not getting horny on that idea... _he thought. _Me and Spyro...?_

He was suddenly alarmed when that all-too-familiar tightening of his loins returned, and abruptly turned his mind away from the subject, finally returning to the topic once the feeling had dissipated.

_Impossible... _and he shook his head abruptly, _Me and Spyro are not...we're _not_ gay, and we're _not_ bi, not for anyone...and _ESPECIALLY _not for each other. What happened then was an accident, it wasn't our fault, we were forced to...and neither of us liked it _then_! So what should change _now_? _then, after several moments of silence,_ Still though..._ he thought, _What would it be like if we _weren't _being threatened? Would we enjoy it? Would we...I dunno..._

This time, when the feeling returned, he let it be, stealthily manipulating everyone to pay him...or his rather large, exposed self, no mind.

_What happens, happens I guess..._ he thought, _Maybe...maybe we'll try it again...just one more time. If we _willingly _do it together, we can do it without worrying about death if we fuck it up. Then, if we _enjoy _it, we can do what Cynder and Ember do...if we _don't_...then we don't, and we never do or mention it again...yeah... _and he nodded, _That might work...then again... _and he imagined what it would be like. Horrific memories of their forced encounter flooded his mind, _Maybe not...I dunno, I'll think about _it...he finished, setting the subject aside for now, he returned his full attention to class.

Come Math 131, Alpha Company, tailed by the other diesel kids, wandered into the classroom. Paulus, eyebrow stitched and bandaged, glared angrily at Terrias, Piermont, and Spyro, giving the alicorn Alex a look of confusion. "Oh hi!" Spyro said cheerfully, "I'm ready for class Mr. Professor Teacher!"

This only made his eyes narrow even more.

"He seems like a cruel person," Trixie remarked, "And _boring_."

Class went by relatively smoothly, and to end their week (they didn't have to attend for the rest of the week, thanks to high schoolers who were coming to shadow the next day), they relaxed just outside of the diesel building, talking amongst themselves.

"Yo, Alex!" Dash called, "I'll race ya! Three laps around the whole city!"

The Commander smirked, "Okay, I'll just kick your ass."

"We'll see about that, won't we?"

Zig came out and drew a line across the parking lot in chalk, waiting as Alex and Dash both lined up.

"So," Dash began, "What's the reward if _I _win?"

Alex thought about it, then said, "I'll be your sex slave for the rest of this little...transformation."

"Ooh!" Zig began, "It's getting _spicy _hot in here, somebody turn down the heat."

"Sounds fair," and the Pegasus grinned.

"Now...what if _I _win?"

"I'll offer up the same prize."

"So we have a deal then?"

Dash spit on her hoof, extending it. Alex repeated this and they shook hooves, "May the best Pegasus win!" she said.

"Ura!" Alex replied.

"Ready?" Zig began, "3...2...1..._GO!_"

At the sound of a whistle by their instructor, both of them launched into the air, speeding forward. In an instant, Dash was far ahead of her mate, leaving a rainbow-colored trail. _Haha! _she thought at her mate, _You haven't even _tasted _the true power of my sonic rainboom and I've already left a trail of dust far ahead of you!_

_Don't get cocky now, girl, I _will _win!_

_Such cockiness for a loser like you!_

_Oh, you are _so _gonna pay once I catch up!_

_Try and catch me then, sucker! Instead of staying back there and playin' with yourself, I need you to hold that until tonight!_

_Ura! _Alex cried, streamlining his body as he increased his speed, hoping to pull off Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom. Soon, he could see a cyan speck ahead of him, glowing in the light of the sinking sun, and he increased his speed, realizing that he was almost upon her.

Dash, who was rolling along at a comfortable speed, looked back, a winning grin on her face. However, she did a double-take, saying, "Huh?" once she spotted the brick-red fur of her mate, blue eyes intent on catching up and winning, approaching her. "_Shit!_" she hissed, "Not on _my _watch!"

Streamlining her body even more, she began to see the air in front of her condense and form a cone, already she could tell she was reaching the sound barrier. She moved faster, wanting to reach that sonic boom, and cheered silently (she couldn't speak) as she finally broke through, creating a deafening sonic boom and zooming past 'W' building, the displaced air almost sending the spectating Alpha Company and diesel boys falling to the ground as she completed her first lap. Having lost sight of her, Alex swore and streamlined his body as well as he could. Soon, he began to see the sound barrier become visible, and his heart took an adrenaline charge as, excited, he realized that he was about to pull of a sonic rainboom. His excitement temporarily distracted him, and he abruptly lost over half of his speed. However, he recovered quickly and continued on, a red blur zipping past all of the skyscrapers. Within moments, he crossed the finish line, completing his first lap. Finally, he broke the sound barrier, speeding forward as Dash came into view once more. Intent on catching up, he made sure to remain in her blind spots, and soon, he was upon her. They completed their second lap in unison, and Alex, realizing that the cyan Pegasus was catching on, rose into the air, reaching the stratosphere, the bitter cold wind momentarily sending shock into his body. He fought it, recovering quickly, and picked up speed, catching up to Dash and maintaining her speed as he looked down, spying her flying directly below him, a quarter of a mile away. As they reached one of the U of I's apartment complexes, he folded his wings and dropped down like a stone, plowing into the startled Pegasus and sending them both into a tailspin. For several minutes, they remained latched together, losing speed and altitude at an alarming pace, "_Ack! _What the _hell _are you _DOING!?_" she hissed, "You'll kill us _BOTH!_"

"Nonsense!" he replied, "This is fun!"

"You _cheater! _You're fuckin' cheating!"

"I love you, too!" and he laughed as he tried to break away...but couldn't. His face adopted a grim outlook, and he instantly sobered.

"What?" she asked with alarm, and worried, "What's wrong?" she then tried to squirm free, but their manes were tangled, as were their wings, and they were firmly locked together. Their struggling and panic broke their concentration, and they began to fall from the sky at dangerous speeds. Realizing that a direct impact would kill both of them, Alex, thinking quickly, decided to take a more painful, but less fatal, method of landing. He evened their intertwined bodies just a small bit, making their near-vertical fall into a twenty degree descent. "_HOLD ON!_" he hissed.

"What are you _doing_?" she asked as he rotated them until he was on the bottom.

"Saving your life!" he howled, and he squeezed his eyes shut, praying as he slammed into the ground. They landed like a plane on an airstrip, smacking into the ground and sliding across the grass, leaving a massive drag mark and crater in the soft soil. They somersaulted uncontrollably upon landing, the movements dislodging them as Alex broke free from them, the now-numb and nearly unconscious Commander slamming into one of the apartment buildings, smashing into a wall and instantly blacking out, his last sight being a large bookcase falling forward on top of him...

Dash was more fortunate, with Alex having taken most of the initial shock, she was thrown around, eventually sliding to a rest in a lake on the outskirts of the complex as she surface, climbing onto the banks and collapsing into unconsciousness.

_The field...Alex was in the field...the field of grasses..._

_The sun was frozen high in the sky, warm beams of sunlight heating his exposed back and shoulders. He walked, barefoot, through the tall, emerald field, dragging his hand through the silky soft blades of grass..._

"Is it okay?" a voice said, sounding faint and distant, but soon coming closer, "I...Is it still _alive_?"

Alex's eyes shot open, scaring the two young collegians, a male and female, who jumped back at his sudden awakening. He looked around, still laying down, realizing that he was in a crater, inside of an apartment. A burning, busted bookcase was laying across him, books were scattered around adding fuel to the flames. He heard the whoosh of a fire extinguisher, and he coughed as the chilling chemicals covered his body. He stood on weak legs, looking around, dazed and disoriented. He could feel the tickle of electricity as his wounds healed, and he saw three collegians, two males and a female, staring at him in shock. One of the males was holding a fire extinguisher, and finally gathering his breath and voice, he asked, "Dash? Where's Rainbow Dash?"

The girl screamed and ran away from the talking horse, the other two males likewise did the same, and Alex, frightened and worried, as well as dazed and confused, wandered out from the large breach he had created, immediately seeing the massive craters and drag marks from where he and his mate had landed. He walked across the rut, vision blurring and clearing, blurring and clearing, as if he was seeing through a camera lens, struggling to autofocus. Although red specks dotted his vision, and he could only see the very center of his line of vision, he could hear the panicked, anxious voices of the complexes residents. He couldn't make out their words, but he knew they were talking about him.

Eventually, he reached the end of the makeshift runway, spying Dash, unconscious and bloodied, laying in the reeds of the lake. He immediately collapsed by her side, healing her wounds as he pulled the brush from around here. She groaned, moving slowly as she stood up, holding and shaking her head, coughing up dirt and blood. "Fuck..." she slurred... "Alex? Alex!" now fully aware, she righted herself, kneeling to catch the collapsing Commander and bucking him onto her back. "You okay?" she asked, looking at him, her shining amethyst eyes full of worry, healing a bloody cut across her brow.

"Ar...tur...fu..." he slurred.

"Don't worry, just stay with me," and her eyes furrowed in intention. "Stay awake," she said firmly, but he blacked out.

When next he awoke, slowly this time, he caught glimpses of Dash, breathing heavily, limping towards a distant building that he soon identified as 'W' wing. He began to see shapes heading towards them, and each time he opened his eyes, his vision cleared. Eventually, he opened his eyes to see that he and Dash were flanked on either side by various Terrias, Spyro, Sonic, Cheet, Simba, and Rudolph. Ahead, he could see a worried Piermont, now in his dragon form, standing beside a stunned Twilight, and a sickly-looking Spike, wobbling unsteadily.

"Help me!" Dash said, out of breath, "I can't...hold him much longer!"

As Shadow, Knuckles, and Tails ran up to him, he blacked out again.

"Uh...so much blood..." whispered a faint, muffled voice.

"Be quiet, Spike," the irritated-sounding whispers of Twilight replied, a little clearer.

"I...I can't watch..." Spike replied, and Alex could hear him running off, vomiting somewhere away from them.

"Easy now..." the soothing voice of Cheet said, echoing and distant. Alex's eyes slowly opened, revealing an orange blur standing directly above him. Each time he blinked, his vision became clearer until it finally focused, revealing a concerned Cheet standing over him. "That's it..." Cheet replied in that still-soothing tone, "Easy does it."

Groaning, Alex tried to stand, abruptly losing his balance and falling forward once again, knocking a glass of water Terrias was handing him out of his hand. The glass shattered on the pavement and his hoof slid across the water-covered pavement, getting road burns at the same time. "Careful!" an alert-sounding Dash exclaimed, "Damn it, Spyro! Be more careful!"

"Slow down, buddy," Sonic said, extending a gloved hand. Alex grabbed it and began to sit up, "Easy now," the hedgehog continued.

"Not too fast, Alex, there we go," Cheet said.

Once sitting up, Alex blinked away the intensified light from the setting sun, soon gaining his bearings and finding himself surrounded by the lions, the cheetahs, Rudolph, Sonic, Tails, Twilight, Dash, Spyro, Cynder, and Terrias and Aria.

"You okay, man?" Sonic asked.

"Urgh..." Alex slurred, "The hell happened?"

Dash shoved the hedgehog aside, quickly embracing the Commander, almost toppling him again, "Are you okay?" she asked anxiously.

"Fine..." he mumbled, his voice clearing.

"You took one _hell _of a nasty landing," Spyro replied, looking between Dash and Alex, "You both did."

"Head...hurts..."

"Heh..." Sonic replied, "Not surprised, here, take a look," and the hedgehog handed him a pocket mirror. Glancing at his reflection, Alex saw a gruesome sight. His face was covered in road burns, his nose and mouth were bleeding profusely, and the flesh on his forehead had been peeled back, directly to the clean, white surface of bone. Vomiting himself, especially since the pain made him sick anyway, he watched as blue sparks danced all across his body, healing his various wounds. He felt a sharp, but brief, pain stab into his forelimb, and he cried out, looking and seeing Tails giving him a shot of a jade-green liquid, the mutation serum.

"There," Tails said, "That should help keep you from healing yourself to death."

"Jesus..." Simba began, "What the hell happened?"

"Yeah," Cheet asked, "We heard a big boom all the way here!"

"We...crashed..." the Commander said weakly, "I had...pounced...upon Dash, intending to gain the advantage and..."

"We got all tangled up and crash landed, wasn't fun...didn't feel too good either," the Pegasus finished, finishing healing her own now-minor wounds as Tails gave her a shot of the serum as well.

"So..." Alex replied with a weak grin, "Wh...who won?"

Dash looked at him sympathetically, "Let's just say it was a tie...deal?"

Alex nodded, "Fine...urgh...don't feel too good..."

"The nausea will pass," Rapid said, "I might not be trained as a medic exactly...but I _did _pick up a few things from Sergeant Crash..."

"I learned _some _on how to heal," Tails replied, putting the used syringes into a pack he carried, "Not much...but _some_."

"Thank God for medics..." and Alex fell backwards, much to the alarm of his surrounding compatriots. The impact, although not severe, sent pain shooting through his body, and he grimaced before saying, "Don't worry," then, weak laugh turning into a cough, "I'm fine...just...tired."

"Byproduct of the mutation serum charge," Rapid said, "Now _that_ I know, and it will pass in a few hours...and after a good night's rest, I think it's time to go home. No sexcapades tonight, don't think your body can handle that sort of shock in it's current state...In fact, I don't know when it would even be _safe _to try. I'll take you to Fox, perhaps he can tell us if there is any serious damage."

"Urgh..._fuck_..."

"No shit..." Dash replied, "I don't feel too swell either...and...I'm not real horny anymore either."

Spike, stumbling and looking sick and uneasy, weakly shoved his way to the front of the crowd, slowly regaining his composure as he asked, "You okay, Alex?"

"Like I said...fine, just tired..."

Alpha Company backed away as Terrias and Rapid stepped forward, both placing their arms underneath his armpits and against his forelimbs, "Come," Terrias said, grunting as they lifted the Commander, "Rapid and I will take you to Fox."

"Cheet and I will take Rainbow Dash," Simba replied, and the duo supported the Pegasus, leading them to a kneeling Piermont.

"Think you can support five more, Pierre?" Rapid said with a grunt.

"No problem," the dragon replied, and he poked his head beneath Alex's stomach, gently lifting him up as Rapid and Terrias scaled the dragon's back, settling themselves and retrieving Alex, buckling him into the saddle between them.

"I can take Rainbow Dash, since my rider will not be coming with me," Arian replied, and Piermont nodded as Cheet and Simba settled themselves before reclaiming Dash and placing her between them.

With a grunt, Piermont leaped into the air, spreading his wings and circling once, breathing a blast of fire as he flew off to the north, disappearing in a flash of blue light. Arian, with a farewell roar, followed suit. With the two dragons gone, Alpha Company took up pursuit, teleporting away from the college, just as the sun finally disappeared fully beneath the western treeline.

"They'll both be fine," Fox whispered, looking towards Alex and Dash, both asleep beside each other in a hospital beds, "All they need to do is just lay back and chill out, avoid any strenuous activities, and they'll make a quick recovery...I went ahead and charged them up with the mutation serum again, just in case their bodies are healing any internal damage."

"What would you like me to place on the police report?" Gilda began, "Reckless flying?" and she laughed.

"If it will bring peace to your heart, go ahead, but the only 'police' here in New Alexandria are Terminator grunts, and they won't arrest their CO's. Anyway, it's time we leave them alone and let them sleep," once they had left the room and Fox had quietly closed the door, he turned to face Terrias, Cheet, Terrance, Gilda, and Spyro, the ones who had come, "Okay, so we'll have doctors check up on them periodically throughout the night, and we'll call you if anything comes up."

"Thanks, Fox," Spyro said with a sigh.

"No problem, Spy. Now, why don't you guys head back to Club Camelot and get some sleep, you guys look like shit."

"Hey, thanks," Terrias said, rolling his eyes, but he grinned and clapped the doctor on the back, "'Night, Fox."

"Goodnight, guys."

As soon as the four had entered the lobby, Cynder, Spike, Twilight, and Piermont were immediately up and dashing over to them. "So," Cynder asked, "What's the verdict?"

"They'll make a full recovery," Spyro said with a nod.

"As if that's any surprise?" Terrias replied, "Alpha Company is made of freaking juggernauts, it will take much more than a little crash landing to do any long-term damage."

"Still though..." Cynder replied, "You can never be _too _sure."

Terrias shrugged, "Point taken...I guess..."

"Either way, I'm tired, let's get back home, hmm?"

"Was thinking the _exact _same thing," Terrance replied, "So tired," and the treecko yawned.

_..."Shoot 'em up!" Alex exclaims, "Take no prisoners! Avenge Crash! SHOW NO MERCY ON THESE BASTARDS!"_

"_URA!" his team cries as they rush upstairs, blasting their way through heavy resistance as they advance towards a panic room on the third floor of the skyscraper. Around them, the halls are aflame, the building is completely engulfed in fire, and they move forward, leaping over a hole in the floor as they land with a somersault on the other side, quickly jumping back up and moving on, leaping over a collapsed girder._

"_Death to the _Maxia_!" he exclaims, "Death to them _ALL_!"_

_They reach a T-intersection, a dead end. Both ends of the intersecting hall are collapsed and Alex runs over to the wall, placing a breaching charge as he steps back to the side. In a loud explosion, chunks of plaster and wood blow past them, and a thick dust clings to the air. They move into the newly created breach, brutally massacring the alarmed _Maxian _grunts who were sleeping in here. They continue their quick sprint through the building, finally arriving at their destination as Alex kicks open a door and marches in. Immediately, the others in his party surround him, all training their assault rifles before them. Each rifle is equipped with a laser dot sight, and they are all in a small study. The perimeter of the room is lined with burning bookshelves, full of innumerable amounts of volumes. Directly in front of them is a solid oak desk situated before a bay window, the lace curtains of the window now burning, and most of the glass shattered. On the desk is a reading lamp, an open volume, and writing utensils, and a Victorian-style leather swivel chair is facing away from them towards the window. There emerges a hoarse clicking sound...a dry, raspy chuckle, and the chair turns around, revealing a man in gaudy garb, hands clasped together on his lap. The man, appearing in his late sixties or early seventies, chuckles, a foolish grin on his face, and he says, "I have been waiting for you, Commander."_

"_You will die, bitch!" Alex hisses, and the man laughs._

"_Son, I _will _die, but so will you," and he laughs again as he parts his gaudy cloak, revealing a hundred sticks of dynamite taped together with duct tape, attached to his chest. "We will all go down together!"_

_Alex, suddenly sobering, lowers his weapon, and everything clicks into slow motion as he screams, "RUN!"_

_Immediately, his crew jump into action as they quickly turn around and run like hell back towards the street. Behind him, they can hear the maniacal laughter of the Brotherhood Sage and a loud crack sounds. They feel the pressure wave blast into their backs, stumbling them, and they can hear the roar of fire as they the path before them glows from the fireball behind them. They can feel the heat against their backs as they run, and soon, the fire is upon them._

"_THROUGH THE WINDOW!" Alex screams, "NOW! That's our only chance to escape!"_

"_We'll be splattered on the street!" Piermont remarks._

_Alex replies, "We still stand a better chance than going all the way back to the front door! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!"_

_As they reached the window, the explosions sends them forward and off of their feet, blowing them through the window as they free fall from three stories up and to the bloody, fiery, crater-laden streets below. Alex shields his face, screaming as he hits the street on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He bounces into the air, bouncing several times before he finally rolls to a stop and onto his stomach. Around him, his companions also strike the street violently, blown out from the building by the explosion, and Alex, dazed, slowly stands as he look up toward the window they had just rocketed from. The trailing fireball blew out from the gaping hole, thick black smoke and smoldering embers rising into the air and raining down into the street..._

...Alex shot up, breathing heavily, sweat pouring down his face. Instantly, heat flashed in his face, and his dim vision became a tinted red. Eyes rolling like Vegas reels, he fell back in bed, waiting for the dizziness to past before he sat up again. He heard a rustling of bed sheets beside him, and he heard Dash whisper, "Alex? Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." he replied, "Fine..."

"Can't sleep either?"

"No..." he lied, "Not tired..."

"Neither am I," and Dash sat up, sliding aside the curtain dividing them. The two locked eyes for a moment, and Dash said, "Listen...about earlier..."

"I'm sorry," he said, "I shouldn't have tried to cheat like that."

Dash shrugged, "It's okay, I understand the want...the need...to win. Especially since your loving mate is so competitive?" and she chuckled quietly, "God...I hope the docs keepin' an eye on us can't hear us. I don't need to be dosed up on sedatives, and I have a feeling they would if they could."

"Nah, you see how we're surrounded by this curtain?"

"Yeah..."

"They can't see through it, they can't hear us, the only thing they _do _have access to is the readings on these machines, and even then, they'll only get them if they come in here. Sure the heart monitors are hooked up to an alarm that will go up if heart and breathing rates are too high or too low but..."

"Interesting..."

"Meh..."

They fell silent then, and Dash exhaled heavily, blowing a tuft of hair that had fallen across her eyes away. She sighed in annoyance, "Ugh...bored."

"Sorry to hear about that," and Alex laid down once again, staring up at the ceiling.

"PFft...bored...and horny."

Alex sat up on his elbows, raising an eyebrow at his mate, "You are a horny little devil, aren't you? God...Jazz was right," and he laughed, choosing to ignore the fact that his sworn enemy told him this tidbit of information, "You _do _have a sex drive equivalent to Spyro and Cynder."

"Hey, what can I say?" Dash said, shrugging, "I'm chock full of energy, plus, feels good."

"Yeah...I know," and he turned away from her.

"Yeah..." and Dash laid down once again, staring up at the ceiling. After several minutes of silence, she then sat up on her elbows, "Hey...Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"How fast does the breathing and heart rate have to be in order to set the machines off?"

Alex shrugged, "I dunno, probably fatal rates...why are you asking me this?"

"I have...an idea."

"Oh lord...you and your ideas..."

"Hey! It's a good one!"

"What is it, then?" and Alex rolled his eyes playfully.

Dash grinned, "Sex!"

"God..." and Alex struggled not to laugh, "You fuckin' addict."

"You're right, I _AM _a 'fucking addict' as in, I'm addicted to fucking!"

"Bad pun, Dash, _really _bad pun."

"C'mon, Alex...we don't know how long your transformation will last...we might as well make the most of it."

"Make the most of it how? By nailing each other every five minutes? Dash, we _still _mate, even when I'm a human."

"Bah! But it isn't the same..."

"I don't want to risk setting these machines off. How embarrassing would it be for the docs to come racing in, thinking we're in danger, only to find us in a compromising position? Especially considering that we were specifically told _not _to participate in any 'strenuous' activities. Sex is probably the single _most _strenuous act on the body!"

"I'm an exhibitionist..."

"Good for you, I'm not, and I'm not wanting to take risks."

"C'mon, please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I told you why."

"Please?"

"NO!"

"Mount me?"

"No."

"You're no fun."

"Good for you."

"Damn it, Alex!" and she leaped out of bed, pouncing on her mate and knocking the breath out of him, "Please?" she said, looking into the stunned Commander's bugged eyes, giving him her best puppy-dog look.

"No," he replied, face adopting a stern look.

"For me?"

"No."

She kissed him then, and Alex struggled to push her off of him and away, "Stop it, Dash!"

"She whispered into his ear, "Not until you give me what I want..." and she proceeded to kiss him again, drowning out his complaints.

"F...F..._FINE!_" he hissed.

She broke the kiss, grinning widely.

He, out of breath, and looking annoyed, said, "Fine, if it will get you to leave me alone!"

"Excellent!" and she hopped off of his bed, kneeling forward and raising her rear into the air, flipping up her tail, "Now...mount me!"

Once more, the sight of her arousal, as well as the musky, wild odor emanating from her...the scent of a female in heat, appealed to his instincts, almost instantly causing him to mount and enter immediately. The moment was quick to arrive, and soon, both collapsed to the ground beside each other, breathing heavily. "Happy now?" he said.

She nodded, "Yes...very..."

"Good..." and they cuddled for a few more minutes before finally separating, climbing into bed and falling asleep.

The next day, the pair were released from the hospital and allowed to return home, as well as allowed to resume normal activities. However, they were told by Fox that they were barred from attending school for at least a week. Although they were overjoyed that they could stay home, rest up, and spend the time they had left together, Alex knew that the program was one that he couldn't risk missing days for. The whole concept of diesel mechanics was entirely new to him, sure he had done a little work on tanks here and there...but never before had he worked on tractors or anything like it, and it was confusing to him. By missing days of school, he was missing valuable information, and with already very little knowledge in diesel mechanics, missing a few days could very easily set him far behind everybody else, as well as endanger his continued attendance by granting him a failing grade.

Unfortunately, as much as he argued with Fox over this, the doctor remained firm in his demands, and Alpha Company, complete once more, returned to Club Camelot. With nothing to do, Alex decided to take Terrance out for more training, and in the backyard of the military club, with nobody else around, Alex continued his harsh swordplay with the treecko, easily besting him, despite the obvious setbacks that the Commander had.

"Ow..." he complained, rubbing his bruising side, "That really hurt, Alex!"

"Sorry bud, but it's like riding a bike, ya gotta have your share of bruises and scrapes before you become an expert, its the same with _any _sport. Besides, you should be grateful that your so lucky. Unlike us Terminators, _most _people's wounds can't be healed instantly."

Up until the noonday sun was high in the sky, Alex and Terrance fought hard and fast with their 'magically' dulled swords as the Commander conditioned his newest protege in the ways of swordsmanship. Eventually, Terrance began to understand everything, and he bested the Commander several times. Terrance, lost in the thrill of his seventh consecutive victory, said, "C'mon! Show me your _true _power!"

"Really? You want to see my unleashed self?"

"Yeah! I can take you on!"

Alex grinned maliciously, "So be it then!"

The treecko didn't stand a chance up against Alex's unrestrained swordplay. He was bested within seconds, falling to Alex's superiority. Within ten seconds, Alex had given him over seventy bruises. Terrance, unable to fathom what had just occurred, collapsed like a sack of potatoes, all pain dealt on him tearing into him all at once, several seconds after Alex had ceased his supernaturally fast blows. Healing himself, he stood again, furious, and charged at the Commander.

"Remember, Terrance!" he said, blocking all of the treecko's angry blows, "Don't let fury get the best of you!" and in a swift motion, Terrance fell backward, both legs broken. Alex held the tip of his sword to the treecko's neck before sheathing it as he said, "Remember, if you let anger take control, you let your guard down and you become reckless. That's the LAST thing you want to do. Always concentrate on your opponent, watch his moves, predict his next attack, and always brace yourself for the offensive. The key to swordsmanship is defense. Counterattack once you spy a weakness in your opponent's defense. Letting anger take control will not only cause you to lose control and let your guard down, but it will also exhaust you much faster. Exhaustion is the _last _thing you want in a sword fight. Now, try again."

Terrance stood up, limping over to his dropped sword as he picked it up, groaning under the weight of the blade. Taking up their stances once again, they circled each other, waiting for the other to strike first. Alex made the first move, and Terrance blocked it, quickly countering and landing a healthy blow on the Commander's neck. Regaining his breath, Alex, who had collapsed, slowly stood and said, "Well done...again!"

This time, Alex increased the difficulty level, speeding up his own reflexes and making his actions more unpredictable. "Another tactic!" Alex said, dodging Terrance's lunges, "Always make yourself unpredictable!" and he landed a blow across the treecko's torso, knocking him down.

Terrance slowly stood, legs trembling, "I'm sore...can we stop now?"

"Nope, we keep doing this until you master it!"

"C'mon now!"

"Nope, again!"

Unhappily, Terrance picked up his blade, swinging it at the Commander. Alex blocked it, preparing to slash down from his second blade. Terrance ducked out of the way, watching as Alex's sword hit the ground and bounced. He took this as an advantage to gain the upper hand, and in a swift motion, managed to circle around to the opposite side of Alex, smacking both of his legs with the sword before holding his blade to the kneeling Commander's throat.

Alex laughed, "Excellent! Well done! We may rest!"

While they took a break, Terrance said, "I still don't understand why we have to keep doing this...why not take a break every once in awhile?"

"Because, Terrance, we need to make sure that you can fight without losing. I thought Terrias was finished, and unfortunately, he was bested, killed even, in a brutal sword fight against former _Maxia _Commander Jazz Jackrabbit...an old protege of mine..."

"He's a bad guy?"

"Unfortunately," and Alex, solemn, sighed, "Yeah..."

"What happened?"

"He got too arrogant, developed a bit of a God complex...and it was his downfall."

"Wait...you said Lieutenant Terrias _died_?"

"Yeah."

"But...he's still alive..."

"Now...but he _did _die, for a little while...miraculously, he came back," at the mention of Terrias' return from the clutches of death, Necrodusk's last words surged through the Commander's mind...

"_...Leave me! I will get what I deserve! But I have seen the light! I have sought forgiveness and redemption..."_

"Alex?" Terrance asked, pulling Alex out of the depths of his mind.

"Huh? Yeah?"

"You okay?" and the treecko gave him a puzzled look.

"Yeah, yeah...I'm fine. Anyway, back to work."

"Now, Terrance," Alex began, "Be prepared...because now it's time to test your _true _power!"

"What? Please...not unleashed mode again!"

However, Alex ignored him as he charged forward, delivering a constant and unnaturally quick barrage of blows. He moved and struck so fast that his limbs...they were nothing but blurs! Terrance cried out, clumsily jumping out of the way of Alex's attacks. Remembering what the Commander had taught him, he tried to counter, but as soon as he raised his sword, Alex smacked it hard with his own, and the treecko's blades went spiraling out of his ringing hand, landing across the yard. Crying out and gulping, Terrance narrowly dodged the Blood Knight's attacks, and once Alex struck so hard that his sword embedded itself in the dirt of a garden, Terrance jumped over his head, making a run for the other side of the yard and diving forward, somersaulting to a clumsy stop on his stomach as he groped for his blade. Alex was soon over him, and as the Commander brought his sword down above his head, Terrance managed to grab his own blade and place it between his face and the Commander's weapon. Alex's sword struck and shattered the treecko's blade, sending a dull, painful series of vibrations all throughout Terrance's hands, arms, and body. He cried out in pain as Alex delivered several painful blows to the treecko's torso, and he squeezed his eyes shut, crying.

Suddenly, in a flash of light, Terrance opened his eyes, now glowing white, and in a blast of searing hot air, Alex was sent flying backwards, landing clumsily on his stomach, his swords spiraling away from him. Slowly, dazed, he stood, ears ringing inside of his Daedric helmet, and as he looked up, his eyes widened as he saw Terrance, hovering a foot off of the ground. He was glowing white, and his eyes, now glowing yellow orbs, glared angrily out at him. Alex quickly scurried away, padding away from the treecko as he quickly rolled onto his feet and stumbled towards where one of his twin swords jutted from the ground. Terrance extended one arm, and Alex was overcome with a sudden numbing paralysis as he was lifted off of the ground and thrown into the pool. He climbed out, charging at the floating treecko, but Terrance telekinetically lifted him up again, this time throwing him into the fifteen foot tall, wrought-iron piked, six inch thick stone wall that surrounded Club Camelot's perimeter. Alex was dazed, stunned, his ears rang, and his body, sore, began to grow numb. As he clumsily stood, he removed his Daedric helmet-the only piece of armor that he could still wear as a horse, aware only of the bright intensity of the sunlight. He blinked, mind blank, completely stunned, and his hearing returned with a loud pop as he idly wiped away blood dripping out of his ear.

There was an explosion of light and hot wind, and when it cleared, Alex jumped back, mouth agape. Ahead of him, standing tall and strong, looking angry, was a grovyle, yellow eyes angled in anger. The newly evolved Terrance stepped towards Alex, closing his eyes as Alex's twin swords spiraled towards him. He grabbed them in one stunning motion, and with a roar, the swords caught fire. Alex stepped backwards, "Easy, Terrance...calm down, man!"

"Who is the master now!" Terrance roared, and he raised an arm, sending Alex flying backwards and pinning the Commander against the stone wall. Alex was paralyzed, pressed tightly against the wall, the invisible force of the grovyle's telekinesis almost restricting his breathing. Terrance walked up to the gasping Commander, drawn swords hanging at his side.

"Careful, man..." Alex said, truly frightened.

"I am the master!" he growled, and he delivered two powerful blows, one from each sword, to Alex's stomach. As the Commander lost his breath, the force pinning him to the wall vanished, and Alex fell forward, hitting the ground. He slowly stood on weak limbs before doubling over again, vomiting. Terrance watched this, a faint smile forming on his face as he jammed the swords down into the ground on either side of him, trapping them at least three feet deep, "Now..." he replied calmly, "_I _am the master," and he walked away, heading back inside Club Camelot, leaving Alex to recover on the ground outside.


	37. Chapter XXXVI: Perdition

_**Chapter XXXVI**_**:**

**-''Perdition''-**

**-Champaign, Illinois-**

**-**_**14 October 2012**_**-**

**-**_**0301 Hours**_**-**

"Well..." Twilight Sparkle began, climbing off of the couch, "The magic is weak, I'm gonna say that the spell will expire and that you will return to your normal form by tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, Twilight," a still-alicorn Alex replied.

"You're welcome," she replied, and she headed to the room she shared with Spike.

"So...last day you're a stallion, huh?" the disappointed voice of Rainbow Dash said, the Pegasus herself emerging from the room she shared with her mate.

"Yep," Alex replied, "Thank God!"

Dash seated herself beside the Commander, cuddling close to him, "Ya know, I admit, I'm gonna miss your sexy stallion self..." and she seemed sad.

"What's wrong, Lover?"

She shrugged, "I dunno...I guess I just liked the fact that we could carry on a _normal _relationship..." then once she looked and saw that Alex seemed to be saddened by this statement, she quickly corrected, "No, I don't mean that I hated our _previous _relationship but..."

"Don't worry," Alex replied, smiling at her, "I understood what you meant. For once, it's a little normal having to horses mate, instead of a Pegasus and a human."

"Yeah...that..."

Alex cocked his head, "Something's on your mind?"

"No, no..."

"Bullshit. What's wrong, Rainbow?"

She shrugged, "Nothing..." and she turned away.

"Hey," and he turned her head to face his, her eyes were sad, and his were full of concern, "What's troubling you, Dash?"

She sighed, but then said, "Well...y'know...throughout all the time that you've been an alicorn..."

"What about it?"

"There's still...something...that I've wanted to do with you...more than anything...but we can't in your normal form."

"Tell me, I still have a few hours left...or is that not enough time?" and he suddenly felt bad for not fulfilling what she wanted sooner.

"Alex..."

"Yeah?"

She then turned to him, seemingly embarrassed, but said, "Listen..."

He nodded, "I'm listening."

"Can you..."

"Can I what?"

"Can you...take me on a...a mating flight? Pegasi normally mate via mating flights and I..."

"Dash..."

"Yeah?" she seemed sad by the idea, but then Alex, still feeling guilty, replied, "If you want to go on a mating flight...I'll take you on one."

"You will?" and her mood seemed to lighten.

Alex nodded, "'Course."

She hugged him tightly, and was actually crying tears of joy, "Thank you! Oh thank you!"

"Hey," and he pulled her face close to his, his eyes locking with hers, "I love you..."

"I love you, too..." she replied with a smile.

"Well..." he said, "I guess we should get started then?"

Spyro stood on the balcony just outside of the room he shared with Cynder. They were lucky enough to have a room that directly faced the _Fiernes Curtain_, and while Cynder slept, he had sneaked outside and onto their private balcony, where he watched, mystified, as the massive flames seemed to almost dance...as if they were alive. It was a truly amazing sight, the sole reason why the massive wall of dragonfire captivated the members of Alpha Company. The _Fiernes Curtain_ was very much alive with the spirits of all of the dragons who had put it up three years prior. Since then, many of them had passed away, casualties of this seemingly endless war, and Spyro truly believed that their spirits, or at least fragments of them, lived on within the flames. Hearing the sound of a sliding glass door opening, he turned to face his room, expecting to find Cynder stepping out onto the stone balcony with him. Even from the edge of the balcony, however, he could see the sleeping form of Cynder, sleeping with her back to the door, her brilliant ruby belly scales reflecting the light of the _Curtain_.

He smiled, remembering the first time he had ever spent the night with her...such a magical night that was...even when they _were _two hundred feet below ground, back a few months shortly before the war broke out. When he heard the sound of a sliding glass door closing, he abruptly looked around, expecting to find his neighbors...Cheet and Keisha...standing on the balcony. Peering out over his own balcony and over the wall dividing his private balcony from the neighbors', he found it empty as well. There was the sound of hushed voices and female laughter, followed by a whoosh of air. He scanned the skies, wondering who else was up at this hour.

Finally, he saw who was awake. Up ahead, he could see two figures flying around, circling each other, with one of them chasing the other, who would slow to allow their pursuer to catch up before they would take off at high speed again, increasing the distance between them. Instantly, he identified the rhythm and pattern of their actions...a mating dance...and curious to see who was participating in it, as well as wanting to experience one of the most beautiful sights in nature, he crouched down, appearing like a big cat stalking its prey. He peeked through the wrought-iron bars of the balcony fencing, watching as the two figures flew closer to him...and then he identified the participants.

Dash flew ahead, leading on Alex, who flew close behind. The Pegasus pulled of a series of complex maneuvers, normally designed to stump a female in heat's pursuing males so that she would only mate with the one who could imitate her actions. Alex, with no practice at all, pulled off her maneuvers in perfect timing, and Spyro was astounded. Even if Alex had never participated in a mating flight, and had only witnessed one a few small times, he still expertly pulled off the required parts. Every flying creature had their own dance to accompany a mating flight. Dragons and Pegasi, although both known for it, had their own unique dances and styles meant to thin out the males. Spyro himself had never witnessed the mating flight of a Pegasus, and he _knew _that Alex knew nothing about them, but somehow...he still managed to follow through. He came to the conclusion then that Dash was surely helping him, using sleight-of-hand tactics to make it appear that Alex knew exactly what to do...but some close observation proved that it wasn't the case. The dance became more and more complex, but still Alex followed through perfectly, as if he had been doing it his whole life.

After half an hour of this dance, Dash finally slowed to a near hover, arching her back and raising her tail, a sign that she was ready for the mount. Spyro, who had been watching and admiring her astounding grace, looked around, searching for the Commander, but he couldn't find the alicorn. Finally, he heard the sound of whooshing air, and Alex dropped from the sky, landing on Dash's back. He didn't enter immediately, instead, he spread his wings as Dash folded hers...the final test to prove if the female's potential mate was good enough...could the male support both himself and the female. At first, they dipped low, almost dangerously so, but finally, Alex, caught the updraft, rising into the air as his mount began to rock towards him. Spyro watched as Alex, now fully extended, pulled back before violently moving in, connecting them, and they continued their flight, Alex controlling the complicated movements of the mating flight. After another half an hour with the pair locked in a mating embrace, Alex began to grow less stable, and Dash herself was now bucking spastically towards him...they were reaching the point of climax, the conclusion to the beautiful event. Alex's own rocking grew faster and faster, and within moments, he moved in hard and fast, pressing his torso tight against he hindquarters. Occasionally, their bodies would twitch, but the otherwise remained still, and finally, Alex pulled away, breaking apart from her, still fully erect and visible. He flew up and over Spyro's balcony, disappearing from view, and he watched as Dash landed gracefully on hers and Alex's balcony, a few doors down from the purple dragon's own. He watched her, noticing how she was sitting down, head drooped, head bobbing as she breathed heavily.

A few moments later, Alex landed beside her, nuzzling against his mate. They cuddled for a few minutes, and Alex lowered his head to her hindquarters, cleaning up after himself. Once they were done with their activities, the two walked, side-by-side, back inside the building, and all was silent once more. For an hour, Spyro stared where they had disappeared, jaw dropped. There was nothing that was more enjoyable than witnessing a mating flight, a truly special event, the bonding of two individuals...but this one was so much different...and for some reason...it was quite arousing to him. Normally, he wasn't turned on by mating flights, especially ones of other species...but this was different, and he wondered if it _might _have something to do with the participants...specifically Alex.

Lately, he had begun to question his feelings towards the Commander, and although he was far from gay, he began to feel certain...attractions...to the human that had trained him in the ways of leadership. _What's wrong with me_? the purple dragon thought to himself, _Why? Why am I so...attracted...to Alex?_

He then remembered the incident two years ago, where they were forced, at gunpoint, to suck each other to orgasm. It was a living nightmare for the both of them, one that _both _were extremely embarrassed and afraid to remember...but Spyro...lately, he had been questioning the true horror behind it. He, actually, had begun to wonder if he had...if he had _liked _it, in fact. What terrified him even more was that he was beginning to dream about doing that with Alex once again...only of free will, not out of danger of being harmed. He knew that one was innocent when they dreamed...but then he had started...he had begun to masturbate to the idea. It horrified him, but at the same time, it aroused him.

Cynder had told him that if he was worried about something, especially something concerning the Commander, that he should go talk to him. Upon this declaration, Spyro had _known _that Cynder could very well see his sexy dreams...which wasn't a real surprise, he just hoped that no one else in Alpha Company saw them...especially Piermont, Alex, or Rainbow Dash. For a little while, he had wondered if Cynder was somehow transferring the dreams to him, as if she herself was the one dreaming them, and was unintentionally sharing them with Spyro.

But...thoughts of Alex...thoughts of that day...brought on periods of arousal to him, and this is where he began to question his emotions towards his friend. _Oh God... _he thought, _If we did something...it would only confirm our fans' notorious shipping... _and he shuddered at the thought. _But do I really _love _him? I mean..._love _love him? That's what I don't know..._

"That's it," he said firmly, "I...I'm going to talk to Alex about this tomorrow...I need to settle this once and for all. If he's disgusted? Oh well. I just hope that he isn't...that he doesn't mock me for it..." and Spyro finally headed inside his suite.

The next morning, Spyro finally had his chance to talk to Alex.

The entirety of Alpha Company was gone, at school, Spyro was home sick, and Alex and Dash were _still _unable to head back to college. Dash was sleeping in, entirely exhausted by her late night excursions, but Alex was wide awake and watching television, alone, in the living room. Spyro paused by the doorway, sighing as he finally entered the living room.

"Morning," the Commander said.

"Good morning..." Spyro replied, taking a seat beside the Commander.

Several moments of silence, and then, "Did you sleep well?"

The purple dragon shrugged, "Same as always...at least it wasn't nightmarish."

"Well that's good..."

Another period of awkward silence, and finally, Spyro, with a sigh, began, "Alex...we need to talk."

"What's wrong?"

"I..." and he fell silent, "Can I talk to you in private?"

"Sure."

Alex and Spyro wandered into the empty room shared by the dragon and his mate. The purple dragon locked the door behind them, then sighed deeply, rubbing his face as he said, "Listen...we need to talk about that little...event...that happened a few years ago."

"I won't mention it again, I didn't know that you were so deeply offended...I mean...I know that we swore never to mention it again, but..."

"See, this is exactly what I want to talk about..." and Spyro looked out between the closed, sage-green curtains across the door to his balcony.

"You mean...what happened? Or just my referencing of it."

"About what happened..."

"Uh...sure...I guess."

"Remember...how terrified we were when it happened?"

"Yeah, threats of silver bullets in our brains if we didn't do it...yeah, I remember."

"Well...I've been...thinking about it a lot lately...and I've come to a bit of a conclusion."

"Okay? What is it?"

"Everything happens for a reason..."

"Yeah?"

"Promise you won't be mad?"

"Spyro...when have I _really _been mad at you?"

"G...Good point," after several moments of awkward silence, the purple dragon finally said, "I think that I may be...uh...developing some...attractions..."

"You mean, you think you might be bi?"

Spyro cringed, "Not...exactly. You see, I'm not attracted to guys...but for some reason...this is different."

"We've been through hell together, I expect us to be a little closer than most."

"Yes, but this isn't just about that!" Spyro exclaimed, then, "I...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to burst like that...it's just that I'm mad at myself."

"Cynder told me everything."

Spyro then stiffened, "She did what?"

"I know all about the questions surging through your head. I know about the dreams."

Spyro seemed on the verge of tears now, "Please...don't be mad, I...I can't help it!"

As calm as ever, Alex replied, "If I was mad, I would have snapped already, wouldn't I have?"

"Yeah..."and he nodded, wiping his eyes, "I guess so..."

"Now, tell me _exactly _what you're worried about. I already know that you have the hots for me..." and Spyro cringed at this, but Alex ignored it and continued, "So that's old news. The big question is...why should I be worried? Why should _you _be worried? As long as it doesn't affect our friendship, what's the point of worrying about it? Everybody has that homosexual attraction once in their lifetime."

"Have you?"

The Commander fell silent.

"Have you?"

"Y...Yes I have."

"Mind if I ask who?"

"I...It doesn't matter."

"I'm being honest with you, Alex...please be honest with me."

"Fuck...you've put me in an awkward position, man..."

"It's me...isn't it."

Alex said nothing.

Spyro looked at him, nodding, "I see now...you've been the same way lately."

"Perhaps..." he finally said, "But I haven't been _dreaming _about 69'ing again."

"Right..." and Spyro adopted a grim smile, "You just dream of the girl who you had a mating flight with last night."

"So you saw it..." and now it was Alex's turn to be embarrassed.

"Yes, I did," the purple dragon began.

"Please don't tell me you saw my..."

Spyro nodded, "Yeah...I did."

"And did you..."

"No, I didn't."

"Good then..."

Several moments of awkward silence, then, "Alex..."

"Yeah?"

"I have...a question...to ask."

"What?"

Silence, and then, "Would you...uh..."

"Hm?"

Spyro, tears dripping down his face, said, "One more time...set our minds at ease. Without worry of death or pain...if we like it...awesome. If not...never again, and we never speak of this moment...not even for wise cracks."

"You're actually requesting that we..."

"Yeah," and he nodded, "I am. No gay-ass anal, just...69 it."

"You're asking...quite a bit, man..."

"I don't fucking care if we jack off each other...I just want to set my mind at rest. I need to know if I'm actually bi or not! You...you're a scaly...I can see why a straight male, who is a serious scaly, would have sexual attractions to a dragon, regardless of gender...but I don't have a term to describe how I am. As far as I'm concerned, it's a deciding factor as to whether or not I'm straight or bi."

"One more time? Really?"

"Yes...please. I just...I need to figure this out, and soon."

"No one will know?"

"We can _both _set guards to block our thoughts and feelings, it's just like hacking a video camera feed and looping it. We can do this without anyone knowing...and we can do it quickly. Dash is asleep, we're alone here except for her...I think now would be our greatest chance...but it is up to you. I don't want to do something if you won't be comfortable with it, I don't want to cause discomfort, you are my friend, I don't wish to make you uncomfortable."

Alex fell silent, thinking it over. Spyro was blushing, he was afraid of Alex's answer...and his reaction...to his bizarre, taboo, request. Finally, Alex sighed, saying, "Just once..."

"You serious?"

"Yes, I am."

"Let's do this quickly then...before Dash wakes or anyone comes home," trembling, he laid on his side, and his temporary partner did the same. He squeezed his eyes shut, not believing what he was doing...and hoping that it didn't prove to be a permanent thing. He imagined that it was Cynder, but found this fantasy did little to bring comfort to his troubled heart and mind. It all started with a gentle touch...a gentle stroke on the protective sheathe on his lower belly. He said nothing, only found himself worried that somebody would find out...or that he would find himself troubled by this. Finally, however, he opened his eyes, clearing his mind and thinking nothing as revealed what he was about to take. Within moments, the gentle strokes on his protective sheathe began to feel sweeter to him, and he found it much easier to accept this, allowing the object within to reveal itself.

When he felt the unusual contact next, he closed his eyes, imagining that it was Cynder who was doing this, and he found the fantasy either to grasp. Uncontrollably, he bucked forward, it felt...disgusting...why was he doing this?

However, the strokes continued, and he began to hum to himself as he followed through on what he was to do. The feeling was strange, odd, the taste itself was unusual...but, little by little, his fears began to melt away. As he bucked forward again, it felt...okay...he still didn't know why he was doing this. Only that he felt that his fears needed resolution.

He could feel himself drawing near...and he finally felt pleasure. He bucked forward, now more frequently, it felt...good...yes, this was what he needed. This wasn't in any way, shape, or form, bad...it was an experiment, that's all it was. He finally began to lose control, and he began to rock forward now, trying to hold it back...it felt...amazing...

He cried out briefly as pleasure tore through his own body, likewise it did through that of the other one...the pleasure...it was..._divine_...he remained still, as did his partner, and they fulfilled that which the sought out to achieve. The taste...it was still unusual...but having tasted himself on a few occasions...it wasn't anything _too _terribly different. Finally, the red object, slick with fluids, retreated back into its sheathe, and the dragon remained on his side, catching his breath.

"Th...thank you..." he said.

"I hope it solves your worries..."

"It did more than that."

Alex stood, feeling nothing, blocking out all emotions, "So...it has happened."

Spyro nodded, "Yeah, it has..."

"What did you think?"

Then, completely losing control, Spyro stunned both of them by kissing him, doing the same thing that he did to Cynder. He broke the kiss, wiping and closing his mouth. Alex was stunned, speechless, but said nothing, only bowed his head and closed his eyes. "What happens from here?" Spyro asked.

"I think...we might find that these dreams...come more into fruition than what we originally thought."

"You mean..."

Alex said nothing, only stood and walked out of the room. The purple dragon felt self-conscious, even more so, more naked and exposed, more embarrassed, now that his arousal had completely diminished, and the facade of his attraction had collapsed with his climax. Still though, he couldn't hold back a corny smile. It wasn't something he was wanting to do _all _the time...but it was something that he could do _sometimes_, like Cynder and Ember. The only thing is, nobody would ever know about the event that went down that day, or events that would go down in the lifetime following. All Spyro knew was that, like Alex was a confirmed, full-on scaly, the purple dragon now shared a similar affinity for humans, even though he still preferred Cynder over Alex, just like the Commander himself preferred his females over the purple dragon.

Without another word, Spyro climbed beneath the covers, falling asleep almost instantly, and for once in a long while, he dreamed a peaceful, restful sleep.

Alex awoke a few hours later, taking a quick shower before climbing out, glancing at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. The first thing he noticed, and he was amazed he didn't realize before, was that as his reflection...it was normal. Quickly, he checked himself out. Sure enough, he was human once again. Overjoyed by the fact that he was normal once again, he laughed, laughed like never before, before stepping out of his room and into the living room. He found Spyro and Dash sitting on the couch, the latter playing _Skyrim _while the purple dragon watched, occasionally giving the cyan Pegasus hints and tips.

However, upon the Commander's entrance, they both fell silent, Spyro looking away, saying simply, "You're back to normal, good for you."

Dash, briefly frowning, suddenly smiled as she ran up to her mate, embracing him.

"I'm back to my normal self, thank God. Not an alicorn anymore! It's gonna be weird though..."

"What is?" Dash asked.

"Getting used to being bipedal again."

"I'm gonna admit," Dash began, "I'm gonna miss you being that handsome stallion."

"Oh well, I'm just glad that I have _hands _again! Didn't realize I would miss thumbs so much," and he rotated them.

"Never can know how much you take advantage of something until you can no longer use it, huh?" Spyro asked, looking up briefly.

"Yeah..." and he scratched his head, "Well then...I guess I'll leave you two to slay dragons and kill Imperials..."

"Where you heading?" Dash asked, "Remember? Fox didn't want us to go out."

"I'm out of Mountain Dew, need to restock before I start withdrawing," and he left the suite.

"Fuckin' addict," the Pegasus said, playfully rolling her eyes and chuckling.

"Unfortunately," the purple dragon began, "I get what he means."

"Oh God, are you an addict, too?"

Spyro shrugged before nodding, "Yeah...unfortunately..."

Dash cracked up.

"But...but...it tastes so good!"

"That's what _she _said," the Pegasus replied, laughing even harder.

Remembering his all-too-recent experience with Alex, Spyro blushed, looking away to hide his embarrassment, "Yeah...that's funny."

The Commander returned an hour later, the rest of Alpha Company in tow. Piermont, leading the pack, said, "Well, how have _you_ lazy fuckers been doing today? Just sitting around on your lazy asses and playing _Skyrim_?"

"Yeah," Spyro replied, "What's it to you?"

"Bah! Fuck you," and he disappeared into his room to drop off his backpack before reemerging, plopping down beside the purple dragon, crossing his legs, and placing his arm across the back of the couch, "Anyway, whose playing?"

"Dash is," Spyro replied.

"Yeah...and I'm getting my ass kicked by this damn dragon."

"It's an ancient, no surprise."

Finally, the Pegasus managed to slay the ancient dragon, absorbing the soul and using it to unlock the third word in her Flame Breath Shout. "Awesome, been trying to get that damn word unlocked."

"What's wrong?" Terrias asked, sitting down on the couch to their right, "Can't kill dragons?"

"Can't fuckin' find them."

"Hmm...lucky bastard. I'm _always _running into those bastards. I swear, I can't go two minutes in Open Skyrim without encountering one of 'em."

"What level are you?"

"67."

"Ah, that explains it, I'm only level 45."

Alex, sitting down between Cynder and Dash, opened his laptop and booted _Final Fantasy VII_.

"The hell are you playing?" Dash asked, leaning over him.

"Final Fantasy."

"Again?"

"Yeah, it's one helluva good game."

Just then, Alex's phone rang, and he swore beneath his breath as he answered it, "Vaughn here."

Dash paused the game, and Alpha Company watched him expectantly. His facial expression began to sink into unhappiness, and they instantly knew what the call was about.

"Alright..." he sighed, rubbing his temple, "We'll be there shortly."

"Shit!" Piermont hissed, "I just fuckin' _knew _it."

Alex ended the call, and Terrias asked, "Let me guess...Elliot summoned us."

"Bullseye," Alex sighed.

"Fuck!" the servine replied, "Just...fantastic! Goddamn _Maxia _are pissing me off!"

"Oh, it isn't the _Maxia_."

"What is it then?"

"It's the goddamn Brotherhood."

"Okay, Elliot, what the hell's the Brotherhood up to _now_?" Alex began in annoyance once the general waddled into the conference room.

"Perdition," he began, "Another town in Nebraska."

"Right," Spyro interrupted, "That was the city a few miles out from Requiem, right?"

"Precisely. Brotherhood was seen marching into town a few nights ago, I understand, Alex, that you and Dash are normally to be exempt from anything on doctor's orders. Frankly, we need all the help we can get, and even though Spyro is a good leader, the trouble brewing in Perdition may be a bit too much for him."

"I'm sure Terrias could keep him in line..." but Alex fell silent once, at mention of the servine's name, Elliot glared angrily at him. Even after all the good that he had done, Elliot _still _didn't trust the servine.

"I'm not going to reply to that, because you know very well how I would."

"Right...not very kindly. Anyway, back to the point, so I'm being deployed, just freaking wonderful."

"_All _of Alpha Company is, and what members of Beta and Gamma Companies we can muster. We still haven't _entirely_ rebuilt after we lost Martaan, but I think we have enough that we can send out a sizable four to five hundred Riders, excluding your wing."

"So what then? We roll into another dried up town and blast it to the ground?" Dash asked.

"To some degree, but I also have a bit of information that I think would appeal to Alex."

"Really, now?" the Commander replied skeptically, reclining in his chair and crossing his arms at his chest, "Try me."

"In addition to one of the Sages, we also tracked another person of interest to the city. Crash's killer? Yeah, we tracked the bastard to Perdition."

Alex, suddenly alarmed, shot up straight, "Say _what_?" angrily clenching his fists, the Commander hissed, "Who is he? _Where _is he? I _WILL _kill that bastard!"

"Ah," and Elliot laughed heartily, "I _knew _that would rile you up, Commander. Yes, his assassin is _somewhere _in the city, we don't know where, and we don't _really _know his name. All we know is that he goes by the name 'Judas'. It's up to you to find out anything else."

"Judas?" Spyro began, "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"It's Biblical," the Commander began, "Judas was a disciple of Jesus Christ who betrayed him to Pilate in return for gold. Soon after, he returned the gold and hanged himself out of guilt."

"So...you think he could be a former Terminator? Judging by the name and its affiliation?"

"I don't know, if so, he isn't Alpha Company like Jazz was."

"He could be some kind of radical fanboy," Piermont began, "To Jazz, I mean."

"It's possible, but I don't know. All I _do _know is that I want him dead. He _WILL_ pay for Crash's death with his own damn life!"

"Good," Elliot began, "Now, you are to report to Anderson Airfield in two hours, get ready, and make sure that you are there _on time_! It's critical that we time this perfectly. Think of it this way, the sooner you get out there, the sooner you can avenge Crash and the less time the wily bastard has to escape from our grasp for good. We lost a lot of men obtaining this information, I expect you, Alex, to avenge them, as well as the Sergeant Crash."

"I will, Elliot."

"Good, I trust you. Now, dismissed!"

They touched down in Requiem two hours later, and upon emergence from the plane, Alex was immediately taken back to the battle that taken Crash's life. It was Dash asking him if he was okay that drew him from his deep thought, "I'm fine..." he replied.

Dash, still seeming worried, walked ahead, moving towards the staging yards for their assault on nearby Perdition. Alex stayed a good hundred feet back, lost in thought, and Cynder, suddenly appearing beside him, asked, "Remembering Crash?"

Alex nodded, "Unfortunately...yeah..."

Cynder nodded, "I understand. The good news is that after this battle, Crash will be avenged, and we can finally put this dark memory behind us."

"Easier said than done, I'm afraid," Alex replied with a sigh, "Killing Crash's assassin won't bring him back from the dead."

"Good point, but at least we can sleep peacefully with the thought that this 'Judas' character is getting what he deserves."

Alex sighed, "Yeah...I guess you're right."

"Now, c'mon, we don't want to march into battle all melancholic, so cheer up, okay?"

Alex nodded, "Okay," and he managed a smile. Cynder smiled back at him and she nodded for him to kneel. He did, and she walked up to him, rubbing her forehead against his, before saying, "Everything will be okay."

She then looked up to him, smiling sadly, "We'll be fine..." and she began to walk away, slowing down to say, "I love you," before catching up to the rest of Alpha Company.

They rolled into Perdition, immediately noticing that it, like every other damned city in the Southern Wastelands, was nothing more than a ghost town. "Still don't like this silence," Rapid began, sitting atop the turret of the command tank. Alex, poking his head out from the porthole as he manned the M240 mounted on the turret.

"At ease, Commander," Alex began, "Be alert for trouble."

"I swear, the Brotherhood are good at setting the mood," Cheet, leaning against the opposite side of the turret from Rapid, replied.

"Keep your eyes peeled," Alex said, "We're in perfect territory for an ambush...no doubt the Brotherhood have that planned out."

"Do you think they're expecting us?" Cheet asked.

"I'm pretty damn sure. They might be radicals and delusional, but they _aren't _stupid...far from it, I'm afraid."

"Commander," Spyro's voice began over the radio. The rest of the High Command, Terrias and Arian included, were flying far above and ahead of the advancing column of tanks, scouting the area for any potential traps.

Alex tapped his earpiece, "Go ahead, Spyro."

"We think we see movement in the shadows of the buildings around the intersection of Discord Avenue and Terror Street."

"Imaginative names," Alex replied with a smirk.

"Yeah..." Spyro began, "Now ain't the time for wise cracks, however. Tread carefully, things might get a little bumpy ahead. Also, just received confirmation from our Eyes in the Sky on unknown humanoid thermal readins concentrated in and around the intersection, seems they're waiting for something. Us I'm pretty damn sure."

"Right, copy that."

"What's goin' on?" Rapid asked.

"Brotherhood ambush three blocks south of our current position. Our Spectre gunships confirmed this."

"Lovely."

"I'll inform the other commanders," Cheet said, and he contacted each of the tanks following them.

A block north from the ambush point, Alex called for all tanks to halt. Tapping his earpiece again, he contacted Gamma Company, manning artillery batteries encircling Perdition. "Do us a favor and fire upon sector a-three-zero."

"Roger, coordinates received, commence firing, hold your position, over."

Moments later, the music of a thousand _Nebelwerfers_ penetrated through the eerie, all-enveloping silence as the rockets blasted away the intersection directly in front of them. Each impact of the rockets caused the world to shake beneath their feet, and smoke and columns of dust rose into the air, blowing on the faint breeze over the allied armor. Once the artillery barrage ceased, Alex tapped his earpiece again, "All right," he began, addressing each of the tank commanders, "Proceed with caution," and the tank jumped forward a couple of times before it began to roll forward. The turret was constantly oscillating, scanning the buildings and ready to fire upon anything or anyone. Alex, still on the turret, swept the area, eyes trained ahead, searching for even the tiniest, out-of-place detail. The wind picked up, and dust began to blow around them as a mild sandstorm formed within the city. All the Terminator troops did was tie scarves around their faces, putting on goggles as they continued forward, ready to fire at the smallest sign of trouble.

Once the approached the next intersection, several smoke grenades flew out from the buildings, bouncing off of the street and spewing maroon smoke into the air. "AMBUSH!" Alex called, "Keep your heads down!" and a whistle blew, immediately followed by streams of MG fire all around them. Mortars exploded nearby, blasting away the tread to Alex's tank. Alex was forced out of the way as the tank's crew, save for the main gunner, climbed out of the machine, supplying covering fire for the engineer who immediately set to work on repairing the damaged tread. As Alex mantled over the turret, hitting the ground, there was an explosion nearby, and his vision went completely white, his ears ringing. Distantly, he could hear either Rapid or Cheet cry out, "_FLASHBANG!_" and once the whiteness began to dissipate, he could slightly see, but most of his vision was dominated by the flash. Accompanying another flashbang was a gas grenade, and the soldiers immediately donned their gas masks, running towards the buildings to wipe out the MG nests firing upon them.

As soon as they brought down the ambush, hundreds of soldiers, clothed in both the robes of the Brotherhood, as well as the body armor uniforms of the _Maxia_, emerged from out of the woodwork, raining fire upon the pinned down Terminators. They held their positions until the engineers had repaired the tanks and the crews had returned to their positions. One by one, the tanks shot forward, guns constantly blasting away the enemy troops. A booming roar filled the air, followed by the flapping of wings, and Alex looked up in time to see Beta Company-he Dragonrider Division-emerge from teleportation portals all around them, spewing fire down on the buildings as they burned and cleared a way for the ground crews' advance. "Keep moving!" Alex commanded, and his division continued ahead, paving a way towards the center of town.

They fought up the street, taking down everyone in their path, caring not about collateral damage, only knowing that they had to destroy the dug-in opposition as quickly as possible. "Alex," Spyro began over the radio, "Rendezvous with us by the passenger terminal on the northeast corner of town and we'll advance together towards the Projects southeast of town, that's where Crash's killer is rumored to be."

"I'll be there," Alex replied, and he turned to face his unit, "Cheet! Rapid! Terrance! On me!"

"Yes, sir!" the three members of Alpha Company replied, running up to where he was.

"The four of us are gonna head to the passenger station. Spyro and the others are waiting for us there."

"Yes, sir," they replied in perfect unison, and the four ran off, back the way they came.

"Commander," Elliot began over the radio, interrupting Alex in mid-stride.

"Vaughn here."

"Commander, we may have a lead on the exact location of Crash's assassin."

"Where?" and Alex turned away speeding into an alley and taking cover between two dumpsters close together, "Tell me everything you can."

"We've known for awhile that Crash's assassination was a professional job...but we managed to apprehend and interrogate the driver of a suspicious vehicle that we identified, via satellite and street cams, to be in Requiem around the same time as Crash's death, driving off minutes after his death. He identified that name of the spotter for the sniper, but doesn't identify the actual sniper. This 'Judas' was hired by the Brotherhood, but nobody knows his real name. His spotter is a formal army captain, a mister John Phillips. He's in the area."

"Where is he?"

"We don't know, we've only traced him to Sector 7, approximately 4.8 miles south of your current position."

Alex nodded, "I'm on my way."

For a few moments, he debated whether or not to contact his squad, but realizing that time was of the essence, and that if he didn't move out now, he might never get his chance, he slipped away, heading towards the direction that Elliot had led him, knowing that his squadmates, especially under the leadership of former Regional Commander Rapid, could take care of themselves long enough for him to move in, fulfill his thirst for revenge, and then return to battle...right now, he had a score to settle.

When Rapid, Cheet, and Terrance, known as Gold Team, arrived at the rendezvous point, that discovered that apparently Silver Team had yet to arrive. The area itself was deathly quiet, and even though there were signs of battle, there was very little, and it was ghostly quiet. The doorways to the ruined shacks, covered over with rugs and blankets, blew in the breeze. Rapid and Terrance, armed with AK47s equipped with laser sights and ACOG scopes scanned the empty buildings, "Watch yourselves," Rapid said, "This is a good ambush point."

"No shit..." Cheet replied, sneaking around, highly trained sense of smell scouting out any different scents. "What makes things worse, I'm upwind."

"Just...watch yourself, Cheet," Rapid began, "You, too, Terrance."

"Yes, sir," the grovyle replied.

"Alex, when were we supposed to me-" and he turned around, "Alex?"

"What? What's going on?" Cheet asked, looking around, "Shit! Where's Alex? I just _knew _a scent was missing."

"Is he okay?" Terrance asked.

"I...I don't know," Rapid began, "I didn't hear anything...he might just have slipped to a good sniping location to overlook the meeting...make sure we remain safe."

"Does he have a sniper?" Cheet asked.

"No, but you should know by now how deadly accurate he is with that damn AK of his. He can snipe with that damn thing."

"Good point..." the cheetah said with a sigh of relief, "Plus, he's got lasers and ACOGs on them, he'll be fine."

"Ayup..."

Cheet growled, "I don't like this...I've got a bad feeling."

"Same here...where in the hell is Spyro?"

As they continued on, there was a faint clicking sound, alerting them, and suddenly, all around them, flashbangs and concussion grenades went off, sending them to the ground. Senses now slowed, they tried to recover, but were met with SCAR-H fire all around them. The effects of the grenades wearing off, Terrance looked up just in time to see three _Maxia _elite officers approaching him, all armed with FAMAS rifles. The leader of the pack had the sight of his weapon against his eye, aiming towards the dazed grovyle, preparing to fire. The entire event occurred in slow motion, and the grovyle could hear his heart race. Right as the elite officer was about pull the trigger, there was five loud cracks, and the soldiers head whipped to the side, blood spewing in a cloud from the left side of the his head. Two tracers sped past them, but the other two rounds struck their mark, hitting one of the soldiers in the gut, and the other in the shoulder. The leader was thrown to the side, and he hit the ground, blood quickly pooling around him, as Spyro's form leaped off of the tin, corrugated roof of a nearby single-story shack. The purple dragon, holstering his P2K, walked towards the grovyle, helping him up, "You okay?"

Soon after, the others of Silver Team emerged from the surrounding buildings. "We were just waiting for that to happen," Terrias said, walking around to the wounded _Maxia_ soldier, the one with the blown shoulder. He revealed his shotgun, equipped with a knife and a holographic scope, and stabbed the wounded man in the throat.

"Knew there was an ambush around here," Cynder added looking around and scanning the windows of the two story building at the end of the alley, "Just didn't know where."

"Hey," Spyro asked, observing each member of Gold Team, "Where's Alex?"

"I assume he's sniping, watching our little exchange," Rapid said.

"Ah, sounds like him..." then, walking to the dead officer, he crouched down, placing two clawed fingers against the man's throat, ensuring he was dead. Kill confirmed, Spyro stood up with a grunt, tapping his earpiece and saying, "Silver Eagle to Gold Eagle, come in, over."

No reply.

"Gold Eagle, please respond, over."

Radio silence, "Crap...I hate it when he plays this game."

"What now?" Rapid asked, observing Terrance from head to foot before patting him heartily on the back.

"Well..." Spyro began, Cynder and Terrias standing to his left and right respectively, and he nodded towards the south, "Guys ready to clean out the Projects?"

"Commander, lead the way," Rapid replied.

"Ura," Cheet said.

"Ura," Terrias added.

"Let's move out, then," Spyro replied, and he walked towards the two story, brick building blocking the end of the alley, carefully opening the steel door before counting to three and slipping in. Terrias and Rapid slipped in beside him, both scanning either end of the hallway. "Check the first floor," the purple dragon whispered, "Cynder, take Terrance and Cheet and clear out the second floor."

Alex, several miles away, hid in the shadows of an alley, Barrette 50 caliber sniper rifle, outfitted with a thermal scope and silencer, trained on the street ahead of him. He had eyes on several, new, black SUVs, out of place in this apocalyptic town of scrap and devastation. He was picking up numerous heat signatures inside of the building, patrolling. There was far too many to engage alone, but he figured he could find a way to slip in unnoticed and track down the S.O.B who killed Crash. The front door to the building suddenly opened, and three _Maxia_ guards and a plainclothes man, presumably a driver, chatting with an officer, emerged from the building. They walked to the SUV, and as the driver, a bald-headed, dark-complected, scrawny man in a dark green t-shirt and khaki shorts with sandals and sunglasses, entered the driver's seat of the SUV. Alex pulled the trigger. The bullet punched through the glass of the window and the man slumped to the side, blood splashing on the spider-web-cracked glass of the driver door and the the windshield. The guards climbed out in alarm, and Alex took them down with astounding precision and speed, three silent headshots within the space of two seconds. The officer scurried down and out of the vehicle, falling to the ground before quickly picking himself up and attempting to run, and Alex landed a non-lethal shot through his leg, sending him to the ground. Quickly, the Commander emerged from cover, tackling the man and covering his mouth as he pinned him to the ground, placing the silenced barrel of one of his golden P2Ks against the officer's head.

"Listen here!" Alex hissed, his voice a harsh whisper, "You are gonna take me to Judas, understand?"

The officer said something, his voice muffled by Alex's hand, and he abruptly shook his head, causing the Commander to press the barrel of his pistol even harder against the man's temple.

"You are not to question me! Understand? Take me to Judas! _NOW!_"

Finally, the general nodded, and Alex stunned him by landing a clean pistol whip across the man's brow with the butt of his pistol. While the officer was dazed, the Commander opened the back door of the cab facing the alley he had been hiding in, throwing the corpses into the back before dumping the guards' canteens of water over the blood stain. He climbed into the back, closing the door shut, instantly darkening the van thanks to the tinted windows. He threw the driver's corpse off of the front seat, tossing him, and the rest of the bodies, into the trunk as he busted out the cracked window with the butt of his sniper rifle, forcing his captive into the driver's seat. Holding the gun against the side of the officer's throat, Alex, leaning forward, whispered into his ear, "Drive! Take me to Judas, and make sure that the busted window faces _away _from any _Maxia _or Brotherhood occupied buildings, _comprende_?" he nodded abruptly, and Alex, kicking his seat, ordered, "Drive!" as cool and calm as ever, the man cranked the vehicle, shifting it into drive as he pulled forward slow and steady, acting completely normal. "Take the way with least resistance, I don't want any ambushes or patrols intervening," Alex hissed. The man nodded, unable to speak out of fear, and turned into an alley, driving through the dark and narrow corridors towards a location unknown to the Commander. "Don't expect to pull any shit on me; I'm not afraid to put a bullet in your head. I can always find someone to take me to him."

"First floor clear!" Terrias called out.

"Second floor secure!" Cynder replied.

"Didya take down any damn snipers?" Spyro called upstairs.

Cynder emerged, the rest of her companions beside her, "Two snipers and a HMG in the center window facing the alley opposite of the one we came from," she said, "Got 'em both, mate."

"Commander Vaughn, report, over! Dammit…" Terrias hissed.

"What's wrong?" Cynder asked, "Still nothing with him?"

"No, goddammit."

"Where in the bloody hell could he be?" Rapid asked.

"Damned if _I _know," the servine replied bitterly.

"C'mon," Spyro said with a sigh, "We have a mission here; we might as well fulfill it. If Alex is AWOL? Oh fuckin' well, he can take care of himself."

"He'd chew _our _asses if we fled from battle," Cheet said.

"I don't think he fled," Rainbow Dash began, "It's not like him. I'm assuming he either got lost…which I doubt, or is off on some random tangent of his own. Either way, yeah, we lost contact with him, and his whereabouts are unknown…but he can take care of himself. I'm sure he knows what he's doing, he is the founding member, as well as been around the longest after all."

Cynder then said, "For now, we all have our objectives, even if Alex abandoned them, we will continue our mission and finish it, with or without him. Now, if we're done here, let's move out."

Alex called the SUV to park alongside the road, approximately two miles from the nearest known war zone. He climbed out, forcing the driver out of the vehicle and, cuffing his hands, leading him inside a relatively unharmed building. He blindfolded and gagged the officer before cuffing him to the radiators in one of the hotel rooms upstairs.

"Night's falling," he said, relieving the cock on his pistol, switching on the safety, and holstering it, "Get rest, we're getting up early."

As Gold and Silver Teams cleaned out the projects, finding no sign of Judas, Cynder finally turned to her mate, and after a few private words of discussion with him, she turned to the group, "Okay, night will be falling soon, we are gonna establish a base camp in this building here and retire for the night. Spyro and I will take first shift for guard duty, we'll wake two others come two hundred hours. Disperse."

"Spyro..." Cynder whispered once everyone was gone, she sounded worried, "I'm worried about Alex."

"I'm worried about him, too..." Spyro replied truthfully.

"Have you tried contacting him again?"

Spyro nodded, "About once every twenty minutes...he's not picking up."

"Oh, Spyro...I hope he's okay."

"I do, too, Cynder."

The next morning, the battle, having gone silent for the night, awoke once more as the opposing forces resumed exchanging fire. "Okay!" Cynder began, addressing the rest of Gold and Silver team, "We've just received word from Elliot on a possible location for this bastard. Yesterday, we were searching the wrong area, Judas is supposedly housed several miles farther south from our current position. Arm up and get ready, we leave immediately."

"Ura!" the others replied, and they dispersed.

"Spyro," Cynder began, turning to see her mate walk towards her, sighing as he looked towards the ground, "Any sign of Alex?"

"Negative...Elliot hasn't seen him either. However, the general told me that he informed Alex on the change of destinations yesterday, approximately 1600 hours...before he disappeared from Silver Team."

"Do you think that he went after Judas?"

"Alone? Surely he knows to tell his squadmates where he's going!"

"Unless..." Cynder began.

"Unless what?"

"Unless he was afraid that if he didn't depart immediately, he would miss his opportunity...or he wanted to take down Judas alone. Remember, he's the one whose been most set on avenging Crash's death."

"He's not _THAT _reckless...is he?"

"I don't know...but it would make sense. He didn't inform his squad, because he didn't want them to intervene."

"Shit!" the purple dragon hissed, "Stubborn prick...so he's probably after Judas...if he hasn't got to him already. Which brings me to the next issue at hand."

"What issue?"

"Elliot just ordered that he wants Judas alive."

Cynder gasped, "We need to find him before Alex does then! If Alex finds him first..."

"Shoot first, ask questions later," Spyro finished, "Unfortunately, I know. We can only hope that something's tied him up...I don't want to wish harm on him but..."

"He's thrown the whole damn mission into jeopardy! We need to find and stop him before he eliminates Judas!"

"Wake up!" Alex hissed, ripping the blindfold from the officer's face. Cocking and reloading his pistol, he cut the officer's binds and dragged him towards the door to the hotel, gun pressed tightly against his back. Forcing the officer back into the SUV, Alex resumed his position just behind the driver's seat, pressing the pistol hard against the man's throat, "Drive!" he hissed, "Take me to Judas!"

"Squad! Hold position!" Spyro commanded as Gold and Silver paused at the base of a building. The SUVs that were there the previous day were gone, but the bloodstains and drag marks, as well as the tire marks from one particular vehicle, weighted down by the corpses of four men, were still clearly there.

"Cheet!" Spyro hissed, "Tell me if that blood belongs to the Commander."

The cheetah gave him a puzzled look, but shrugged and said, "Okay."

"What's wrong?" Cynder asked.

"I have a feeling that Alex has been here..."

"How? There's nothing here."

"Yeah...but there's just...a gut feeling."

Cynder chuckled, "That's funny."

"What is?"

"I was feeling the same thing."

"Wonder why."

"I think it's because of that age-old proverb of ours. Y'know, the one about mates always being tuned in to each other."

"Then how can _I _sense him? I'm not his mate."

Cynder shrugged, "I dunno...maybe it has something to do with..." and he gave her a worried look, "Certain...circumstances?"

Spyro, suddenly worried, said nothing, only said, "Either way, I think he's been here...let's split up and follow these tracks...I doubt he went out on foot. Split everyone into groups of four, everybody take one direction and one set of tracks."

"If he _HAS_ been here..." Cynder began, "He might already have Judas..."

"Commander," Rapid said, stepping out from the building, "No sign of Judas."

"This blood isn't Alex's," Cheet said, nose wrinkling, "But he HAS been here...his scent lingers in the air. He went..." and Cheet sniffed the air before nodding towards a direction, "That way. Not much wind these past couple of days, his scent lingers, stale."

"You heard 'em," Spyro said, "Everyone, on me...we're outta here."

"We need to hurry, Spyro, before he finds Judas!"

"If he hasn't already..."

The vehicle stopped alongside the curb in the heart of town. "Why did we stop?" Alex hissed.

The officer, speaking for the first time that day, said in a gruff voice, "Judas is here. He was to meet with a Brotherhood Sage before he left town."

"Good..." and Alex pushed the driver out of the door, who hit the ground, raising his arms as he sat up on his knees. "Stand up!" the Commander hissed, forcing the man into a standing position and shoving him towards the front door.

The officer smiled an arrogant smile, "You won't get away with this. Judas will make quick work with you, even if you survive the Brotherhood."

Alex smirked, "It's a risk I'm willing to take, now _MOVE_!"

"This way!" Cynder cried out, racing forwards.

"Rapid! Take Terrias, Terrance, Dash, and Cheet and go investigate the hotel!"

"Yes, sir," Rapid replied with a firm nod, and sped off.

"We're getting close," Cheet said, "His scent is fresh here..."

"How fresh?" Spyro asked.

"As in less than an hour...we're catching up to him."

"Clear!" Rapid called, holstering his weapon, and tapping his earpiece, "1st floor is clear."

One by one, each addition member of Alpha Company called in, all confirming that the hotel was clear of either Alex or Judas.

"He was here..." Cheet said, stepping out of the hotel, "He spent the night here...with someone else, a foreigner. Judas? I'm not sure. All I know is tha-" and he stiffened.

"What?" Cynder asked, "Lieutenant! Speak to me!"

"The wind..." Cheet replied, sniffing the air, "I've found his scent...he's running against the wind!" and Cheet raced northwest, the others frantically trying to catch up to the speeding cheetah.

"_OUTTA MY WAY!_" Alex hissed, marching through the building. The _Maxia _and Brotherhood collected here prepared to shoot, but upon sight of his hostage, they backed down. Alex's pistol was constantly pressed tightly against the general's throat, his AK47 aimed at any members of the _Maxia _or Brotherhood they encountered. Finally, they reached the top floor, where Alex kicked open the door, pausing just inside the doorway, pistol held up against the sweating general's throat. The room was dark, an oscillating fan blew in the corner, and the windows were covered over with decorative blankets. In the minimal light, Alex, without activating his night vision, could make out the forms of at least twenty _Maxia _soldiers. In the center of the group, sitting at an oak desk, was a large, burly man, massive hands gnarled and scarred from battle and severe burns. Alex could make out one clouded-over eye staring at him from the darkness, and a sinister voice said, "Great Commander Alex Vaughn, I presume?"

"Shut up, Judas, and answer my questions!"

"Ah...so you have heard of me, no?"

"Of course, you are the bastard that assassinated my friend!"

"Ah...the Bandicoot, right?" and Judas chuckled, an evil grumble, "One of my personal favorite hits...and the most rewarding."

"Be quiet!"

"You are in no position to speak, Commander, I am surrounded by twenty of the _Maxia_'s greatest marksmen...one hostage, especially a lowly general, won't stop us from shooting and killing you. You are alive right now, because I _want _you to be. I've been awaiting this little...confrontation. That's why I allowed the capture of my spotter, _that's _why I 'leaked' the information of my station here in Perdition, and my exact location. I _knew _you would come here, searching to avenge your friend's death. Risking your _own _life in the process...a noble deed indeed."

"I said shut the _fuck _up!"

"I don't understand why you would go to such great lengths...then again, I've always been a bit of a...lone wolf...myself. You and me are a lot alike, Commander."

"We are _nothing _alike!"

"Both of us were kidnapped at a very young age, forced to train in the ways of the soldier. _Both _of us excelled in intelligence and strength, and climbed the ranks at a brisk pace. Of course, if you haven't guessed by my name, _both _of us have had betrayal in our past."

"Yeah, but _I'm _not the traitor."

"I never said you were..."

"Hurry!" Cheet called, leading the pack, "We're almost there!"

"God I hope Alex didn't find Judas..." Cynder said.

"We must hurry!" Cheet said, "The longer you guys lag behind, the greater the chance of Alex pulling the trigger before we stop him!"

"Corporal Jazz Jackrabbit," Judas began, "Someone you _thought _you could call your friend, betrayed you for money. Despite my name, I, myself, did not betray anybody. You see...I was a sniper, a prestigious sniper, in a militia in which my father was the founder's right-hand-man and lieutenant. My mother...she was a very...troubled...woman. She had been raised in an abusive home, molested by her drunken father on a near-daily basis, and when she met my father...something clicked. They married into the compound six months later, and less than three months later, I was born.

"Commander, when I was eight years old, somebody in the compound tipped off the authorities on our precise location, and we were raided overnight. My mother was killed in the raid, and only my father, and the militia's leader survived the razing. We were homeless, and for several weeks, we wandered the wilderness of the Sierra mountains, living off of whatever we could hunt, living in the freezing snow. Then one day, the leader of the militia began to grow suspicious of my father, mistakenly believing that he was the one responsible for turning over the compound, as well as the deaths of everyone in it, including the leader's own girlfriend.

"Early one morning...my father woke me up, telling me, 'Son, I have to leave for a little bit, whatever you do, stay inside here, and cover your ears. If you hear anything...ignore it, stay in here'. Of course I, being a curious eight year old, disobeyed his orders and stepped out of the tent. Standing by a mountain spring was the leader and my father, engaged in a heated debate. My father was beat, thrown to the ground, and as he was kneeling over, begging for mercy, the leader removed a silenced Magnum from his vest, placing the barrel up against my father's head, and pulling the trigger. That night, I found my father's machete, and I walked up to the leader, waking him up and asking, 'Why did you kill my father'?

"'What are you talking about?' he asks. 'Well,' I begin, 'Why did you kill my father?' 'Why!' he begins, 'That's absurd! I would never!' Do you know what I did, Commander?"

"What?" Alex hissed, annoyed.

"Why, I cut off his head, and he screamed...and he screamed...and then there was silence. I was later found wandering the forests, covered in blood, by a hiking couple. They took me in, adopted me, and raised me in Catholicism. I never did agree with their beliefs, and when I turned 18, I enrolled into the US Army. I raced through BMT, eventually rising to become one of the Rangers' top snipers...as you see, Commander, my history is as colorful as your own. We are alike in many ways."

"We are _nothing _alike!" Alex hissed, "Now, why did you kill Crash!?"

"Do you not understand the concept of orders, Commander? Being a soldier, I expected you to know this."

"You killed my friend!" and Alex turned the gun on Judas.

"Really now, Commander? Let's not get testy..."

"You_ bastard_! I will kill you, and I will avenge Crash!"

"How unfortunate, I _was _hoping we could become partners...but if it is trouble you want?" and here Alex could see Judas lift something up. In the darkness, Alex could barely make it out, only that it was a small box with an antennae rising from it. Then...it hit him... "It is trouble you will get!" and he snapped the trigger shut against the box.

There was a loud explosion that sent Alex flying backwards. The windows shattered in, the blankets were blown to pieces, and a fire alarm went off as half of the room went sky high. Fires burned across the wood floors, and timbers fell from the ceiling as Alex, dazed, picked himself up. The _Maxia _in the room were all scattered in pieces around the area, and Alex, wiping blood from his mouth, searched for his weapons, finally finding one of his P2Ks. Picking it up, he growled as the officer, also stunned, slowly stood. Alex, without giving him so much as a passing glance, brought the pistol against the man's head and pulled the trigger, the officer's head snapping back as a red cloud emerged from the opposite site, splattering against the wall. The Commander then began a swift sprint towards a massive breach in the wall behind the desk, standing on the edge of the floor and searching the sea of corrugated rooftops for any sign of Judas, the hot, arid wind blowing around him. Finally, he saw movement ahead and he jumped through the breach, coming to a land by somersaulting before jumping up, sprinting across the rooftops, pursuing Judas.

When a building before him rose higher than the surrounding rooftops, he leaped into the air, grabbing onto the ledge of the building and oblivious to the biting pain of the corrugate steel edge slicing his palm open. He mantled over the edge, continuing his pursuit, leaping off of the edge of the building, over an alley, and onto the building on the opposite side where he landed with a roll. Immediately ahead, he could see a difference of about three floors in height between the building he was currently on and the next one in the series. Spying the slanted edge of the building roof, he mantled over the edge, sliding down the slanted roof and sliding onto the the balcony of a small, two story building. He ran through this building, dashing through a breach in the wall that connected it to the second floor of a large school. He ran through the debris-filled halls, drifting around the corner as he sped to a skywalk connecting this half of the school to the other half across the street. As he entered the skywalk, he heard the loud crack of a sniper rifle, and the windows to his left shattered, causing him to duck away from the blast. Another crack from a sniper sounded, and the bullet punched through the glass here as well. He took cover between two windows, his back pressed against the brick wall, hopefully strong enough to be largely bullet proof. He risked peeking out, spying a hospital across the street, he gauged that the sniper was somewhere on either the fourth or fifth floor of the six story hospital. The school itself was four stories tall, and he was on the fourth floor.

He dove out of cover, somersaulting through the hallway and into the second half of the school. Once more, he sprinted through the labyrinthine corridors, eventually finding a large gaping hole in the wall, where a plank bridge extended, connecting the school with the collapsed skywalk of the hospital. He ran through the breach, outside and onto the plank walkway, sprinting towards the point where the bridge connected to the center of the skywalk, barely remaining by a few twisted girders. Like the school, the hospital covered both sides of the street. Once he reached the end of the plank walkway, he saw a six foot wide gap between the board he was on and the center piece of the hospital skywalk. Backing up, he commenced a running jump, barely making it over the gap as he slammed down on the carpeted central section of the skywalk, hanging at a forty-five degree angle. He scurried up the walk, leaping over a two foot gap between the central and end section of the skywalk, and he landed on the other side, continuing his relentless pursuit of Judas through the hospital. Finally, he reached the top floor of the hospital, heading through a door going to the roof and running up a series of stairwells towards the rooftop door.

He arrived on the rooftops, spying Judas running across the rooftops and towards a helicopter, now starting to descend. Alex, roaring, chased Judas down, and as the man climbed onto the helicopter, being pulled up by two _Maxia _soldiers, Alex, with his pistol shot one of the men in the shoulder, causing him to fall out. Judas slipped from the second man's grip, and he landed back on the roof. The helicopter, still ascending, steadied until it was in mid-hover, and it turned to face the Commander as its wing-mounted mini-guns opened fire, raining hell on the rooftop.

Alex, ignoring the gunship for now, tackled Judas, sending the badly battle-scarred, Russian-looking man to the ground. "This if for Crash!" he hissed as he delivered a constant barrage of punches to the man's face. Judas grabbed him by the collar, headbutting him and causing Alex to recoil and fall back. Judas was soon upon him, his six-foot-eight, two hundred and fifty pound size pinning the Commander to the rooftop as he returned the blows. Alex fought the man for several minutes, his dropped pistol forgotten, as he managed to grab his KA-BAR and thrust it forward. It stuck in Judas' chest, but the barrel-chested man could not be stopped. "Today, you die just like your friend, Commander!"

"You first, asshole!" and he kicked Judas in the stomach, sending the Russian stumbling backwards until he fell against the rooftop edge's perimeter wall. Judas remained leaning against the wall, breathing heavily, blood running freely from his mouth and nose. Alex stood up, walking over to him and pressing the barrel of his pistol against Judas' chin. "Commander!" he began, talking rapidly, "Do you want to know how he died?"

"_FUCK YOU!_" Alex hissed, cocking his gun and relieving the safety.

Even though he knew his fate, Judas said nothing, only smiled arrogantly and began to laugh. "Allow me to tell you a little story!"

"_ALEX!_" Spyro cried out upon seeing the explosion from the street. "Jesus Christ!"

"C'mon!" Cynder cried out, "We need to stop him!" and she sped into the burning building the rest of Alpha Company alongside her. Around them the _Maxia_, those still alive, were badly wounded. Everywhere, soldiers missing limbs dragged themselves across the floor, leaving a smear of blood. Alpha Company paid no mind to these troops. A nearby door exploded and four screaming _Maxia _soldiers, all on fire, rushed out, not getting far at all before collapsing to the ground in death. Other soldiers had lost the will to fight and were sitting against the wall, badly burned, breathing heavily, and struggling to remain alive.

"Ignore them!" Rapid called out, "They are already dead! Judas and Alex may still be alive!"

When the reached the decimated room, they spied Alex dashing across the rooftops below, it hot pursuit. They called for him, but the Commander didn't seem to hear them, and they began to follow him across the rooftops. Eventually, they followed Alex through a hospital and to the hospital's rooftop where, as he was busy engaged with a large, barrel-chested, bald-headed man, presumably Judas, a Chinook helicopter, armed with Gatling guns, was hovering around, firing upon them. Rapid, quickly setting up his 30 caliber HMG, opened fire on the gunship until it exploded is a ball of fire and burning shrapnel.

"Rapid!" Cynder called, "Alex!" and as they turned to face the Commander, now holding Judas up against the wall of the roof's edge, they quickly ran over to them, calling the Commander's name.

"STOP!"

_We were in Requiem, Nebraska shortly before you bastards intervened. We had received knowledge from spies that you were in the area, attempting to interrupt a Brotherhood demonstration. By the time we reached the city, it was already in the dead heat of warfare. My spotter and I parked a mile out from our target building, a mile away from city hall, and we quickly made our ascent upstairs, finally reaching the eighteenth floor..._

"_This seems like the perfectly place, Judas," Captain John Phillips said, "You have a clear view of the entire goddamn cityscape."_

"_This way," Judas whispered, creeping through the dark, eerily abandoned floor, "Keep an eye out for any campers."_

_Several minutes later, they reached their destination, a large office room that shadowed over the heart of town and city hall. Having reached his sniping nest, Judas set to work on meticulously assembling his sniper rifle, "John, set the cooler beside me."_

"_Yes, sir."_

"_Be careful with it! Don't spill it!"_

"_Y...yes, sir."_

_Judas assembled the tripod, placing it on the window sill as he tightened it in place. He then screwed on the scope, looking through it and adjusting the focus on it. Once that was ideal, he slid the cooler over to him, looking through the scope again as he zoomed in on some kind of confrontation going on in the center of town. It appeared that the Terminator Militia had captured the Sage Oruto. As he scanned the scene going on below, John stepped in front of the window to Judas' immediate left, looking through his binoculars, "1.3 clicks south. Wind is blowing 60° west at twenty seven point eight five miles per hour."_

"_Understood," Judas replied, opening the bolt of his Springfield M21 sniper rifle. Not looking away from the scope, he slid the plastic lunch cooler to him, opening it and feeling around, brushing aside the bags of dry ice as he found what he was looking for, the frozen bullets. He removed one of the 7.62mm frozen bullets, briefly observing it in the dim light of the room to ensure that the thickness of the ice was appropriate, before loading it into the chamber, closing the bolt and relieving the safety. He adjusted the rifle appropriately._

"_We have one shot," his spotter said, "Better make it count."_

"_One shot, one kill," Judas replied, and tapping the triggered a few times, depressed it completely as he caught the recoil before it sent the sniper up, and the bullet fired._

"_Bullseye!" John exclaimed, cheering, "Excellent! You nailed the Bandicoot, the medic, right in the stomach!"_

"_Like I said," Judas replied with a grisly chuckle, "One shot...one kill," standing from his prone position, he closed the lid of the cooler, disassembling and storing his sniper rifle as he said, "Come, let's get out of here before they recover from the turmoil and decide to come looking for us."_

"_Sir! Yes, sir!"_

Judas chuckled, "You bastard, killing me won't bring your friend back."

"No, but it will help me sleep tonight."

"_STOP!_" came a voice from behind the Commander, but he didn't hear it.

Judas began to laugh now, harder and harder, until Alex finally forced him to stand. "The look on his face...was one of sheer terror. As soon as I pulled that trigger, he looked like a little baby whose mommy and daddy just left him all alone. As if he was saying, 'No mommy! No daddy! Don't leave me! No, Alex...no Commander, don't leave me alone...'"

Alex's face contorted into a look of pure hatred at Judas' mocking tone.

"What are you going to do, Commander? Beg? Plead? Cry for mommy because _your best fwiend got hurt?_"

"No," and Alex smiled his own arrogant grin, "I'm just gonna give a lowlife son of a bitch something he deserves," and he aimed the pistol between Judas' eyes...

"_NO!_" Cynder cried.

"Alex!" Spyro roared, "STOP!" and he dove at the Commander...

Alex pulled the trigger...Judas' head snapped back in a burst of red as he fell backwards off the building, Alex getting the shot off less than a second before Spyro had tackled him, pinning him to the ground. "You _idiot_!" Spyro hissed, "What the _hell _have you _done_!?" and the angry, murderous light in Alex's eyes went out, being replaced with a glimmer of confusion and bewilderment, as if he was a little kid who had just witnessed snow for the first time.

"_Shit!_" Cynder hissed, her and Terrias running to the edge of the building as they looked down, seeing the twisted form of Judas' corpse, now smashed into the street. Both looked away from the grisly sight, "Son of a _bitch_!" the dragoness hissed, "We were too late."

"Just a hair too late," Terrias replied, angrily kicking a nearby AC unit.

Spyro, still sitting on top of the bewildered Commander, turned to face Terrance and Rapid, "You two, keep an eye on him...I'm gonna give Elliot the bad news...shit," and he climbed off with a sigh, walking over to the opposite side of the roof and tapping his earpiece. Terrance and Rapid helped Alex up, supporting his weight between them both as they carried him over to where the rest of Alpha Company stood around in a circle.

"Elliot," Spyro began, "Bad news...the package is dead."

Silence from Elliot's end of the line...a _very _bad sign. Spyro took off his earpiece, holding it away from him in preparation for one of Elliot's notorious screams and roars of fury. However, Elliot's voice was calm, cool, and collected, and even _deadlier _sign, "That's just fantastic..." and he sighed in exasperation, "What the hell happened out there?"

"Alex went AWOL, nailed the bitch before we could get to 'em. We were _literally _just a second too late."

"Well, at least Alex got his goddamn revenge...don't know what we're gonna do on identifying the other Sages and the Brotherhood and _Maxia_'s headquarters now..."

"We'll figure out something, Elliot."

"You damn well better, this just threw a huge goddamn wrench in the already badly damaged machine we're operating. Now, I don't have time for this crap, I have a meeting, goodbye."

Spyro hanged his head in disappointment, sighing and struggling to control his anger at Alex's mistake. Angrily punching and shattering a skylight beside him, the purple dragon, quickly regaining his cool, returned to the rest of the crowd, standing around in an awkward silence.

"Now what the hell are we supposed to do?" Cynder grumbled.

"Finish the fight," Rapid replied, and as the sun, now at high noon, slowly began to descend in the latter parts of the day, Alpha Company climbed down from the rooftop and back onto the street, returning to where the battle of Perdition continued.


	38. Chapter XXXVII: A Hero's Lament

_**Chapter XXXVII**_**:**

**-''A Hero's Lament''-**

**-Perdition, Nebraska-**

**-_15 October 2012_-**

**-_1709 Hours_-**

"Move up!" Rapid ordered, "Push them to their headquarters!"

The sun was just beginning to sink as the Terminators pushed forward, forcing the _Maxian _and Brotherhood forces to retreat.

"Show them no mercy!"

"Gold Team," Alex called, "Regroup on me!" as Alex's squad assembled on him, he said, "We're close to the end! The _Maxia _and the Brotherhood have nowhere left to run! Silver Team informed us that there is a blockade up ahead with heavy gun emplacements. We need to flank them and take out the barricade, else our boys won't be advancing!"

"Ura!" his squad cried, and they moved forward.

They advanced up the street several miles, tearing through the frantic opposing forces, struggling to hold the city beneath the blitz advance of the Terminator Militia. "Cheet!" Alex called, "Pop some smoke! We'll take down those Triple-A's up ahead!"

They rushed into the alley, avoiding fire from the machine gun nests lining the trench ahead, facing the street where they were on. Behind the trenches was a large, open field, the geographic heart of the city. However, the park was full of pits, all connected by a complicated trench system, and each pit composed of mortar crews, an a battery of anti-aircraft and anti-armor guns. The skies above were full of smoke and painted red, gray, and black by the battle occurring.

"How many?" Alex asked Rapid, acting as his spotter.

The skunk replied, "I see five."

"We have five guns!" Alex called out, "Take each of them down! We need to clear a path for our M113A2s!"

"Warhorse to Gold Leader," one of the APCs' commanders began over Alex's earpiece, "We're down and under heavy fire by the airport, requesting relief, over."

"Gold Leader to Warhorse, copy on your request, sending troops your way," and Alex called for Cheet. "Cheet, listen, I need you to take some of our men over to the airport and help our M113s. _Maxia _have 'em pinned down, and one of 'em is down for the count."

"On it," Cheet said with a nod, "Sanders! Richardson! Zweller! Barley! On me!" as four of Gold Team's soldiers ran up to the cheetah, he led them back down the street, heading towards the airport.

Once they were gone, Alex peered out from cover, "The rest of you, fire on those guns at my single! Open fire!"

A barrage of gunfire erupted from Gold Team as they neutralized the gun crews.

"Okay!" Alex began, "Move up! Rapid! Get some explosives on those damn guns!"

"Yes, sir!" the skunk began, and together, Gold Team emerged from cover. Once the C4 had been planted, they retreated back to the street as Rapid activated the detonator, and the world shook as a pillar of flame, embers, and smoke rose into the air.

Reloading his acquired FN SCAR-H, equipped with laser sight and ACOG, Alex said, "Well done! Now, let's head up the street and across the bridge, the barricade should be dead ahead!"

Mantling over the picket fence surrounding the field, Alex and his squad sprinted forward, up the crater-filled streets, taking down any troops in their way.

Rapid scaled a chain link fence, landing inside of an alley as he awaited the rest of his small group to catch up. Once they were all with him, they continued through the alley, pausing at the entrance of the street once Rapid signaled for them to stay back. Pressing against the brick walls of the buildings lining the alley, they watched as a column of _Maxia_-owned M1A2 Abrams tanks rolled past, infantry surrounding the tanks.

"Their numbers are too great," Rapid whispered, addressing his squad, "Wait for them to pass."

As soon as the patrol was gone, the skunk signed for them to emerge from cover. Now on the street, Rapid spared a glance towards where the tail end of the large patrol disappeared around a corner, "Okay," he began, "The airport should be three blocks east of here, follow me!" and he led them down the street, opposite the direction of the patrol.

"Commander," one of his soldiers began, "Y...You don't think they came from the airport, do you?"

"Probably, but I doubt it was because we lost our position, they're probably just retreating to resupply. Enough questions, we need to get to our APCs, quickly."

"Over there!" Alex called out, pointing up the street and to the barricade. This part of the town was heavily damaged by the battle. Barbed wire and concrete blocks formed a wall across the broken and buckled street. On the other side of the blockade, three Abrams tanks, four M224 mortars, and two M777 howitzers. Adding to that were innumerable infantry, and three M240s. In a crater halfway between Gold Team and the barricade, Silver Team was pinned down, desperately attempting to neutralize the blockade. "Dammit!" the Commander hissed, and he tapped his earpiece, calling in an artillery strike on the blockade.

"We hear you loud and clear, Gold Leader," came the reply, "Standby."

For several moments, Alex and his squad held their positions until the music of the _nebelwerfers_ sounded, and the barricade was decimated by several, earth-shaking explosions. Within seconds, the explosions and the sound of the firing _nebelwerfers _ceased, and when the smoke cleared, the barricade was nothing more than dust. "Everything through!" Alex called, "Move in!" and he ran through the smoke sliding into a crater in the street where Silver Team was coughing from the acrid smoke.

"Everybody okay?" Alex asked, replacing his digital camouflage balaclava.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Spyro replied, "Took you bastards long enough," but he smiled weakly, "Tired as fuck."

Alex grinned, extending a hand and helping the purple dragon up, "Well, we will have plenty of time to rest once this battle is over."

"We almost finished, you think?"

"I think we're getting close."

Rapid mantled through a breach in a sandstone wall, landing in the middle of a swampy field. In the center of the field, laying in one of the craters filling the landing strip was one of the Terminator Militia's APCs. "We need to help them!" Rapid called, "Cover their asses until we can repair them!"

"Ura!" his team cried out, and they dispersed, firing upon the _Maxia_, Rapid rushed behind a destroyed King Tiger, catching his breath.

"Commander Rapid!" the downed vehicle's commander said, running through the field, narrowly dodging the hail of gunfire from the enemy troops, "It's good to see you! I thought we were lost there for a moment."

"Nonsense! We need you as much as you needed us."

"Well, anyway, we were coming down this street over here, road was blocked by a collapsed building, and we didn't have time to spare to call in a demolitions crew. Instead, we decided to come through here...but we weren't expecting the whole damn place to be crawling with landmines and IEDs. Adding to that, as soon as we hit the mine, something nearby sent up a flare into he sky, and we soon found ourselves under heavy fire from these bastards, as well as some mortar crews and anti-armor based somewhere beyond those buildings," and he pointed across the airfield, at a cluster of badly damaged buildings.

"We'll take care of them," Rapid said with a nod, and he called out, "Private Sanders! Cover my ass while I get over to those buildings!"

"Yes, sir!" the private replied, and he cried out, "Covering fire!"

Instantly his squad, as well as the APCs' crews opened fire on the advancing _Maxian _troops. Once Rapid found a clear spot in the firefight, he charged in, utilizing whatever he could for cover on his advance, heading to the buildings. There came the unmistakeable sound of mortars firing, and the rockets began to explode all around him. He sprinted forward, strafing to avoid the exploding rockets. Eventually, he arrived at the cluster of buildings, and he crawled beneath the badly damaged chain link fence, running across the street and into the buildings. Almost immediately, he stumbled upon a mortar pit, and quickly cleaning it out, he checked the surrounding buildings, taking down any infantry or mortar crews he came upon. However, he still had not discovered the anti-armor, and he could hear the firing of the howitzers, ever closing in on his location.

"Up ahead!" Alex called, "Look out! Enemy APCs, 2 o' clock!"

"_Incoming_!" Terrias called out, and they barely had time to leap behind a destroyed truck for cover as an APC rolling down the street opened fire on them.

"Dammit! Somebody take out that goddamn gunner!"

Terrias tossed a grenade out, ducking as it exploded, and when they peaked out from behind the truck. The vehicle was broken down, but the gunner was still alive, although dazed. The servine made quick work of the gunner, and as they emerged from cover, racing further up the street, they spotted two more APCs heading towards them. "Get some smoke out there!" Alex called out, firing at the infantry around the vehicle, "We can use that to flank them!"

Someone in his squad tossed out a smoke grenade, and as the street before them was blotted out, Alex lowered his night vision goggles, switching over to infrared as he observed the enemy troops through the smoke.

"Move!" he commanded, "Now's our chance!"

"Ura!" his squad replied, and the sped into the smoke, gunning down the confused _Maxia _troops.

"Commander," Spyro began, "We discovered the location of the Brotherhood's headquarters, as well as the location of one of their sages...they're less than two miles away, if we move quickly, we can get there before it gets too dark."

"If we can apprehend the sage, we might just win this battle."

"Yeah," Piermont began, "But the sages are ordered to off 'emselves if they're captured."

"Then we need to get to him before he's forced to resort to those desperate measures, don't we?"

"Ura..." Silver Team replied, and as the Commander began a swift sprint up the street, both teams followed him closely behind.

Rapid finally stumbled upon two howitzers, side by side, utilizing his C4 to take them down, he returned to his troops, finding the APC repaired and the column ready to advance. "Commander," he began, "Rapid here."

"Speak to me, Rapid," Alex replied, sounding out of breath.

"We're Oscar Mike, heading to the barricade."

"Don't worry about it, we've already taken care of it. We'll rendezvous with you and the column on the intersection of Benito Street and Malevolent Avenue, approximately three miles straight east of your current position."

"Roger."

"Commander, over and out."

Rapid turned to face his troops, "Change of plans, we've been ordered to regroup with Gold and Silver teams three miles east of here."

"What's there I wonder..." someone asked.

"I assume our friends in the High Command discovered the location of the field headquarters for either the _Maxia_, the Brotherhood, or both."

Less than an hour later, Gold and Silver teams arrived at the covered bridge heading over the brook that divided the city from a small, gated community, now overrun by enemy troops and Terminator grunts. "Gold Leader to Commander Rapid."

"Rapid here, what's up?"

"I need a sitrep, over."

"We were a bit bogged down by a couple of _Maxia _tanks, but we're rolling once again. Expect us in five minutes."

"Pick up the pace, Commander Rapid, the whole damn area is a red-hot war zone, we're gonna need all the help we can get if we hope to eliminate the sage."

Rapid arrived, and they immediately marched into the community, joining the firefight as they concentrated on taking out the _Maxia _and Brotherhood presence. For an hour, they fought through the suburbs, desperately doing everything in their power to completely chase the enemies out of the area, and within two hours, they were on the front step of the field headquarters. The Terminator Militia surrounded the building, barricaded and blocked off, with soldiers on the rooftop and the windows firing on them with RPGs and M240s, as well as snipers crawling all over the place. Terminator artillery proceeded to open fire on the building, shelling the hell out of the place, wanting to eliminate as much as resistance as possible before they moved in for the kill.

After five minutes of continuous barrages of heavy firepower, Alex called for them to cease, and he turned to face the reunited Alpha Company, choosing his team for the actual assault on the building. "Here's the deal, no doubt there is heavy resistance through those doors. This is the last major foothold the _Maxia _and Brotherhood have in the city. If we can wrestle this out of their hands, we can easily take down the rest and drive them away. Expect heavy resistance and even superior weapons, regardless, we need to move in as swiftly as possible, free any hostages they might have taken, and drag the sage out, alive."

"Yes, sir!" Alpha Company replied in unison.

"Good...now, I can only take a handful of you in there with me, while the rest will cover us on the outside, paving the way for our armor and reinforcements to charge in and clean up whatever we miss, understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Excellent! Now, Dash, Terrance, Gilda, Spyro, Cynder, Piermont, Cheet, Sonic, Terrias, Aria, and Twilight, all of you are on me for the main assault. The rest of you are in charge of softening up resistance out here until our heavy firepower and reinforcements roll in to finish up, understand?"

"Now," and he turned to face his newly assembled team, "Guys, put these on," and he handed them flak jackets and body armor, "It will protect you from whatever these bastards have in store for us. Ura?"

"Ura!" his team cried.

Alex, quickly getting dressed, roared "_URA_!" in reply, and they charged in. "Spyro!" he roared, "Toss some concussion grenades or flashbangs in there!"

"Yes, sir!" and Spyro lobbed several grenades through the boarded windows. Alex and his team waited until the grenades exploded before Alex and Terrias placed a breaching charge on the door, standing by until it exploded. They leaped into the breach, opening fire with their weapons, Alex led the pack with an M240 as they rushed in, relentlessly slaughtering the still-stunned troops.

"Spread out!" he called through their shared communications link, "Clear the floors, rescue _any _civilians or friendlies you find, use breaching charges to get into any locked doors." We will regroup on the second floor, I wouldn't doubt that the sage is up on the higher floors."

"Terrias! Dash! Terrance! You three are on me! Let's move!"

"Where are we heading, Commander?" Terrance asked.

"We're on the second floor, right wing."

They sped upstairs, shooting anything that moved. As they entered the right wing of the second floor, they found that this area had been hit especially hard by the artillery barrage, and most of the soldiers here were either mortally wounded, or already dead.

"Search for survivors!" he said, adjusting his balaclava, "Don't let anyone escape!"

"Alex!" Dash began, "There's no prisoners!"

"Then kill these bastards!"

"But, they are already wounded and bleeding out!" Terrance interrupted, sounding flabbergasted.

"I don't care! As long as they still breathe, there is a chance they could survive! We will send a message to the _Maxia_ and the Brotherhood! We will take _no_ prisoners, and let _no_ one live! This will teach them _not_ to fuck with us!"

"It's a waste of ammunition, sir. Let them bleed, they will suffer longer."

"I want them dead!" Alex hissed, "No exceptions!" and to prove his point, he executed a _Maxia_ private whose right arm was twisted completely backwards, and nearly skinned. He was leaning against the wall, slowly bleeding out.

"1st floor, left wing is clear!" Cheet replied with a victorious growl.

"Same with the right wing," Sonic replied soon after.

"Second floor, right wing is clear," Terrias added.

"1st floor landing and surrounding rooms has been cleared," Spyro replied, "We're movin' on up."

They regrouped on the second floor landing, and Alex cried, "URA!" and with similar cries from his companions, they dashed to the right, taking on the right wing first.

They charge forward, shooting their way through _Maxian_ special ops soldiers and elite officers. "Shoot 'em up!" Alex exclaimed, "Take no prisoners! Avenge Crash! _SHOW NO MERCY ON THESE BASTARDS_!"

"_URA_!" his team cried as they rushed upstairs, blasting their way through heavy resistance as they advanced towards a panic room on the third floor of the building. Around them, the halls were aflame, the building was completely engulfed in fire, and they moved forward, leaping over a hole in the floor as they landed with a somersault on the other side, quickly jumping back up and moving on, leaping over a collapsed girder.

"Death to the _Maxia_!" Alex roared, "Death to them _ALL_!"

They reached a T-intersection, a dead end. Both ends of the intersecting hall were collapsed and Alex ran over to the wall, placing a breaching charge as he stepped back to the side. In a loud explosion, chunks of plaster and wood blew past them, and a thick dust clung to the air. They mantled over the wall, moving into the newly created breach, brutally massacring the alarmed _Maxian_ grunts who were sleeping in there. They continued their quick sprint through the building, finally arriving at their destination as Alex kicked open a door and marched in. Immediately, the others in his party surrounded him, all aiming their assault rifles before them. Each rifle was equipped with a laser dot sight, and they all found themselves in a small study. The perimeter of the room was lined with burning bookshelves, full of innumerable amounts of volumes. Directly in front of them was a solid oak desk situated before a bay window, the lace curtains of the window now burning and most of the glass shattered. On the desk was a knocked-over reading lamp, an open volume, and writing utensils, and a Victorian-style leather swivel chair was facing away from them towards the window. There emerged a hoarse clicking sound...a dry, raspy chuckle, and the chair turned around, revealing a man in gaudy garb, hands clasped together on his lap. The man, appearing in his late sixties or early seventies, chuckled, a foolish grin on his face, and he said, "I have been waiting for you, Commander."

"You will die, bitch!" Alex hissed, and the man laughed.

"Son, I will die, but so will you," and he laughed again as he parted his gaudy cloak, revealing a hundred sticks of dynamite taped together with duct tape, attached to his chest. "We will all go down together!"

Alex, suddenly sobering, lowered his weapon, and everything clicked into slow motion as he screamed, "_RUN_!"

Immediately, his crew jumped into action as they quickly turned around and ran like hell back towards the street. Behind them, they could hear the maniacal laughter of the Brotherhood Sage and a loud crack sounded throughout the air. They felt the pressure wave blast into their backs, stumbling them, and they could hear the roar of fire as the the path before them glowed from the fireball behind them. They could feel the heat against their backs as they ran, and soon, the fire was upon them.

"_THROUGH THE WINDOW_!" Alex screamed, "_NOW_! That's our only chance to escape!"

"We'll be splattered on the street!" Piermont remarked.

Alex replied, "We still stand a better chance than going all the way back to the front door! MOVE! MOVE! _MOVE_!"

As they reached the window, the explosions sent them forward and off of their feet, blowing them through the window as they free fell from three stories up and to the bloody, fiery, crater-laden streets below. Alex shielded his face, screaming as he hit the street on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He bounced into the air, bouncing several times before he finally rolled to a stop and onto his stomach. Around him, his companions also struck the street violently, blown out of the building by the explosion, and Alex, dazed, slowly stood as he looked up toward the window they had just rocketed from. The trailing fireball blew out from the gaping hole, thick black smoke and smoldering embers rising into the air and raining down into the street.

"_Shit_!" he hissed, "Is everyone okay!?"

"_Medic!_" Spyro roared, "I need a goddam medic!"

Alex quickly turned around, spying Terrias on the ground, a rod of reinforcing steel impaling him. "Son of a _bitch! _Terrias!" but his voice was raspy and dry, and as he stood, he limped over to where Spyro, bleeding for several cuts along his body, was kneeling beside the wounded servine. "_Medic_!" the Commander called.

Slowly but surely, the rest of his team began to recover from the blast. Their ears were ringing, their vision blurred, sound was muffled, and the world moved in slow motion. The ones who were commanded to stay outside suddenly rushed towards the Alex and his companions.

"Holy _crap_!" Rapid cried, kneeling beside Terrias and beginning to remove the rod, "Spike! Get over here! I need you!"

"Yeah?" the small dragon said, sounding frightened.

"Come over here and heal him!"

"Wh...what?"

"I'm gonna remove this bar, as _soon _as I pull it free from his body, I need you to heal the wounds, so he doesn't bleed out! Understand?"

Spike, looking a little green around the gills, observed the wounded servine, dazed and breathing heavily, but alive and awake, blood pooled around him, and saturated _everything_. Closing his eyes and looking away, he crouched beside Terrias.

"Damn it, Private!" Rapid hissed, "Look this way! I need your eyes!"

Groaning, Spike turned to face the grisly sight again.

"Are you ready?" Rapid began.

"Y...Y...Yeah, I am..."

"Good," and he grunted as he pulled the bar free from Terrias chest...it barely budged. He paused, catching his breath before grabbing the bar again and pulling. A little more loosened. Several times, he did this, until, "Ready?" he asked.

Spike nodded, still looking queasy.

"Okay, 1...2...3!" and he pulled again. Finally, the bar came free and the skunk was thrown backwards as the bloody bar clattered loudly beside him, rolling away and pausing on top of a storm drain. Spike was immediately at Terrias' side, the servine now gasping for breath, trembling from pain. He hesitated for a few moments before jamming his paws deep into Terrias' open wound, through several organs, until he brushed the top of the pile of debris the servine was laying. He began feeling around for any ruptured entrails as he healed them all, finally withdrawing his paws as he healed the flesh of Terrias' belly. His actions complete, he looked at his blood-stained and gory paws, struggling to hold his stomach down as he quickly grabbed a full canteen handed out to him by one of the soldiers and dumping its contents on his paws, rinsing them of the servine's ruby blood.

Alex, a little more calm, looked towards the flaming hellhole from where they had emerged. Tongues of flame shot from the breach, lazily blowing in the faint breeze. As he looked around the exhausted Terminators, he noticed someone was missing and his eyes widened with dawning realization...

_Cheet_! he thought, and he immediately jumped up, clumsily running back towards the building, stopping just before the stairs leading to the entrance as he stared, wide-eyed at the burning complex.

"Alex!" Spyro called in alarm, standing and preparing to chase after the Commander, "_ALEX! _What the _hell _are you doing, mate?"

"Cheet!" the Commander exclaimed, "Did he come out with us?"

"I...I'm not sure..." Spyro replied truthfully.

Cupping his mouth with his burned hands, he yelled, "_CHEET!_"

Nothing.

Without warning, he ran towards the building, disappearing through the blown-out entrance doors. "A...Alex!" Spyro exclaimed in alarm, as he, cupping his mouth, roared, "_ALEX!_" then, to himself, he hissed, "Shit!" before chasing after the Commander, disappearing into the burning building.

Cynder, jumping up, turned to face Rapid, "Rapid! Look after him!" and she pointed to Terrias before running off, following her mate.

"Hey! Uh...guys!? Guys! Where are you guys going?" Rainbow Dash asked, and she, too, followed them into the burning building.

Alex raced into the reception area, completely covered in flames. The whole interior was entirely engulfed by flames. Wood and chunks of the ceiling came down, crashing to the burning floors and further adding fuel to the flames. The bloodstained, brick-red carpet that had once layered the reception area was charred and baked, and Alex, coughing from the acrid smoke, ignored the burning in his eyes or his aching lungs as he raced upstairs and to the third floor. Navigating his way around. As he headed towards the hall leading to the study, the floor in front of him collapsed to the bottom floor, and he backed away, making a running jump over the gap and onto the opposite side, hopping over the burning beams and dodging the collapsing ceiling.

"Alex!" Cynder asked, running into the building and immediately succumbing to a coughing fit.

Spying her mate, standing in the middle of the first floor landing, looking around both hallways leading from the landing, Cynder, now with Dash beside her, both sprinted up the spiral staircase and to where Spyro stood.

"The bloody hell did he go?" Cynder asked, coughing again.

"I don't know," Spyro replied, his voice layered with worry, "C'mon! We don't have much time! We need to find him before the entire building comes crashing down on top of us!"

He past the study, backtracking the way they had sprinted earlier, struggling to remain on his feet as the world seemed to quake all around him, and the massive dome on top of the building came crashing down, through all the floors, finally crashing down in the basement, creating a pile of debris dividing the stairs to the first floor from the front entrance, what formerly held a rotating glass door. Finally, he saw an all-too-familiar shape laying sprawled near the window they had ejected from, and, his heart sinking, he ran towards it, crying out briefly as the floor beneath his feet gave way, crashing through the second floor and landing on the bottom floor, creating a pit of burning spikes of wood and stone to cushion his fall. He temperature of the floors was hot, and it burned his hands until they were numb, but still, he held on, knowing that he couldn't die here. He felt the floor begin to give way, and crying out, it finally broke as he plummeted. Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed his arm, stopping him from falling, and he was pulled up, onto the third floor. Looking up to see Spyro, concern deep on his face, standing before him, "Are you okay?" he asked, "How stupid can you be! This whole damn place is about to come crashing down!"

"Spyro!" Cynder cried, running through the door to Spyro's immediate right. She stopped in the doorway, spying and Alex and immediately running to his side, helping him up, "Jesus!" she cried, "Alex!" and she kissed him violently, fiercely, so hard that their teeth smacked together through their lips. She hugged him tightly, almost to the point of suffocating him, and she said, "What the _hell _are you doing!?"

"Cheet..." he replied weakly, and he pointed, his hand trembling, to where the cheetah was laying sprawled on his side. Both Cynder's and Spyro's eyes widened, and they tentatively stepped forward, towards the cheetah. Dash, appearing behind Alex, picked him up and placed him on his feet.

He turned to face her, and she, a look of intent strong on her face, asked, "You okay?"

He nodded vigorously, "I'm fine..."

Alex began to stumble towards Cheet's body, Dash there to catch him whenever he was about to fall.

Cynder placed her first two claws tenderly against the cheetah's throat, "There's a pulse..." she said with a sigh, placing her face into her shoulder as she coughed violently, "But it's weak...and it's fading..."

"Cheet..." Alex replied, touching his friend gently, petting his side. The fur was matted with blood and charred, and Alex buried his head in the cheetah's side, "I'm sorry..."

Rapid, who had been crouching beside Terrias and checking his vitals, suddenly looked up once he heard the macabre crack, signaling the immanency of a building's collapse. There was an explosion from the door, and as the others in the Terminator Militia looked towards the building, they saw three dark shapes emerge from the flames, the humanoid one in the center holding something in his arms. Alex exited the building, looking down with a blank expression at what he held, Spyro was to his right, Cynder to his left, and Rainbow Dash was directly behind him. Alex walked over to where Rapid stood, and he gently lowered Cheet's body, placing it next to the unconscious Terrias'.

Immediately, Rapid was down on his knees, checking the cheetah's vitals and beginning to heal the innumerable wounds caused by shrapnel and the devastating, third degree burns that covered his body, but Alex slowly shook his head, "It's no use..." the Commander said, voice small and distant, "He's gone."

Rapid, head bowed, fell silent, and standing up, he removed his hands from Cheet's body, immediately sending fur flying into the air and recreating the smell of charred hair and flesh. They remained silent, turning to watch as the building groaned a final time before collapsing in on itself into a pile of burning rubble.

Back in Burned Lands just north of the walls of New Alexandria, the dragons of Alpha Company set fire to the funeral pyre on which Cheet's body was resting. The dragons of Alpha Company, as well as the dragons of Beta Company-who were also in attendance-all let loose a mournful roar into the early morning silence, all in unison, announcing the sadness of another fallen companion.

Alex remained silent, a blank expression on his face as he stared into the fires engulfing his friend, _An eye for an eye_... he thought, _Crash's killer...for Cheet_...

Dash and Cynder appeared beside him, both nuzzling him and resting their heads on his shoulders, trying to comfort him as they both sought comfort. Spyro stood opposite of Alex, his gaze switching from Cheet's cremation to the Commander, now sandwiched between two females. Admittedly, he was jealous, although he didn't see any reason to be so. At the same time, however, he understood that Alex needed more comfort than anyone, he had known and been with Cheet longer than anyone else, and so it would hit him the hardest...he had more to overcome. The attention of the female's, one of them being his own mate, wasn't the sole cause of his jealousy. He also envied the fact that they could openly receive comfort from him, even in such a simple gesture as resting their heads on his shoulders, constantly maintaining personal contact. He, too, was saddened by the cheetah's death, as well as the situation as a whole...since the Brotherhood had emerged, two members of Alpha Company had been killed in action. Never before had so many members been killed in such a short time, they were supposed to be invincible! However, fifteen years with next to no deaths must have exhausted the last of their luck, and now they were beginning to pay the price that was so long overdue. He wanted comfort, very badly, and he felt alone. There was no way he could publicly seek comfort from the Commander, as doing so would be publicly showing affection, perhaps the wrong kind. He said nothing, only looked back down at Cheet's body, bottling his sadness as he had done on many an occasion.

"Perhaps I should stay with Spyro tonight," Cynder began, "I think he's going to need me there."

"I'm sure he understands," Dash said, after Alex said nothing.

Cynder nodded, and gently kissing him on the cheek, she walked away towards her mate, who seemed to brighten once she arrived. She kissed him once on both cheeks before kissing him on the lips, and she rested her head on his shoulder, her tail intertwining with his, another dragonian sign of affection. In response, he placed his paw on top of hers, an action that no one, save Alex, noticed. Cynder smiled briefly at this, and she kissed her mate's snout before returning to her former position, nuzzling her mate's neck.

"I love you..." Cynder whispered.

"I love you, too," Spyro replied sadly, and a faint spot shined at the corners of his eyes, as a few silent tears dripped down his face, splashing onto the baked and water-starved ground beneath their feet.

"Alex..." Dash began, nuzzling his own neck as she extended one of her cyan-feathered wings across his shoulders, pulling him closer to her, "I love you..."

He said nothing, didn't even show any signs that he had heard her. She seemed offended for a few moments, and she frowned, but said nothing and only stared into the fires of Cheet's funeral pyre, her head buried in Alex's shoulder. Slowly, barely noticeable, he lowered his head until his cheek was resting on hers, and she smiled in relief and joy at the contact.

_Ashes to ashes...dust to dust..._

The overall tone among Alpha Company as they rested in Club Camelot that night was one of solemn and mournful silence. Within the space of a couple of months, if that, _two _members of Alpha Company had been killed, an unheard of occurrence, and this left everyone on edge, as well as leaving them with a gaping emptiness in their minds and just the overall atmosphere that was nigh-on impossible to overcome or ignore. Two individual minds had been silenced forever, two unique personalities...both ones that had been there for years and years, and now were vacant forever.

All night, Alpha Company sat in the dark, no television on, no light on, no video games on, nothing. The melancholy was pervasive, emanating off of them enough to give anyone, even a complete and total stranger, an almost suicidal amount of depression. Although they understood that in war, anything was possible, and that death was to be expected, and that Cheet was now better off, in a place free from conflict...just the fact that they were a family, a brotherhood...and now two of their brethren were gone...it was just as if a family member had passed away...because it was exactly that.

Everyone went to bed early that night. No one spoke, no one moved, all were too struck by what had just so recently occurred. There was nothing to be said, nothing to be done, all they could do, and all they wanted to do, was to mourn in peace. Elliot understood this, and even when several key missions came up soon after, more Brotherhood and Sage presence, he went against his own beliefs and ignored them, denying to get involved, not wanting Alpha Company to have to suffer through another deployment so soon after one of their own had passed away. Already they were under massive stress, any more, and they might just collapse and break...

"_HOLD ON_!" _the beast launched off of the ramp, collapsing as it was trampled beneath its comrades. As Alex, now gliding through the air, forced his direction so as to land on another wildebeest, Cheet, crying out, didn't try to change his direction, as the panic of the approaching feet of the beasts emptied him of all thought. In another swift movement, Alex grabbed Cheet's paw as the cub now hanged over the side of the beast, mere inches from the ground_.

"_DON'T LET GO, ALEX! PLEASE, OH PLEASE, ALEX, DON'T LET GO!_"

"_I won't, Cheet,_" _he replied, and pulled the cub onto the back of the animal._

_However, the temporary diversion of his attention from the road ahead was a huge mistake, and the beast ramped off of another natural ramp. Alex lost his grip on Cheet, and then, when he reached to save the cub, he barely missed, grabbing, instead, a hand of open air. _"_CHEET!_" _he howled, trying to save the cub, even as he watched the young cheetah fall to the ground, landing beneath the feet of the beasts._

_The impact didn't kill Cheet, instead, it knocked him unconscious, and as he laid unconscious on the ground, around him, the stampede continued..._

"_Cheet! NO!_"

"_Alex..._" came a soft voice, and Alex's burning eyes shot open. Dash was leaning over him, her eyes full of sadness...appearing as if she had been crying. Beside their bed, Alduin, who was curled up and sleeping, made a sad, small, high-pitched groaning sound before shifting positions...he too was suffering from Cheet's death, even if he was too young to fully understand what was going on.

"Dash?" he whispered, groaning as he sat up on his elbows, "What's wrong?" he asked sleepily.

"I...I can't sleep."

"Why not?"

She then scooted close to him,using his chest as a pillow as she rubbed her head into his bare chest. Her body was pressed tightly against his, and the way she was positioned, she had one of her forelimbs behind his neck, the other across, with one hind limb beneath his legs and another across them, she was holding him between her limbs. He could feel her racing heart against his sight, as well as the hot, rubbery, bare, and slightly wet entrance between her lower legs, against his own. "I miss Cheet..."

"So do I, Dash," he replied, "So do I."

"Why do good people have to die?"

"It's the circle of life, I guess...and the price of being a soldier."

Silence for a few moments, then, "Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"I...I don't want to die."

"You won't, Dash, not if _I _have anything to do about it," then, he said, "I would sacrifice my own life before I let yours be lost...you know that, right?"

He could feel her gasp, even though she didn't make a sound, and she curled even closer against him, "I love you..." she said.

"I love you, too," and he kissed the top of her head before getting comfortable once again, softly petting her mane as they both drifted off to sleep, and she continued to use his chest as a pillow. Once sleep finally came, the dreams that both of them experienced, was a replay of the explosion, and Cheet's death.


	39. Chapter XXXVIII: Trouble in Paradise

_**Chapter XXXVIII**_**:**

**-''The Siege of Beta World, Pt. I: Trouble in Paradise''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-**_**29 October 2012**_**-**

**-**_**0544 Hours**_**-**

"Poor Alex..." Twilight began, standing just inside of Alex's room and looking out towards the balcony. The Commander stood alone, staring out at the _Fiernes Curtain_.

"He's taking Cheet's death hard...we all are," Spike replied.

"I just feel so bad for him..."

"There's nothing we can do, Twilight, what happens happens."

"I just hope he's okay."

"He still out there?" Rainbow Dash asked, stepping into the room as she looked towards the Commander, his back to them.

"Yeah," both Twilight and Spike replied with a sigh.

"You guys go on ahead and get ready for school, I'm going to go talk to him."

"Good idea," Twilight replied, "He needs you right now, he needs his mate," and they left. Dash watched them leave, then, with a sigh, entered the room, heading across it and stepping outside onto the balcony. Despite nearly being November and early in the morning, the air maintained a dry ambient temperature of around eighty to ninety degrees, thanks in large part to the city's close proximity to the immense wall of dragonfire, the arc of the glow radiating off of it visible from anywhere in the world.

"Alex?" Dash began, standing beside him and nuzzling him affectionately, "You okay, dude?"

"Cheet..." he mumbled in reply, then with a howl of anger, swiped a planter off of the balcony. The clay planter smashed into the wall, sending plumes of dirt flying every which way and pieces of jagged clay all over the place. "Why couldn't I have fucking _SAVED _him!" and he rubbed his temples. His breathing was heavy and labored, he was either crying, or struggling to control a deadly outburst, Dash placed her money on the latter.

"There's nothing we could have done..."

"_Bullshit_!" he hissed, turning to face her, "If I would have been just a little bit farther back...I could have helped him when he stumbled!"

She wiped his spittle from her face, replying sternly, "Shit happens, all we can do is continue life."

She could feel a sudden darkening in his mood...she had said the wrong thing at the wrong time. He made a jump at her, causing her to immediately rise into the air and hover just off of the balcony. "I COULD HAVE _SAVED _HIM!"

"Alex, stop being stupid! There's nothing we could have done, and you _know _it! Everyone knows that there is a risk in warfare! I would expect _you _to know this more than anyone else!"

Alex's head lowered, and he replied in a dangerously calm voice, "You don't understand the nature of our relationship...you never will."

"So what? You were ass-buddies then?"

Alex sent her a furious glare, but she shrugged off his fury at her, knowing that he wasn't angry at _her _as much as he was angry at his own failure to prevent the imminence of his former protege's untimely demise.

"Alex, you need to calm down," she replied sternly, "Your fury isn't going to bring Cheet back."

"I...could...have..."

"No, you couldn't have," she interrupted, smirking, "None of us could have. It was written, it was his destiny."

"How stubborn..."

Now the Pegasus was furious, "I am _NOT _stubborn! You are the moron who thinks that he could have prevented something that was inevitable. Everybody dies, Alex. More so for those in the military. He lasted much longer than _most _soldiers," calming herself down, she said slowly and clearly, "Alex, look at Alpha Company. Since our founding, how many troops have passed away?"

Alex's face twisted in a grimace, "Very few."

"Exactly, we've been lucky. Eventually, we'd reach a spot of bad luck."

"More like our luck has finally out."

"Don't say that! Don't you _EVER _say that!" Dash hissed, "We will manage, Alex, we always have! So what if we lost Crash? So what if we lost Cheet! I'd hate to think of it that way...because they were my friends, too, but death happens. As soldiers, we need to expect that as a risk we're willing to take! Look at all you still have! Cheet might be gone...but _m__ost _of Alpha Company is still alive! You have your dragon! You have two...no..._three _women who _care _about you! Who _care _about your feelings! You have a _family_,Alex! Sarah is your family, Cynder is your family...I am your family...we're not a brotherhood...we're a family."

They stopped speaking for a few moments before Alex finally said, "Y'know...it's kinda amusing actually."

This change in tone surprised Dash, and she was alert for any sign of another impending outburst, "What is?" she asked, taking the risk.

"I have no emotions, I'm a mindless monster...an animal...who only knows lust, fury, and vengeance. Yet here I am, crying over the death of a close friend of mine..."

"Just goes to show that you _aren't _the killing machine you thought you were."

"How? How can I have these emotions? Look at my past...I never knew innocence, I've been killing human beings with guns since I was old enough to walk...and yet I still mourn for Cheet's death...I've already figured out that my corruption at such a young age must have contributed to my bestiality, my scalism, my furryism, my sexual escapades with you and Cynder...something that I enjoy, despite the fact that I know it's morally wrong, but this...this sadness...I didn't even feel this bad when Crash was killed. What makes Cheet so different?"

"You were more kindred spirits with Cheet than you were with Crash," Dash replied, "_I _could have told you that. Crash was always the pacifist, always the one who questioned why he killed, the one who wanted to show mercy. He was Chernov, if you place Cheet as Petrenko, and yourself as Reznov."

Alex smirked, "Making _Call of Duty _references now, eh? Fuck, Black Ops II."

"That's not the point, Alex. The point is that you and Crash were nothing alike, you hardly had anything in common. Crash had a consci...uh...Crash didn't like to kill people. Cheet was a soldier, and he greatly admired you. It's understandable that you would be affected if someone who was so much like you...who idolized you...fell. Despite your personal feelings, however, he was a casualty of this war. We _have _to treat him that way. If we dote upon this, his sacrifice will come to jack squat! The _Maxia _are dying! The war is seeing a finale, hell, they had to bring in the Brotherhood, an aspiring militia, just to stay afloat! If we can somehow isolate them from the Brotherhood and whatever other little radical, warmongering organizations that they've seized, the _Maxia _WILL fall within the course of a few minor battles!"

"We attacked and wasted the Necropolis...all it did was piss them off even further."

"Yes, but you _still _wiped out their capital city, as well as over a quarter of their numbers! In the wake of Necro's death, they didn't become _stronger_! They became the metaphorical 'headless chicken'. Jazz took control again before the chicken finally killed over, but the _Maxia _didn't trust him, as was pretty damn obvious when many of them joined alongside us after the fall of Necropolis and Jazz's rise to command," Dash replied, "Yeah, I've been doing my homework."

Alex, looking out towards the Curtain again, said, voice distant and in deep thought, "The _Maxia _didn't trust him because, not only did he have a history of betraying his allies, but while Necro was an expert strategist, wanting to do as much damage as possible while taking as little friendly casualties as he could, Jazz was a mindless terrorist who sought only to take us down by force, caring less about what it costs to his own numbers or to neutral assets. Not to mention, some of the actions he did while leading went too far for even _them_! Remember, _Jazz _was the one who arranged an attack on Moscow just for the sake that the _Maxia _could have extra numbers and another powerful force behind them, as well as an excuse to attack New York City, just to lure us out there so he could flatten the whole damn city and us with it! Then, once he received all he wanted from them, he massacred the Russians, _in front of his own men_, while they were weak and unsuspecting...backstabbing at its finest, and the epitome of 'coward's way out'. Not only that, but he proceeded to destroy GCS, an iconic NYC location, and the Blood Week Crisis didn't help much at all. The _Maxia _don't want a war, per say, they just want _us _gone. When the Blood Week Crisis occurred, it was no-holes-barred, walk into every American city and slaughter everyone you see. Plus, shortly after he took leadership, he _told _us he was going to attack us! Even gave us the exact time and date! He _wanted _us to be prepared so he could show his superiority in brute force...that was one of the _few _times we lost New Alexandria, and one of the even _fewer _times we lost the city for any longer than a couple of hours!"

"He _told _you he was going to attack?"

"Yes, pretty damn much!"

"How?"

"Guy walks into a series of airports and train stations, always at rush hour, with a group of about fifteen men, all armed with M240s and a plethora of ammo belts...what happens?"

Dash's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped in disbelief, "You don't mean..."

Alex nodded, and mimicking the voice of Makarov perfectly, said, "_Remember...No Russian!_"

"Oh my God..."

Alex nodded slowly, voice returning to normal, "In the space of a three-day weekend, over five thousand unarmed, unsuspecting, innocent US civilians were brutally massacred. This dealt a _huge _blow in the _Maxia_'s trust and morale. Sure they wanted us dead, but they didn't want to harm Americans, especially when said Americans were entire families, all unarmed, and none of them expecting what Fate brought upon them...women...children...innocents...all brutally slaughtered, only to give us a message that he didn't give two-shits _what _the costs were, he was going to take us down."

"My God..." Dash replied, looking towards the _Curtain_.

"Following up on what you said, I guess it's true. However, if we want to end this war permanently...we need to go further than just bringing down the highest ranking general."

"What do you mean?"

"We need to find a way to take down the one who spouted those blatant lies and ordered the war against us to begin with."

"You mean..."

"Yes, a successful assassination of the executive leader, the commander-in-chief, the President...the first since JFK, is in our future...I can feel it...but not yet."

Dash nodded, "I get what you mean...we take down the President..."

"We take down the entire driving force behind the _Maxia _Regime, and the entire military with it. Several issues arise, which is why we can't do this right now. One: We're ill-suited for it, Two: We have _no _idea where the President is hiding away at, Three: No doubt he's guarded by the _Maxia_'s best, perhaps more than what even _we _can match against. Not to mention, he has the Brotherhood, and that's the _only _one of his no-doubt-innumerous little armies and militias that he has under his command."

"What do we do, then?"

"We wait for ample opportunity. That is, we wait until he rears his ugly head, then we go in there, and we take it off."

The mood of the class upon Alpha Company's entrance was dark and gloomy. Apparently, news of Cheet's death had somehow been spread here already, and they all granted the soldiers their condolences. Throughout the whole event, Alex said nothing, never uttering little more than a few stray words that entire day. It was obvious that he had been hit the hardest of anyone else, as was expected, but still, the melancholy that Alex felt was sensed by all, worsening how they themselves felt.

Dash was the one who was most saddened by her mate's behavior, she hated to see him sad or unhappy, and she wished that she could cheer him up. Several times she tried, but he brushed it off, not even seeming to hear her. Although this hurt her, she hid it well, and allowed him to cope on his own, wishing…wanting…that he could cheer up. This spot of emotion in her mate also deepened her love for him, as she had never seen so much vulnerability in him before, and she found that she wanted him now more than anything. Instead, she chose to ignore her wants for him and moved on with the day, promising herself that she would attempt to seduce him later that night.

"I feel sorry for him..." Cynder began. Alex worked alone on his fuels engine, everybody else was on break, save for him, and the rest of Alpha Company stood at a distance, just outside of the bay doors, watching the Commander work.

"He'll get over it eventually, not trying to sound like an ass but..." Piermont-in his human form-replied, sticking a cigarette between his lips as he, using his pyrokinesis, set the butt aflame. "He was like this when Rapid died, it took awhile, but he eventually got over it."

"I wish I could have been a member of the militia for longer than a few months..." Rainbow Dash replied, speaking more to herself than anyone.

"The fuck are you talking about, Dash?" Piermont asked, raising an eyebrow in mock amusement.

"I mean, I kinda wish that I could have joined the Terminators when they first were founded..."

At this statement, everyone was shaking their heads.

"What?"

"No you don't," Spyro replied, "These guys have been through more shit than anyone has ever realized. C'mon, I've been here for about four or five years now, and there is a lotta shit that continues to haunt my sleep. I can't imagine what Alex's dreams are like...having done this for over sixteen years."

"I doubt he knows the difference," Rudolph said, "Like Piermont, I don't mean to sound like a dick...but this is all he knows. Have any of you ever actually _heard _the story of his origins?"

"Yes, yes, we all know," Rarity began, sounding bored, "Kidnapped at the age of three and forced to join the military."

However, Rudolph was shaking his head, as was Terrias, "There is much more to it than just that. It wasn't the kidnapping that scarred him so badly," the servine replied.

"How in the hell do _you _know?"

"I could sense it. Back when we were escaping from the Devil's Arena, he told me a bit about his past...he was hiding something. I managed to slyly infiltrate his thoughts and memories...unfortunately, he unconsciously shut me out before I saw too much...but the tidbits I _did _see were...quite horrifying."

"I think only Piermont knows the full story of Alex's origins," Spyro began with a sigh, "It's obvious he wants to hide the details...and I _do _understand where he's coming from, but I _would _like to know what he's seen. I don't want to _experience _it, per say, but I _do _want to hear the full story. He's surrounded by a veil of mystery...and it worries me, even if it shouldn't...it does."

"No you don't," Piermont replied, raising his head to the sky and exhaling, sending a puff of silver smoke into the cloudless, blue sky, "I know his memories through-and-through, trust me, the shit he doesn't tell you guys is for good reason."

"You mean, like Jazz's betrayal?" Cynder mused, "How long was it before he told Spyro and I that?"

"He didn't even tell _me_," Rudolph added.

"He had hardly mentioned it after the event occurred. It was a skeleton he preferred to keep tucked away deep in his endless closet. It wasn't until the rise of the Shade King and his identity truly revealed that our loving Commander was pretty much told to deal with it all over again. By then, he figured that it was time to reveal it to you guys as well."

"History repeats itself..." Twilight replied.

"Not really...kinda..." Piermont began, "I remember when the whole incident happened..." and the dragon fell silent, lowering and shaking his head, emerald eyes, normally glowing with life, mischief, and alertness, dulling as he retreated into his private memories, "What a dark time."

"What would _I _be like if I had been there since the beginning?" Dash asked rhetorically.

Piermont was quick to reply, voice bitter and laced with cold humor, "You would be every bit as fucked up as he is...perhaps more so."

"He isn't _that _fucked up..."

"Oh c'mon, Dash!" Piermont exclaimed, throwing up his arms, voice raised, "He's having _sex _with a goddamn _horse_ and a goddamn _dragon_. Bestiality, or Zoophilia, or whatever the hell it is, isn't quite normal, y'know."

Dash shrugged, then replied bitterly, "I'm a Pegasus..."

"Yeah, yeah, I _know_, you are a 'Pegasus' not a horse. Same damn thing! A Pegasus is a winged horse! Anyway, that's beside the point, Alex is _NOT _a normal kid, you know that, I know that, _he _knows that. The only difference is that he has come, after quite a long time, to accept his oddities. You know why he freely displays his affection towards you and Cyn in public, _despite _knowing how it's viewed?"

"No...why?"

"He knows it's morally wrong, but he don't give a fuck. He wants to do what feels right, and even if this little love triangle is twisted and repulsive to society, he's gonna do it, because years after being tormented by his peers, he no longer succumbs to peer pressure. Dash...the battles and the places we've been is only one-half of what we've experienced," and the human-form dragon, brilliant emerald eyes shining with sadness, "If only you knew the hell that we've been through outside of the militia. I'm sure you've heard him mention how we were always the outcasts in school."

"Yeah...you guys rarely ventured away from your little clique."

"It wasn't entirely our choice to stay together and stay away from those morons at school. We were seen as trash to them, laughingstocks, the butts of jokes. Worse part was, we couldn't do anything to them. In war, killing is okay, as long as you fire back only on those who fire on you. In school and society, you can't just run around murdering people you dislike. We didn't get into fights, because that would only further get us into even MORE trouble. We are soldiers, our fists are considered weapons, we _know _how to kill people with just our thumbs. They laughed and mocked us, and we did nothing...but that wasn't all. They had _no _idea about the shit we've been through. They saw our mature experiences and lack of innocence as another wound to salt. Alex used to just stare at those kids, wondering why they were so entertained by gossip or random conversations, he never could understand how they could act as if there wasn't a care in the world..."

"It was because he had never had the same pleasure..."

"He was never taught," the emerald dragon quickly corrected, "He was never raised by a proper family, never allowed a childhood. He was never raised with morals, his faith is acquired on his own. Literally, ever since he was old enough to walk, he was taught to kill or be killed, to remain silent and to observe every minute detail, to be prepared for EVERYTHING," Piermont turned away from them then, mood growing much more solemn and dark, much more grim, "...And then there was Zack..."

"Who?"

Piermont straightened, "What? I was just talking to myself."

"Who's Zack?" Spyro asked, stepping forward, suspicious.

"It's nobody, Spearow, I said nothin'."

The purple dragon gave him a suspicious glance, but eventually just lowered and shook his head, sighing in annoyance, "Whatever."

"Piermont?"

"What, Dash?" he asked sternly, sounding highly irritated.

"Who is Zack?"

"It doesn't matter, that was a long time ago..."

"Oh..." Rapid began, "You mean that kid in Missouri?"

Piermont shook his head, "No...much older than _that _even...I'll let Alex talk about it. I've already said too much."

"I'll just ask him to explain," Spyro replied.

"I wouldn't," Piermont warned, "Trust me on this one, Spy, do NOT bring up the subject around Alex. That is one of the biggest goddamn skeletons he shelters."

Spyro was alarmed, the fact that Piermont had addressed him by something other than the mock name 'Spearow' as well as the fact that his voice was very serious...even worried...the purple dragon knew that whatever Piermont was referring to or warning against was indeed something that should remain hidden, but the curiosity as to who the identity of this mysterious 'Zack' continued to torment him from the very back of his mind . "Okay then..." the purple dragon replied hesitantly, "I won't."

"Smart boy..." said the emerald dragon, tossing down the butt of his cigarette and rubbing it into the asphalt drive, sighing before disappearing back inside of the shop.

Alpha Company dispersed until only Spyro and Dash remained. The latter walked over to Alex's wing-second, saying, "I wonder who Zack is...or was Piermont just throwing out a random name?"

Spyro shook his head, "I don't think so...I think I've heard about a guy named Zack from somewhere...I just don't remember where..." as soon as he said this, a memory shot through his mind, it was a short excerpt, almost like an electrical zap, and the feeling it left as it tore through his mind was similar. He winced at the electrical surge before shaking his head abruptly, the red-hot pain instantly dissipating. The memory surged again, and this time, he managed to grasp a still image of himself and Alex in the immediate aftermath of the massacre at the fountain during the Battle of Champaign. Rainbow Dash did not seem to notice and had already disappeared back inside the building. Spyro paused in the doorway as the still image of the massacre, now shown in a negative pallet, flashed through his mind again before instantly vanishing. Shaking his head abruptly, as if he was a dog who had just received a tap on the nose, he passed it off as nothing and disappeared in the cold darkness of the workshop.

Alpha Company trudged slowly across the parking lot and towards Main Campus. As per usual, the sudden appearance of the soldiers turned heads of the normally oblivious students...but attention was the LAST thing that anybody wanted. Even Piermont, who normally went out of his way to terrify strangers nearly to death, was uncomfortable beneath the astounded gaze of these kids. In response to Cheet's death, Alex, in his dress uniform, reminiscent of the pitch black officer uniforms of Nazi Germany during WWII, only with the red armband showing nothing but a single black, script eagle centered on a solid red background-the old, now-obsolete flag design of the Terminator Militia-instead of the swastika set within a white circle, now wore a golden armband with a silver eagle in place of the normal band. Everyone on Alpha Company, even those who, in their natural forms, did not need to wear articles of clothing, wore the so-called 'Mourning-Flag'. Most of them wore the armbands, like Alex, but a few of them, namely the lions and the numb Keisha, wore it around their necks.

As soon as they entered the room of their political science class, they were greeted by the student currently there, Lucas, the brony. "What's with the color pallet?" he asked.

"It's a sign of mourning," Twilight replied.

"Ah..." Lucas replied, looking shyly away from the unicorn, due primarily to his secret crush on her, "Who died?"

"Cheet..." Spyro replied, "The male cheetah that used to wander around with us."

"Oh...him," and Lucas seemed sad, "When did he-?"

"About two weeks ago..." Spyro sighed, "Surprised you didn't notice it earlier."

"Well, we haven't had Political Science for the past two weeks, so this is the first time I've seen you guys. I'm not in 'W' building or whatever like you guys are."

"Right...forgot about that little detail."

"Anyway...sorry to hear about your friend..."

Spyro shrugged, "I don't want to sound disrespectful to the deceased but...shit happens. When you are a soldier, it's something that you need to learn how to deal with...and often ignore...until later."

Lucas shook his head, "Man, I don't know how you guys manage to juggle schooling with soldiering. I mean, the diesel and automotive programs are notorious for having more hours and classes than the rest of us."

"We learn to cope," Spyro replied, smiling grimly, "It also helps that we have strongly Conservative instructors who understand our duties, so we do get some leeway when it comes to attendance."

"Heard about the news..." Perlman began from behind them, suddenly entering the room, "Sorry to hear about Lieutenant Cheet," and the instructor walked over to the dry-erase board, quickly erasing the notes from the psychology class that had occurred in there earlier that morning.

Alex remained silent, eyes focused on the floor. Spyro and the others nodded, "S'okay," the purple dragon replied, "As I was just telling Luke here, as cruel as it sounds, when you're a soldier, you need to learn how to deal with these. Still, however, the whole incident came to us in a bit of a shock. Since the Terminator Militia was founded back in '97, only three members have passed away, four if you count the traitor. If you take into account that Alpha Company is perhaps the most active company in the whole militia, that adds up to incredible stats."

"Probably helps that you are all super-mutants though, right?"

Spyro nodded, "Eh...of sorts. We are mutated, yes, and it does give us juggernaut capabilities but...we're only alive. Like anything else that lives, given the right circumstances, it can be killed."

"If you ask me," Cynder began, "We should count ourselves lucky, we've been through a _lot _of shit, and we survived. Hell, we've been shot, stabbed, blown up, tortured, beaten, flamed, you name it, it's happened to us...and yet we escape with barely a few scars."

"I guess you have a point, I mean, it makes sense."

"Spy," Terrias began, tapping the purple dragon on the shoulder, "Five total members have passed away."

"Huh?"

"You forgot me..."

"Right...right...the fugitive from Hell," and the purple dragon chuckled, "How could I ever forget you, Lieutenant? I might as well throw the Commander into that pool as well, he was down there with you!"

"Yeah, but he didn't actually pass away."

"Right...he just had a talk with Necrodusk and took a week-long out-of-body vacation."

"It ain't funny."

"You are here and fine now, so I'm laughing at the past...it's better than being furious at the memory of the foolish mistake Alex made, the one that nearly cost him his own damn capital!"

For the first time since his morning conversation with Rainbow Dash, Alex spoke up, "I had no doubts on your abilities as a leader, Spyro."

"Holy shit!" Piermont mused, "He's alive!"

"Piss off," the Commander replied, frowning.

"He speaketh!" Piermont said, raising his arms to the sky, in mockery of faith healers, "Praise the lawd!"

Alex closed his eyes as he began to glow a faint green, and Piermont was lifted off of the ground before abruptly dropped.

"What the _hell_!?" the human-form dragon hissed, baring his slightly pointed teeth in anger, "The hell was _that _for?"

"Shut up," Alex replied.

"You know what, fuck you!" and Piermont stepped closer to Alex, hands rolled into fists, "Come at me, bro! I _dare_ you!"

"Guys," Spyro began, immediately slipping between them as he hopped on his rear legs, extending both of his forearms to push the two away from each other, Piermont with his fists raised, Alex with his arms crossed, "Now isn't the time or place for this crap."

Piermont, crossing his arms, turned to face away from Alex, jutting his chin into the air, closing his eyes. Alex's shoulders, tensed, relax, and he lowered his head to his chest, sighing deeply as he rubbed his temples with the index and thumb of his left hand, arms still crossed. A sudden, awkward silence fell over the classroom, broken when Perlman, who had been sitting on his desk, facing the classroom, immediately jumped up, amazingly nimble, energetic, and agile for his sixty-plus years, "Well...now that we got _that _out of the way, let's talk about Illinois' state government..."

An hour and a half later, Alpha Company, along with the rest of their clan, the diesel boys, sat around the study lounge a few doors down from room M131, where their math class was held at. Piermont sat on the banister, wad of chewing tobacco in his lip, Mountain Dew bottle, now a spittoon, resting between his thighs, and he sighed, "Christ...I hope His Royal Gayness doesn't try to pull any shitty attitudes with us. Frankly, I'm not in the mood to deal with anyone's bullshit, _especially _his."

"What are _you_ worried about, Pierre?" Terrias began, he was leaning against a pillar of the room, arms crossed, head cocked towards the ceiling's fluorescent tube light fixtures, "I'm the one he has the gay crush on."

"Not something to be proud of, Terrias," Piermont replied, and his glance turned from the sparring match between Alex and Dash to the servine.

The servine turned to face the human-form dragon, "I'm not proud of it..." and he frowned, "I just wish it would stop..."

Spyro, who was laying like a cat on one of the couches, Cynder sitting on top of him, her head between two of his back spines, replied, "As long as he doesn't try to touch or otherwise make any advances towards you, you're fine. Who cares if he has a crush on you."

Terrias' jaw dropped and he adopted a look of disgust, "_I _care! I don't expect _you_ to understand, you don't have any queers lustin' after your ass, dreaming of sticking their dick up there. _I _do!"

Spyro chuckled, "Bud, I've had those before...it's nothing worth worrying about unless they actually make an advance on you."

"How can you approve of gay crushes?"

"I'm not saying I do," and the purple dragon now had a look of amusement on his face, "I'm just saying that you are overreacting."

"Fuck you!"

Spyro shrugged, "I've heard worse."

"Crap..." Piermont sighed, "The moron doth arrive."

"Heh?" and both Terrias and Spyro turned to see the back of the fat and overly nerdy Paulus unlocking the door to the classroom before disappearing inside.

"Son of a bitch..." Terrias breathed, "God smite me down..."

"Sorry," Spyro replied, grinning widely and patting the servine on the back, "God don't play that way."

Terrias only groaned, head still firmly planted in his hand.

In Math class, Alpha Company, who, as the weeks had gone by, had grown used to spreading out throughout the room, allowing the diesel kids and other miscellaneous students to be blended in, had returned to their particular corner of solitude, away from the others. Paulus noticed this, but said nothing, only sighed as he walked over to his desk, digging in his duffel bag and removing a stylus to be used on the touch-screen computer. "Today," he began, opening up Microsoft Word and writing a fraction, "We will be learning about fraction with unequal denominators..."

As the class dragged on, Alex remained still in his seat, head on his chest, staring off at nothing, lost in memories. Rainbow Dash had wormed her way over to him, and now was resting against him, using his shoulder as a pillow. Paulus, seeing their contact, was quick to harp on them for it, but Alex didn't hear him, and Dash chose to ignore him. Several times, he called her name, but she continued to ignore him, until finally, he walked over to them, forcing her to stand, much to her protests, and pointing towards the classroom door. "Leave!" he demanded.

"What?"

"I said go! If you want to do the whole lovey-dovey thing, wait until after class. Now leave!"

Dash, irritated, spit in his face, bringing on a gasp from him before she stormed out. Alex, having snapped from his trance, jumped up, beginning to run after her, "Dash! Wait!" but Paulus stopped him.

"Sit down," the irritated math teacher said, and forced him to take a seat.

A moment later, Dash quickly returned, disrupting Paulus as she forced Alex to stand and kissed him hard and fast, dramatically slipping him her tongue before she, with a victorious glance at the disgusted Paulus, left once more, leaving a very stunned Alex, mouth agape, eyes wide. It was all everyone in the classroom could do to stop from laughing. After three months of seeing these intimate moments between the mates on a daily basis, they had grown used to the idea of Alex and Rainbow Dash as a couple. Paulus, however, having never seen a human French kissing with a horse, was utterly disgusted and repulsed, and was ultimate driven silent by what had just so recently occurred.

Several minutes of awkward silence later, with the students chuckling, Paulus shook his head and continued where he left off, pausing several times as he tried to figure out what he had already gone over.

_Amusing_... Terrias thought, _He's completely disturbed by Alex and Dash's relationship, yet he is horny as a motherfucker for _me_. Talk about your little touch of irony_.

"Dash!" came a voice from behind her, and the Pegasus, who had been standing outside, looking towards the sinking sun, turned around to see Alex run up to her, embracing her, "Are you okay?"

She shrugged, "I'm just fine, thought I'd leave a little goodbye present for that dick of a teacher of ours."

Alex chuckled as Spyro, Cynder, and Terrias appeared beside him, and the rest of Alpha Company arrived one by one, "It worked."

Dash smiled slyly, mischievous light alighting in her eyes, "I figured it would. Ironic though, don't you think? The same guy who's horny for a male snake is disgusted by the interspecies relationship between a human and, for lack of better terms, a horse."

"Pegasus," Alex corrected, "You aren't a horse," and he hugged her, "The term 'horse' implies that you are a beast of burden..."

"...Or a loyal steed," Dash added.

"Right, or a loyal steed...but you aren't," and Alex smiled, "You are every bit as human as the rest of us...perhaps even _more _so."

"Is that what you think when we're making love?" she asked, poking and prodding at his initial disgust at their relationship.

"Not at all," he replied truthfully, "I love you for who you are, I wouldn't want anything else to replace that."

"Aww..." Piermont chimed, ruining the moment, "How _sweet_!"

The sun sinking quickly, and with them finally released from the guilt-filled bounds Mark was holding them in, Alex quickly mounted now-normal-formed Piermont, and as they began to take off, his phone rang. Ordering Piermont to wait in place, even while the rest of Alpha Company headed out and back to New Alexandria, he checked the caller ID, disappointment quickly settling as he identified the number as belonging to General Elliot.

"Crap!" he hissed.

"What?" Piermont asked, "Who is it?"

Then, after several moments of silence.

"Let me guess...it's Elliot?"

"Bullseye," Alex replied with a sigh.

"Dammit..." the dragon replied, shaking his head.

"Vaughn here," Alex replied, sounding less than amused.

Immediately, the harsh, screaming voice of Elliot returned over the speaker, gunfire and explosions in the background, "Commander...need...ass...Time Wound! Uunder...fi..._Maxia_! It's...goddamn...Week Crisis all over again!"

"Wait...what? Elliot, you're cutting out!"

"_GET OVER TO BETA WORLD! NOW!_" he hissed, so loud that Alex quickly winced away from the speaker.

"I'm on my way," Alex replied, ending the call.

Piermont, spreading his wings, said, "I'll relay the message over to the others, let's get our asses to the Time Wound, the rest of Alpha Company can catch up once we get there."

"Hurry, it sounds bad."

"No shit, I could hear the call as clear as day, and _I'm _not even the one who received it! Did you have the phone on speaker?"

Alex shook his head.

"Damn, Elliot can sure be a loudmouth," smiling grimly, he leaped into the air, spreading his wings as he quickly launched forward, pulling off a smooth roll as he vanished in a flash of brilliant blue light.

"Hey!" Mark called after them, "_HEY! _Come back! We're not finished yet!" realizing they were gone, he muttered beneath his breath, "Lazy sons of bitches...I won't be surprised if they're fired by the end of the year. Instead of flying off to screw around, they _SHOULD _be staying back here to actually WORK."

Alex and Piermont emerged from the teleportation vortex over the Burned Lands, just outside of the Time Wound. Activity around the normally silent region was bustling, and thousands of armor, artillery, and infantry surrounded the portal, all being led through. Folding his wings midflight, Piermont front-flipped to a smooth landing, and Alex quickly dismounted, running over to Alpha Company, whose facial expressions proved that they were as confused as Alex, "What the _hell _is going on?" Alex asked his wing-second.

"Damned if _I _know," Spyro replied, "We just got here, all hell was breaking loose."

Terrias, shoving his way through the crowd, suddenly appeared, "What's this talk of an attack on Beta World?"

"I don't know," Alex replied truthfully, "Elliot just called me and said that there was a bit of a trouble in paradise."

"Lovely," and here he morphed his voice so as to sound like Doctor Fluke Hawkins from the video game, 'MDK2', "Well! We're back in action, Kurt!"

"Enough screwing around," Alex replied fiercely, "We need to get moving. I _refuse _to allow the _Maxia _to take Beta World away from us, too!"

The Commander's Wing emerged over Beta World Chicago, finding themselves immediately fired upon by _Maxian _artillery. "Shit!" Alex hissed, an explosion occurring right beside them, "That was close! Piermont, we need to get lower! Get out of range of those guns!"

"No need to tell _me _twice, Doc!" and Piermont folded his wings, dropping like a stone until he was only seven feet above the street. Leveling quickly, he sped quickly, narrowing his body to become as aerodynamic as he possibly could. Alex pressed his body as close to Piermont's head as possible, and their speed increased dramatically. Piermont then pulled off a hairpin turn, nearly throwing his rider off his back, "Hold on!" he replied in response to Alex's brief exclamations of alarm and forceful grabbing of his neck spines.

All around them, Chicago was under heavy fire, buildings were being relentlessly shelled, and civilians fled in terror as tanks tore through the rubble-laden streets, nearly running the fleeing civilians who got in their way down.

"Commander," Spyro began over their radio earpiece, "We need to find Elliot, let's split up and see if we can't figure out what the hell is going on."

"Alright, take care of yourself, Commander."

"Roger, over and out."

"Jesus Christ..." Piermont replied, astounded, and he slowed his steep ascent to a gentle glide as Alex looked towards the direction Piermont was facing. From a mile up, they could see around for miles, and they could see that flames burned on, explosions occurring all around as far as the eye could see. In the maroon-colored, evening skies, they could make out thousands of dragons, both friendly and enemy, engaging in brutal, fiery dogfights.

"This isn't good..." Alex began grimly.

"We need to do something!"

"Any ideas?" Alex began as Piermont lowered to the ground, landing on the street beside Rapid, Terrias, Aria, Sonic, and Rudolph, "If we try to help 'em, their goddamn artillery will just chew us up! We need to lighten the opposition."

"INCOMING!" Rapid cried...but it was too late.

A mortar round exploded nearby, sending all of them to the ground, and Alex, dazed, struggled to catch his breath as he rolled onto his stomach and, entire body burning with a hellish heat, he picked himself up.

"DIE!" a voice cried from behind him, and he was abruptly thrown back to the ground, flipping over on his back as he saw a _Maxia _soldier running towards him, dagger drawn. The Commander raised a protective arm over his face, a weak attempt to shield himself, and as the soldier brought the blade down...

_Help...me..._

Alex's eyes widened at the alien voice. The scene before him flickered violently before fading into a blinding white light. More of those electric flashes, and he saw through a blood-red haze. He wasn't controlling his eyes, and he watched as the scene before him violently flickered and bolted left and right. He could hear heavy breathing, and he realized that he was contained in some kind of glass box. Four men stood before him, their faces were hidden in shadow, but they all wore lab coats, and they were surrounding the box. "Hush now..." one of them whispered, his voice echoing, "Sleep little one..."

_Help...help...me..._ the voice said again.

It was a terrified whisper, and it sounded female.

_Who...who are you? _he thought to the voice.

_Please... _it replied, _You...you are a mutant...you must help me before they..._

...And his vision flashed back to the battlefield where the _Maxia _soldier, bleeding from a hole in his throat, abruptly fell to the side, revealing Rapid, who wiped his dagger clean and sheathed it before extending a paw, helping the Commander onto his feet, "You all right, mate?" he asked.

Alex, out of breath, eyes wide at the strange encounter, nodded, "Yeah...I'm fine..."

"Good then, try not to let the _Maxia _get the best of you. Now, c'mon, we need to get off the street and into cover before another one of those damn mortars blasts on us," and he ran off, the rest of Alpha Company following behind him as they headed towards the city further up the street.

_Help me..._

Alex thought he heard it carried on the wind, still that terrified, feminine whisper. Blinking, Alex shook his head and continued following his squad up the street.

"Oh _CRAP!_" Rapid exclaimed, "Off the street! NOW!" and he ran towards the left, diving through the window of a bombed out building as an enemy Abrams turned the corner, firing upon them. Once they were in the backroom of the building, Alpha Company stopped to catch their breath, and Rapid continued, in between breaths, "We need...to get...the hell out of here..."

"We need to find a way to flank that Abrams," Spyro replied, "They've caught wind of us, no doubt the _Maxia _are gonna send infantry after us. If we can take down that tank, we can at least stand a chance to escape whatever the _Maxia _send our way."

It was just passed midnight when Alpha Company rendezvoused with General Elliot in a shelled hotel on the frontlines of the battle. "'Bout time you showed up! Where the _hell_ have you been?"

"Trying to find you," Alex replied, "Hasn't been that easy."

"Well, it's time to stop dickin' around, we have _Maxia _Triple A's along the hillside a mile up the street. Those damn guns have been firing upon us since noon. We've been pinned down here for hours, I need you guys to clear a path for our column so we can advance on an apparent staging yard two miles southwest of here. We have a demolitions crew here that needs to be escorted up to the battery."

"Right," and Alex nodded for his squad to follow him, "Let's move on out."

"Before you go, make sure to restock on ammunition, I can't have you guys stranded deep behind enemy lines relying solely on your blades. We have snipers up on that grade," and Elliot pointed up the street, towards a distant hill where they could see the flashes of gunfire from the artillery battery. "They're on the outskirts of the Triple A field, and are no doubt lining the street headin' up there. Take them out, too. We'll head on up once you clear a path for us and once our minesweeper tank arrives to clean up IEDs or landmines that may be on the road."

"Right," and as Alex led his squad towards the bluff, Elliot stopped them again, "Take care of yourself, Commander, we've already lost two too many members of Alpha Company thanks to the Brotherhood and the _Maxia_."

"Thanks, Elliot."

"Good luck and God speed."

Alex nodded before running off, his squad following closely behind.

They easily tore through the resistance, discovering that most of the troops chosen to defend the artillery field were little more than grunts fresh out of BMT. The snipers were their only menace, but thanks to smoke grenades and Gold Team's weapons, all equipped with thermal scopes, they managed to charge up the bluff with ease, quickly dispatching the snipers and finding themselves on the outskirts of the artillery field. There were five guns here, and all crews were busy with the assault on the pinned down troops below that Gold Team managed to slip passed the _Maxian _defenses, swiftly bringing down each gun crew one by one. After an hour, Alex tossed a neon green smoke grenade off of the hillside, and the early morning silence was broken by the sound of tank engines roaring to life as Elliot and his company began their march up the hill, soon taking over the artillery battery and turning the _Maxia_'s own firepower against them.

"Alex!" Elliot began, "I just received word from Silver Team that our fortress is under heavy fire from the _Maxia_, get your asses over there and defend the fort at all costs!"

"Yes, sir."

"Spyro will rendezvous with you near the East Gate, he'll have orders from there."

"Yes, sir."

"Good luck!"

Mounting a flamethrower tank, Alex slapped the cold steel of the turret, and the modified "King" Tiger II tank surged to life, heading down the bluff and toward Site Bravo, the Terminator fortress of Beta World Chicago, as well as the primary base of operations for the Beta Force.

By the time Gold Team arrived at the East Gate, heavily guarded by waiting Terminator defenders, the sky to the east was becoming a combination of violet and pale yellow. Immediately upon site of Alex and his squad stepping onto the top of the hill where Site Bravo sat, the heavy, steel, blast doors opened, allowing them entry. "Commander!" one of the soldiers on the ramparts began, saluting, "Commander Spyro and Silver Team are waiting for you in the Conference Center."

Alex nodded, "Roger that," and he saluted.

The guard, in reply, nodded and said, "Thank you, sir."

They walked through the muddy grounds of the fortress, all around them, soldiers, tanks, and artillery all rolled past, either leaving the fortress to reinforce other battle sites across the city, or taking up their own assigned battle stations here in the fort.

"'Bout time you showed up," Spyro began, stepping out of the shadows of the Conference Center, "We were wonderin' when you'd arrive."

"The hell's going on, mate?" Alex asked.

"What does it look like?" and he nodded forward. Alex turned around, watching as five Tiger II's lined up on the street, just behind him waiting for battle, "We have a mass of _Maxia _troops and armor heading up the hill, they're gonna try to mass attack us and take the fortress out from under us. We've had these morons firing on us all night, but it was nothing that we couldn't handle. However, intel states that we have a large invasion force headed this way, if we can hold the fort for awhile, we can get air support to bomb the fuck out of the hillside."

"Where's air support?"

"Tied up on the lake, _Maxia _have a heavy outpost on Navy Pier, and our guys are trying to take it away from them."

A whistle blew, sharp and loud, piercing through the eerily silent air and Spyro immediately took on a battle pose, "Here they come!" he called, "Get on the ramparts! Keep them from breaching our walls!"

With this said, he rose into the air with several powerful flaps of his wings, flying off and over the walls before diving, flaming the attacking masses. "Let's go!" Alex replied, nodding towards his men. With a loud, booming roar, Piermont, part of Silver Team, transformed into his natural, dragon form, allowing Alex to mount before he leaped into the air, flying towards the outside of the fortress as white fire spewed from his great, emerald maw and onto the troops below.

"Ura!" Alex cried, revealing his dual grenade launchers from their special holster mounted on Piermont's back. With several dull thuds, the explosives lobbed from the weapon, exploding on the clustered troops beneath them.

"Hold on!" Piermont called back at his rider, "I'm goin' in hot!" and he ascended vertically before arching tightly and flying straight down, spinning as he created a torrent of fire, spinning like a tornado. He leveled off a few feet off of the ground, allowing his rider to swap his grenade launchers for AK47s and gun down rows of _Maxia _to either side of them. Once at the end of the row, Piermont ascended, curving upwards until he was flying upside down. He then proceeded to pull of a corkscrew towards the next row, never ceasing his fiery assault. He smoothly avoided the returning fire from the _Maxia_, with his rider hammering down on them with an AK47 in one hand and a grenade launcher in the other.

Soon, the miniscule remainder of the invasion party went on the retreat, and with a victorious roar followed by a complimentary flaming in the ass, he returned to the fortress, landing just before the communications center. Spyro, out of breath, purple scales shining wet with sweat in the fires burning outside the fortress walls, landed beside him, "Excellent job, mates! And here come the Calvary! Ura!" he cried as the bombers arrived, finishing off what remained of the retreating _Maxia_.

Turning to face the Commander, Terrias replied, "Well..._that_ was fun..." and then, "Now what?"


	40. Chapter XXXIX: Paradise Lost

_**Chapter XXXIX**_**:**

**-''The Siege of Beta World, Pt. II: Paradise Lost''-**

**-Beta World: Chicago, Illinois-**

**-**_**31 October 2012: A Halloween in Hell**_**-**

**-**_**1200 Hours**_**-**

"Spyro...can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, Cyn," the dragon replied, leaning sleepily against his mate.

Gold and Silver Teams had taken shelter for the night in a shelled office building deep within friendly territory. The battle, still raging outside, had largely subsided as both parties sought much needed sleep. At this time, they were the only two soldiers on the entire floor that were awake. Over a hundred others were up here as well, all sleeping soundly, oblivious to the occasional explosions or distant gunfire that sounded.

Cynder shifted positions, sitting up, "I've been...thinking."

"Oh shit, that's dangerous," he playfully mocked.

"I'm serious, Spyro," and her eyes took on a sad light, "I've been thinking a lot about our life together recently...actually, I've been thinking about it off and on since Crash's death. With Cheet gone, too, I kinda...have been mulling this over almost constantly."

Spyro frowned, "What's wrong, Cynder?"

She looked down, sighing in sadness, before whispering, "Spyro...what if something happens to either one...or both...of us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Spyro, we're a _family _now, we have _children_, if something happens to one or both of us during a battle...what will become of us?"

"I...I don't know...what? Are you thinking about quitting the Terminators?"

She shrugged, "I...I don't know to be honest. I just don't want anything to happen to us, and something ends up that our children are without parents."

Spyro smiled, "Cynder, I'm sure we'll be fine, and even if something _did _happen to us, I'm sure Alex and the others would be quick to take care of them."

Cynder shook her head, "That's just it, I _don't _want Alex or anyone to take care of them. No offense to them, because they _are _good people...but all Alex knows is the military, and we both know he holds it in higher precedence, higher than anything with the exception of mating, and even then, he knows when and when not to do it. If he takes control over raising our children, I'm afraid that he'll raise them in the ways of the soldier...Spyro, I don't want them to be soldiers. I want them to have a childhood, to not have to worry about these trivial things until much later."

"We can't escape that, Cynder. The only way we can do that is to quit the Terminators...and I really don't want to go..."

"I know you don't, Spy, and I know this means a lot to you...but...I'm thinking about quitting, staying home, and raising our family. They've all been good to us these past four or five years, I don't want them to think that I don't appreciate everything they've done, I mean, we'll be forever in their debt...but I don't want to take the risk of our children waking up one day without their mommy and daddy. Do you see what I'm talking about?"

"Of course, I do," Spyro replied, "It makes perfect sense..." then, "Have you brought this up with Alex?"

She shook her head, "I'm still not sure where I stand, and I think it's best he doesn't find out until I'm sure of what I'm going to do. Oh Spyro!" and she buried her head in his warm chest, "I'm so confused...I've never been this lost before in my entire life!"

"Cynder..." and he hugged her, consoling her, "Well..." he began with a sigh, "Whatever you choose, I'm with you until the end."

"You...you mean it?"

He nodded, "Of course," and he adopted a stern look, "If you leave, then I'm leaving with you. I'm not going to leave your side, Cynder...never again. I don't want to risk not being without you, my mate, the single love of my life."

She nodded slowly, tearing up a little, "Thank you..." and she buried her head even further in his warm, muscular chest.

He smiled and hugged her again, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Relaxing again, they both finally fell asleep, dreaming of a peaceful lifestyle, where there was no war, no battle, where they were just an average American family, enjoying life at its fullest; a scene straight out of a 1950s magazine.

_What...where am I?_

_Are you awake, friend?_

_Who? Who said that!_

_Please, don't be angry..._

Alex opened his eyes, finding himself in a pitch black plain. He looked around everywhere, but saw nothing. He seemed to be hovering in the heart of a black void; yet, he could feel the hard, cold, debris-littered ground of the skyscraper his physical body was sleeping in._ I must be dreaming, _he thought.

_You are...but this conversation is very real._

_It's that voice again! You! _he thought out, more angry than intended, _Who the hell are you? Are you from the _Maxia_? The Brotherhood? Why do you keep stalking me like this! Show yourself!_

The voice, eerily sounding as if it belonged to Cynder's large, dark, corrupted form, came back a little later, still calm, also sounding tired, but more relaxed, _I am a friend...just like you, I am a mutant...that is how I could find you._

_Tell me who you are!_

_I am no one...and I hope to meet you soon._

_WHO ARE YOU?_

_Please, I need your help..._

_I won't help you until you identify yourself!_

_I am no one! Now please, you don't understand! They will _kill _me if you don't help me! Please! I've been alone for almost seven years __now...mistreated...abused.__.__.ever since I was a month-old calf. Please...please help me._

_How old are you? _Alex asked, now more sympathetic, _You seem...young..._

_Seven years... _the voice replied, _I am seven years old. Please...save me...help me...it hurts...__and they want to kill me...I don't want to die..._

_Who are you? What are you? WHERE ARE YOU?_

But the voice was fading away very quickly, and the black plane was beginning to lose stability, instead, flashes of the dimension where Alex's physical body was still sleeping flickered with increasing speed. _Help me..._

_Who are you? Tell me who you are!_

Alex awoke with a start, in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. Quickly glancing around, he saw that he was the only one awake. To his immediate right, Rainbow Dash, whose warm, furry flank he had been using as a pillow, lay curled in a ball, sleeping soundly and dreamlessly. To his immediate left, Spyro and Cynder were knotted together, sleeping, their bodies so tangled that in the dim light he could hardly make out who was who. Immediately in front of him, sitting up against an office cubicle wall, arms crossed, was Terrias, Aria was asleep beside him, her head resting on his shoulder, and her front against his side. In sleep, she mumbled something, nuzzling her head into Terrias' furry chest. His trench coat was lying across his front half, but it had fallen away, and Alex could slightly make out the X-shaped indentations of the scars dealt by Jazz's swords across his ivory-colored torso.

For the second time, that voice had contacted him, and he believed that he was the only one experiencing it. He was reminded of the plague of dreams concerning him and Dash prior to her membership into his ranks...this was similar, but also different. Those dreams were sexual fantasies they both shared without realizing it. In these ones, the owner of the voice was directly and consciously contacting him, trying to talk him into helping her, even though he had no idea who she was or where she was being kept. All he knew was that he picked up a strange, frighteningly familiar aura around the voice, and, he presumed, its owner.

The aura...the aura of one who had never had a childhood, who had never known innocence. Only he, Cynder, and Terrias shared that aura, this female did, too. The worst part was that her aura was more similar to the Commander's than either the servine's or the dragoness' was...and this concerned him. Who was she? How had she heard of him? What trouble was she in that could warrant her death and need for his help? He didn't know, and he hoped that it didn't drive him to the brink of insanity like his dreams of Rainbow Dash had done. He found himself unable to return to sleep, so, silently; he readied himself for the day, checking his watch to find that it was 0650 hours, before he walked towards a large breach in the wall, looking out over the eerily silent city, burning on and on. In the distance, he could see flashes of gunfire and explosions in the sky. The battle was still very much alive, even though, this far away, he could hardly hear the gunfire or explosions. With a heavy sigh, he turned to watch as the sky slowly began to brighten to a soft, dark shade of lavender.

"Alex!" Spyro began, running up to the Commander, "The _Maxia _are attacking DC right now, they've moved the President to his bunker and they want US to go in there and help 'em out."

"What happened to us being the bad guys?"

"Apparently the govies here have finally realized that the _Maxia _played them like cards. As we speak, they're dispatching the National Guard and the Army to various parts of the country to join our ranks, albeit temporarily."

"Excellent, although I'm still a little bitter about getting help from the treacherous United States government, we can use all the help we can get here. Here, the _Maxia _have little restraint, it's not like they have the _Fiernes Curtain _and Terminator-occupied cities to hold 'em off."

"That's what I was thinking."

"Alex!" Terrias said, rushing to him and Spyro, "Elliot's ready to advance on DC, he says, and I quote, 'Alpha Company lead the way'."

"Fantastic, so he wants _us _to act like his escorts?"

"Ayup."

"Fuck me…"

"Perhaps later," and Terrias grinned, "Nah, I'm just kidding," and his face adopted a stern appearance, "Seriously though, we're meeting by the southern edge of Chicago in an hour."

"Elliot seems a little eager…this whole damn city is a red-hot warzone, AND we're on foot."

"What can you expect? He wants this battle done and over with."

"Yes, but he's becoming reckless..." Alex shook his head, then, "Anyway, let's get this stupid fucking battle over with."

"Amen," Piermont breathed.

Alpha Company emerged over the burning hellhole that was Washington, moments before Beta and Gamma Companies appeared through the teleportation vortex created by their armor's warp drives.

"DC ain't doin' so good _anywhere _is it?" Terrias asked.

"Can't be any worse than fuckin' NYC," Piermont replied in a bitter tone.

"Ura!" Alex cried as Piermont arched into the air, dive bombing down and opening his great, emerald maw, spewing white hot fire down onto the clustered _Maxia _troops. He flew forward, the beam of fire never ceasing, burning a strip right through the _Maxian _front, dividing the rapidly advancing army into two sections. The Terminators held several badly shelled buildings up the street, and although every window facing the front was armed with M240s, the advancing _Maxia _threatened to tear through the Terminator defenses in their swift advance, mass attacking the dug-in friendlies.

_Commander! _Spyro thought out to Alex, _We gotta get down there and help those friendlies!_

_I know, Spyro, _he replied.

"BURN 'EM OUT!" Terrias cried, and he steered Arian towards another sector of the _Maxian _front. The emerald dragon he rode upon isolated the sector from the main body by surrounding it in a ring of dragonfire before he filled the interior with flames, easily eliminating over a thousand _Maxian _forces.

"Alpha Company has arrived!" Alex's radio responded, probably coming from the dug-in squad's radioman, "Thanks guys, you just saved our asses."

"That's what we're here to do," the Commander replied, "Now, let's drive the _Maxia _out of the city and finish this goddamn battle."

"Ura?"

"Ura!"

In response to Alex's cry, the dragons of the Commander's Wing, and Beta Company, all responded with a booming, deafening roar, and the animals also added their own roars to the congregated victory cry.

"Give 'em hell!" Alex called out, "Show these motherfuckers no mercy!"

Schakri and Gilda, forced to work alongside each other, both followed at the tail of the Commander's Wing, cleaning up what the main body missed. Schakri watched with genuine amazement, Gilda, for still being so new and not having trained as much with Alpha Company as someone like Rainbow Dash or Terrance had, was an amazingly good fighter, quickly picking up and following the example set by the Commander. Schakri was surprised to see just how good she was compared to some of the other 'ignored' members of Alpha Company and the Terminator Militia.

Having used her aerokinesis abilities to blow the _Maxia _into the line of fire of the Commander's Wing and Beta Company, Schakri replied, "Well, I'll be fucked! You ain't have bad for a chick."

"I learn quickly, I don't need any personal trainers like the others do. I'm just fine by myself."

"I can see that..."

"When's it gonna start becoming a challenge? This is too damn easy."

"A bit of an arrogant prick ain't ya?"

"Do I look like someone who really cares? I have speed, strength, AND brains, something these other morons can't seem to accomplish, despite their mutations."

"Well _you _are a bitch, aren't you?"

Gilda smirked, "I didn't do anything."

"You still pissed off that Alex claimed Dashie's pussy?"

Gilda gave him an angry glare.

"What? We all know that's what you joined for, too bad you were a day late and a dollar short. An' unlike the Purple Prick and the Big Black Bitch, little Ali don't share."

Gilda snorted, "I don't need her."

"Yeah, but we all know you _want _her anyway."

"The odds of me getting or even admitting to being hot for Rainbow Crash are about the same as you nailing Cynder or Alexis admitting that he's horny for Spyro. We all know that he is, but he will never admit it."

"Really then?" and Schakri grinned mischievously, "Explain to me then, why in the bloody fuck did you try to fuck Dashie when she and Ali had themselves a little fight?"

"We didn't _try _to."

"Right, you just did, I bet it was...a mutual expression of friendship, right? Instead of two girls wanting to get some lesbian-on-lesbian action going on?"

"Y'know, why are you even talking to me?"

"Christ, I thought I'd make some small talk, you never say real much."

"I'm more of the 'observant' type."

Skorpion broke out into a wild cackle, "Honey, I _know _that's a lie! You just sit there plotting on how you're gonna seize control over our little blue-furred bitch. Question, you DO know that she and Alex have literally fucked right? That he has LITERALLY put his fuckin' dick in her pussy and filled her to the brim, right?"

Gilda grimaced, "I know..."

"Well, last I checked, Dash still thinks that mating is sacred, which means that the odd of you getting up her pussy and ass is pretty much zip right?"

"Don't remind me..."

"Ha! So you DO admit for being hot for Dashie!"

"I never said that..."

"Don't deny it."

"You know what? Fuck you, little black nigger, I don't have to deal with your bullshit."

"Hey! Hey! Uncalled for! I'll whoop your fuckin' ass you ungrateful little bitch! I've squashed bigger queers in my life than you! I can easily take you one and slit your goddamn throat. Then I'll force you to suck my motherfuckin' rod as your bleeding out."

"So what, you are a necrophiliac?"

"My fetishes are nothing of your concern, all you should know is that if you fuck with me, I WILL make you my bitch."

"I'm so scared of a little black bastard whose ego is bigger than his brain."

"Kiss my ass and suck my dick, you stupid broad!"

Adding insult to injury, Gilda rushed forward, slamming forcefully into the black dragon's side and sending him flying across the bloody red skies. With a vicious roar, Schakri quickly retaliated and charged towards the griffin, ramming her flank as he sent both of them into a deadly tailspin. While they spiraled out of control, they fought viciously for dominance, but both proved to hold their own. Being at the rear of the crowd, their absence, and their dual, was not noticed, and the rest of the Commander's Wing continued on.

Skorpion broadsided Gilda again, knocking her aside as he finally managed to stabilize his rapid descent. The griffin crashed into the roof of a building, and Gilda, picking herself up, roared in fry, "You bastard! I'll make you pay!"

Skorpion landed smoothly, perching on the eaves of a nearby church, laughing maniacally, "C'mon bitch, bring it on! Time to teach you a lesson in fucking with a goddamn soldier! Come at me, bro!"

Gilda leaped into the air, and with a loud, hawk-like screech, sped forward, nothing more than a brown blur towards a waiting Skorpion, the latter sharpening his tailblade on the granite wall beneath the easves. Gilda broadsided the black dragon, sending them both spiraling off of the eaves of the church as they viciously scratched and bit at each other. The griffin began to pile-drive into him and Schakri tried to regain control. However, the blind fury of the quick griffin was proving to be a match against his agility, and he searched for a way to quickly turn the tides. Then, he found his opportunity and seized it. "Sorry, girl, but you have just lost the fight! He quickly reached around, jamming his claws into her cloaca and causing her to cry out in surprise and pain. Blood quickly pooling around the point of entry, Skorpion took the collapse in her defenses as an advantage and rammed her in the side, sending her spiraling down. At the same time, Schakri managed to get on top and was driving her into the ground.

Realizing that she had just lost the match, Gilda let out a pained cry as the ground grew closer and closer until...

Something snapped, Schakri all of a sudden lost control over his senses, primal instinct settling in. In a swift motion, he slipped beneath the griffin, saving her from the deadly impact as she landed on his back and raced back towards the group, no sense of intelligence remaining. He was relying on primal instinct as he sped forward, a stunned and pained Gilda riding clumsily on his back. He approached the tail end of the group again, and he rose vertically into the air, rising until he was high up and way above the buildings below. He then arched in midflight, speeding down towards a small walkway around the dome of the capital building. He landed abruptly on the walkway, bucking Gilda off of his back as he stared down at her, now standing over her.

She was gasping, out of breath, and blood continued to pool around her into a small puddle, "The hell are you doing?" she asked, fighting back tears, "You won! Okay? Just...don't hurt me anymore!"

Skorpion said nothing, only looked down at her, his sex-defining appendage was at full length, at the height of arousal. Gilda stared at the tip, a spot of milky white gathering around the mouth as he occasionally bucked uncontrollably, she was now terrified on what he was going to do to her. However, his arousal diminished, and his penis returned to its sheathe as the primal, animal glow in his eyes disappeared, and he grinned in disgust, "Fuck you..." he replied, storming away as he took to the skies and raced towards the other dragons. Gilda remained in place, laying on her back, breathing heavily, wondering what the hell had just happened. She was alarmed that she felt an unusual heat in her loins, one that only manifested when she had sexy thoughts about Rainbow Dash, and looking down at her still-bleeding cavern, she was alarmed to see that it had swollen, becoming a very convex shape, and that it was dribbling with a clear, slimy fluid. _Wow... _she thought, _That was sexy..._ and she quickly shook her head, shaking away the thoughts that surfaced in her brain. She found that her mind was centered around his member, further alarming her. The concept of rough sex wasn't new to her, most of her sexual fantasies centered on her being the submissive receiver to a very dominant Rainbow Dash, and the idea that Skorpion was aroused by dominance, and she was aroused by submissiveness, a new plan hatched in her mind.

Forget Rainbow Dash, her constant rejection had finally done what the Pegasus had wanted. Gilda no longer wanted the Pegasus...no...she wanted Schakri. She understood that still a challenge arrived, the black dragon was pretty well set on Charra, his mate, and Cynder was the only other female that he desired to mate. However, if there was anything that Alex had taught her, it was that males in general will find it very difficult to pass up fresh meat. Already she could tell that Skorpion, upon that painful...but amazingly pleasant and intimate...contact had been sexually aroused, and had abruptly fought off a painful urge to mate. This caused a plan to hatch in her mind, and she grinned. Whether or not he knew it, she was going to mate with him.

"Commander," Spyro began over the radio, "Take two or three of Alpha Company and head down to White House, make sure the president gets out of here."

"Can do, Spyro," Alex replied, "Then, Dash! Twi! Terrance! Terrias! You guys are with me, let's go!"

The four broke from the crowd, regrouping on Alex as Spyro led the rest of Alpha Company forward and into the deepest recesses of the city. "Commander," Spyro began, "Regroup with us on the Washington Monument once the pres is safe.

"Roger that, Commander."

Piermont landed just inside the gates to the White House, quickly transforming into his human self as the others of Alex's squad landed beside them. Arian transformed into his human form, and the two dragons nodded at each other as Terrias approached Alex, "Okay, so we're gonna storm the building, find the president, and..."

"Get him the hell out of here. Beta World isn't safe anymore, Terrias," with a sigh, Alex turned to face his squad, "Alright, let's move in."

"Ura!" Alex's squad cried, and they charged into the building, shooting their way through the _Maxia_-controlled stronghold. "Can we even be sure he's still alive?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Not sure, Dash, but we need to try."

"If he's anywhere," Terrias began, hands deep in the pockets of his trench coat, "He's probably in the presidential bunker beneath the building."

"Any idea where the presidential bunker even _is_, Lieutenant?"

"Uh...no..."

"Exactly...so we're still fucked right now," with a heavy sigh, Alex turned to face his squad, "Okay, everybody, spread out, secure the area, and try to find the entrance to the presidential bunker, there has to be one somewhere in this damned building.

"Secure the area," Dash ordered, "Let's move."

"Since when do you hold precedence over us?" Terrias replied in a good-humored tone.

"Since I'm the Commander's mate," and she grinned mischievously. "The Commander's dragon holds a higher rank than anybody else, I think his mate also has a high precedence."

"Bullshit," but Terrias was grinning.

"She's right y'know," Alex replied, winking at Terrias.

"So that means that Cynder holds higher precedence than your wing-second?"

"Maybe..." and Alex laughed, "Technically though, we're not really _mates _as much as we're...friends with benefits..."

"Either way, _amigo_," Piermont began, "You had sex with her, she's your mate, that's the name of the game."

"Bah!" and Alex shrugged, "The only one I'm claiming as my legitimate mate is my sexy Pegasus here," and Dash nuzzled his neck with her cheek, extending a wing across his shoulders.

"I'm gonna tell Cynder you said that!" Piermont replied.

"Go ahead," the Commander replied, she feels the same way towards me. Sure we've mated, but _I'm _not her mate, _Spyro _is, I'm just her second-placer...although she's nice enough to say that I hold a close place in her heart that's not any different than Spyro's, I know she's just saying that. Spyro is her lover, not me."

"Speak of the devil," Piermont began, mischievous grin returning, "You nailed Spearow yet?"

"What?"

The forest dragon laughed, "Dude, we all know you're gay for him, no sense in hiding it."

"I'm not gay."

"Right, right, you're bi."

"I'm not _bi _either."

"I know you're just saying that," and Piermont shrugged, "Oh well...don't ask, don't tell, amirite?"

Alex sent his dragon and annoyed glare.

"Ah! C'mon! Be a good sport, mate! You know I'm just jacking around with you. Don't take it so personal...unless you really _are _harboring feelings for the little purple fagon."

"I'm not," Alex replied, "And even if I was, it'd be none of your damn business."

"I think it is, I'm your goddamn dragon, man. We get each other more than anybody else..." and he playfully drilled his fist in Alex's shoulder, "Besides, everybody has that 'gay' moment in their life."

"Even you?" and Alex raised an eyebrow in amusement at the emerald dragon.

"Heh..." and Piermont puffed his chest, showing off his muscles, "But of course, it's normal. Most, if not all, males have had a sexual interest in another male at least _once _in their life, same with females and other females. Probably instinctual, y'know, the whole play for dominance thing? Only fucked up by evolution. I wouldn't be surprised if you think that way towards Spyro...you are, after all, a renowned scaly...hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you felt that way towards _me_! Although it would be a little disturbing, you and me are more like brothers than anything...hell, we pretty much ARE brothers..."

"Fine then," Alex began, "You've intrigued me, who is your _one _gay crush?"

"Well...I didn't say I had just one..."

"So multiple?"

"Maybe..."

"Who?"

"None of your business..."

Alex crossed his arms and Terrias cried, "Ah! C'mon, Piermont, you pussy! Tell us!"

"Why should I?"

"Because you want to know Alex's."

"I already KNOW Alex's."

"Then you should be comfortable telling him yours."

"Nope."

"Yes."

"Nope."

"Yes."

" ."

" ."

"Why do you want to know?"

"We're curious, we want our curiosity appeased."

"Curiosity killed the cat, mate."

"Lame excuse."

"Superstitious philosophy."

"I know how we can solve this," Dash began, "Piermont, tell us who your gay crush is, and Alex will tell his."

"Wait, what?" the Commander replied.

"Oh! C'mon, sexy," and she nuzzled him, "You can't expect Piermont to tell you his and not have to pay something in return."

"Do you have one?"

"Don't we all?"

"Whose _your _gay crush then?"

"Well, it USED to be Gilda...not anymore, not after I found out what she was trying to do to my friends."

"Really?"

Dash nodded, "Yeah, a long time ago."

"Not _that _long."

"Babe, we've been together for damn near four months."

"Yeah..."

"I hadn't talked to Gilda in probably a year or two."

"Oh..."

"Yeah..."

"Anyway...since Ali is too stubborn to admit his gay crush on Spyro, let's just get this shit over with so we can go home."

"Agreed," Terrias replied with a nod.

For over an hour, they searched the White House, attempting to find a way into the presidential bunker. Finally, Rainbow Dash stumbled across a trapdoor inside one of the bottom floor rooms, and, with Alex and Terrias' help, managed to pull the door open. It was dark, and Dash, borrowing the Commander's flashlight, shined it down into the pit of darkness, "Well..." she began, "Definitely and old tunnel, but it looks clean...hey, check this out!"

Alex peeked over the Pegasus' shoulder as she shined the light down the ladder. Muddy boot prints went across the polished concrete floors and deeper into the dungeon, "Bullseye," the Commander remarked, and he briefly hugged his mate, "Good job, sexy."

"I try," she replied, a winning, loving smile on her face as she stepped aside, allowing Alex down into the pit. She followed close behind, with Terrias behind her, and Twilight, using her horn as a light, followed from the rear.

"Twi," Alex began, "Keep an eye on our ass-end, we don't want _Maxia _sneaking up on us...there are several prime ambush spots...this whole dungeon is full of stacks of boxes.

"Can do, Alex," the unicorn replied, "Although, I don't pick up any life signs down here...save for a few small creatures, like mice and insects."

"A spell?" Alex asked.

"Of course," the unicorn replied, brightening the light emitted from her illuminated horn, glowing purple.

"Do you think you can expand the spell so as to see if we have any...surprises...waiting for us?"

"Already doing that, Alex...the spell is going at its maximum range...but for now, we're safe. Unless someone manages to completely stop their heart, I can sense them."

"So we're all clear?"

"In an area roughly the size of a football field, yes we are."

"Excellent, keep up the good work."

For over two hours, they wandered through the darkness, trying to locate any sign of the president, however, they found none, and Alex finally decided to surrender, "C'mon guys, he's not here...let's get back up to the surface and work on trying to drive these _Maxia _bastards out of the city and out of Beta World."

"We giving up already?" Twilight asked.

"It's not that we're giving up, per say," the Commander began, looking over his shoulder as he addressed her, "We're just switching to our priorities. Compared to the shit going on up on the surface, evacuating the president is the _least _of our worries. A country can live on without a president, we know that from experience, and our presence here is strong enough to maintain control over the people...we have other worries, it's time to end our scavenger hunt and get back to where we're needed."

"I guess your right..." Twilight began, sounding hesitant.

"He knows what he is doing," Rainbow Dash said with a nod, and Alex wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him and kissing the top of her head.

"Commander!" Elliot began, screaming over his radio.

Alex, alarmed, quickly tapped his earpiece, "Elliot, the hell is going on?"

"GET YOUR ASS TO THE SURFACE, VAUGHN!"

"Elliot, what the fuck is going on?"

"NUKES! THE _MAXIA _HAVE NUKES! GET TOPSIDE RIGHT NOW!"

"Oh _SHIT!_" Alex hissed, "Everybody get up to the surface! NOW!"

"We need to get the hell out of here! All troops are ordered to retreat!" Elliot continued, "We are leaving Beta World immediately!"

The Terminators raced forward, through the dungeons and back up to the surface, immedately dashing outside as far in the distance...they could see trails of smoke arching into the air. There were several blindingly bright flashes of light in the distance, and Alex felt his heart sink...he blinked, and everything snapped into slow motion.

"Move!" Dash exclaimed, shaking her stunned mate, tears in her eyes, "Dammit, Alex! Move! We need to get out of here!"

Her voice faded in as alertness returned to his body, banishing the paralysis and he began to run towards his fleeing squad when all of a sudden...his vision flashed. A warning...he felt some kind of invisible force begin to overtake his mind...as if someone was trying to make contact..._Oh God..._ he thought to himself, _Not again...Not right now!_

_Commander... _the voice began, _You won't make it..._

_Your damn right I won't if you don't..._

Instantly, he was mentally taken back to the strange containment room. "Son of a bitch!" he hissed, "What the fuck are you doing!?"

"Saving your life..."

"For the love of...who in the bloody hell are you? Return control to me until I get out of here!"

"Commander, a nuclear missile is going to explode above your head in ten seconds, you and the rest of your squad will be instantly incinerated."

"What the _fuck_? If your going to take me! Take my friends!"

"You all will be safe...although they will not remember my intervention."

"Who are you?"

"As I said, I am no one."

"No one...ha ha, that's NOT funny! Tell me who you are, NOW!"

"I am no one, Commander."

"You are not 'no one', you obviously are 'someone'."

"No! My name is..."

...and Alex shot up, breathing heavily. He quickly looked around, finding himself near the Time Wound, back in Alpha World. Around him, the rest of his squad were still unconscious. "What-?" he began, looking around. Moments later the rest of Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Companies launched from the vortex,. There was a deep rumbling in the earth, and fire shot from the Time Wound shortly before the portal itself flickered violently and flashed. Then...nothing.

"Ugh..." Dash began, sitting up, "My head..."

"Is everyone okay?" Alex asked, helping his companions.

"The fuck happened?" Piermont asked, "One moment one of those goddamn nukes went off above our heads, and the next...here we are...we're still alive?"

"Yeah..." Alex began, "However, I suggest we stay out of Beta World."

"No shit..." Terrias began, "No doubt our paradise is now a scene from fuckin' Fallout 3...only still burning."

They all fell silent, lamenting the loss of Beta World before, with a a sigh, Alex said, "C'mon then...let's head back to New Alexandria and report on our failure."


	41. Chapter XL: A Farewell to Arms

_**Chapter XL**_**:**

**-''A Farewell to Arms''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-**_**02 November 2012**_**-**

**-**_**2354 Hours**_**-**

Cynder stood out on her balcony, watching the distant _Fiernes Curtain _burn on and on. There was a warm, faint breeze, and it blew past her. Her mind was a constant battleground, a war was occurring between her desire to remain in the Terminator Militia, and her motherly instinct to back out for the sake of their children. She was lost, never having felt so lost before. What was there to do?

She sighed in sadness, she really did not want to leave the militia, in the four, nearly five, years she had been a member here, her life had only been getting better. She had made all kinds of friends, had visited all kinds of places…sure the war had taken a toll on her…it had affected all of them to some degree or another, but she was not going to let it get the best of her. She wanted to stay, she didn't want to leave, but at the same time, something was driving her to leave the militia, to get out while she was still ahead, else something might happen to either her OR her mate that would warrant their young children having to grow up without parents…and she refused to do that to them.

She was raised without any family. From her very birth, she was tormented and trained to be a murderer…and she had no parents, no brothers or sisters, she didn't know friendship…sure she didn't care…but that was because she had never really tasted the pleasure of having friends and family to care for her. All she knew was what she had been raised in, and she had thought that it was perfectly normal…and then she saw Spyro…

She shook her head; add that to the list of things that would have never been had she and her mate failed to join the militia. It was primarily Alex who had managed to bring them together; Alex was the one who had played matchmaker. Without the Commander's intervention, they might have never been together, going beyond that even, her own relationship with Alex. Sure it wasn't very normal, but it was something that she had come to cherish. What started as a one night…or rather…one _week _stand had evolved into a closeness that was second only to her relationship to Spyro. She loved Alex, loved him like a mate, and it was because he was.

She didn't want get rid of all of this…of her friends…and this was why she was constantly warring with herself over what to do. She had yet to bring this up with Alex, for A: she wasn't 100% set on her decision, and B: she feared his reaction.

Surely he would understand…

…But she didn't know.

That was the reason for her doubt…she didn't _know_. She didn't _know_ how life would change exactly if she left the Terminators, she didn't _know _if Alex would be affected by it…she didn't want to hurt him, or for him to be mad at her. She loved him…she loved him enough that she didn't want to hurt him. Surely he would understand…and he always told them that if for whatever reason they had to leave, he would stand behind their decision and always welcome them back with open arms later down the road…unless they betrayed. Adding that to Cynder's fears, she felt that this was betraying the Commander, who had given so much to them…and she felt as if leaving would throw it all back into his face…the ultimate betrayal.

"Everything okay, Cynder?" Spyro asked, suddenly appearing beside her.

Cynder sighed, "Good enough…"

"Is this about the whole…"

"Yeah…it is…"

"Have you talked to Alex about it yet?"

"No…"

"I would if I were you, it's time he knows, even if you DON'T decide to leave."

"I...I can't, Spyro...I just don't have the heart..."

"He's bound to find out sometime. It's best that we tell him now, instead of him finding out the day we leave."

Cynder fell silent, then slowly nodded, "I guess...I guess you're right."

"Have you made a decision yet, mate?"

Cynder remained still, unmoving, staring out a the curtain for a few moments before slowly nodding, "Yes...I have..."

"I'm with you all the way, whichever you choose, Lover..."

Cynder turned to face her mate, his scars more pronounced than ever in the light of the _Fiernes Curtain_. She had tears in her eyes, and she slowly slid an ivory claw across his cheek, wrapping her tail around his shoulders and pulling his head close, where she kissed him, "I know..."

"I love you, Cyn."

"I love you, too," and she smiled.

"C'mon, let's get some sleep."

"...How's school going for ya?" Alex asked, speaking with his fiance over webcam.

"Going good, boring as hell, but same ol', same ol'."

"Sorry to hear that, sexy."

"How's the military?"

"Same shit, different day," and he grinned, "Nah, it's not that bad. Aside from our utter failure in Beta World, which hit us all pretty hard...we're coping. At least Alpha World is still A-OK."

"Yeah...kinda wish you were here."

"Same here," and Alex sighed, "Don't worry though; Dash is keeping me in line."

"I'm sure she is," and Sarah rolled her eyes, "You're lucky I'm so forgiving on the multiple mate thing."

Alex shrugged, "Sorry."

"Bah! It's okay, I guess, but NO MORE."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"I'm serious, get any more girlfriends, and I'm leaving your ass."

"Don't worry, Sarah," Dash said, suddenly appearing, "I have him on a tight leash."

"Make it tighter, okay?"

Rainbow Dash chuckled, "Yes, ma'am."

"Well, goodnight, Dash...night, sexy."

"Goodnight, Sarah," both the Pegasus and the Commander said in unison.

"Talk to you tomorrow maybe?"

"Possibly," the Commander replied, "Honestly, it depends on what the fuck goes on. You can never be too sure when in the Terminator Militia."

"Ain't that the truth! Well...when Summer comes around, I'll be out of school, then we can kick ass together again until Fall."

"Lookin' forward to it."

"'Night."

"Goodnight."

And the screen went dark.

Dash stretched and sighed, "Welp, now what?"

"Damned if I know," he replied, "Tired as a motherfucker," and he yawned.

"I take it no funtime tonight?" and a seductive glimmer shined in the eyes of the Pegasus.

"Not tonight," Alex replied, "Maybe tomorrow...sorry, Lover, I'm too damn tired for anything big tonight. Wake me a little earlier tomorrow, maybe we can arrange something, okay?"

"I'm holding you to your promise, mate."

"Yeah, yeah..." and they climbed into bed together, getting comfortable. As per usual, Rainbow Dash curled her body around her mate's, using his chest as a pillow.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight," and they fell asleep, Alex idly stroking Rainbow Dash's mane.

_You seem to be in deep thought…_

Alex, who had been looking at the _Fiernes Curtain_, suddenly stiffened, turning around abruptly to see a shadowy figure behind him. "Wh…who are you?" he asked.

The figure approached him, gingerly stroking his cheek with a rubber-textured, fingerless hand. The odd feeling made his skin crawl, and he said, "What are you?"

"Dark times are ahead," the voice began, speaking casually, "Two of your friends are considering leaving the militia."

"_What?_" and he was stunned, "Who?"

"Commander Spyro and General Cynder."

"Why? _Why _would they leave?"

"They are questioning the best thing for their growing family. Cynder wants to leave for fear that something will happen to her and her mate, and their children will grow up without parents. Spyro wants to leave out of respect for his mate."

"Why haven't they told me?"

"They don't want to disappoint you. They deeply love, respect, and admire you, they don't want to leave, but they feel that they must for the sake of family. They aren't set on their idea, however, which is why they haven't brought it up with you."

"Why couldn't they tell me…I won't say anything, I'll understand!"

"But they fear that you will. They fear that if they brought it up with you, you would become angry with them, never forgive them, they fear that you will see it as betrayal."

"If they would have told me, I would have understood…"

"Would you _really_, Commander?" and Alex fell silent, bowing his head in shame, "Exactly. You don't understand their emotions, their feelings, but it isn't your fault that you don't understand. You were not raised in a proper family environment. You were raised as a soldier."

"How do _you _know?" he snapped.

"I know, because you told me. You were there when I was hurt…you healed me, kept me alive, upon that touch, I saw into your past, only briefly, but I did."

"I healed you…? The _fuck_ are you talking about? I have no idea who in the bloody hell you are!"

The voice remained silent before finally speaking again, sounding sad and lonely, "You don't remember…"

"Who are you? Remember what?"

"You don't remember me..." and the voice sighed sadly.

"I've never met you…see?" and all of a sudden, he sent all of his memories, his entire identity and form to the shadowy figure. She flinched and briefly cried out as all of his memories surged through her body and mind, raping it with all of his nightmarish experiences, all highlighted in gruesome, grisly detail.

She fell back and recoiled, and the dreamworld flashed white briefly as it began to lose texture and solidity, beginning to disintegrate. Before the dream ended completely, the voice said, "We really HAVEN'T met…" and the contact disintegrated as Alex awoke with a gasp, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Dash mumbled something in her sleep and shifted her position, nuzzling his chest before sighing in relief and stilling once again. The Commander tried to return to sleep, but found that it would not return. Through the open window on the wall to his left, he could hear birds chirping, and looking outside; he could see that the sky was slight lavender in color…the sign of early morning. Without adjusting his position much, so as not to wake his sleeping mate, he tried to relax into sleep once again. Right as he was about to fall asleep, and right as he entered that between-sleep-and-wake state, his alarm clock went off as it turned to five in the morning. Swearing in alarm, and Dash flinching as she was stirred out of deep sleep, Alex smacked the snooze button, trying to relax again.

The alarm went off again five minutes later, this time resulting in Rainbow Dash swearing in anger. With an annoyed grunt, Alex finally smacked the 'OFF' button and sat up in bed, rubbing his temples and yawning. Dash sat up, yawning and stretching before she hugged her mate, "Morning…" she said sleepily.

"Good morning…" he replied, wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

"In for another fun day?"

"Yeah," he replied sarcastically, "Sure."

"Let's go then…"

"Ayup," and they both climbed out of bed, Alex throwing on his work jeans and work shirt while Dash went to the bathroom to clean up.

"So what's on the itinerary for today, mate?" Piermont asked his rider as he flew towards the southern gates of the city, faintly glowing blue as he began to teleport.

"School…that's all I have planned. If anything else goes on, that's up to Elliot and the _Maxia_."

"Don't feel like doing anything…" Piermont replied, yawning, "Too fucking tired."

"Agreed," Alex replied, "At least you GOT sleep."

"What's wrong?" Piermont asked, "Insomnia acting up again."

"No," the Commander said grimly, "I was having…uh…nightmares…kept me from sleep."

"Nightmares? What about?"

"Random shit," the Commander replied, "Random memories anyway, unfortunately, there's nothing I can do to prevent it."

"Anything in particular, mate?"

Alex shook his head, "Nope, nothing in particular. Nightmares are just me reliving some of the more…gruesome…experiences I've had in the fifteen, sixteen years I've been here."

"Ah…so same shit, different day?"

Alex nodded, "Yep," and both parties fell silent.

Piermont had a slight suspicion that Alex wasn't telling the whole truth. Lately, he had been…different…more reclusive than usual. The last time he was this reclusive was when he was being tormented and teased by his sexy dreams between him and Rainbow Dash, before he met her and realized that she was the one he was dreaming about. Although the forest dragon doubted that the dreams were harming him in any way, Alex was obsessing over another puzzle, of this, the dragon was certain. Although Piermont knew that the puzzle wasn't hurting him, he was extremely curious as to what the Commander was trying to figure out. He was also amazed that Alex managed to hide the dreams from the rest of them. Terminators, the only time there mind was completely open was when they slept. More often than not, everybody shared the same dream. Hell, even Alex's sexy dreams with Rainbow Dash transferred to everyone else in the militia, even though, like him, the vital details were largely forgotten immediately upon awakening. They just weren't as bothered by it, because only Alex truly obsessed over figuring out puzzles, especially ones that his sleeping mind conjured.

Deciding to dwell upon the subject at another time, Piermont, instead turned his attention to the skies ahead and completed a series of aerial tricks, enjoying the brief time he had to fly, hoping that the pleasure he derived from flying would last throughout the no-doubt-long day they had in store for them. Gray-blue sparks dancing across his body, in a flash of light, he vanished in the empty skies of New Alexandria, reappearing mere seconds later in the dark, star-filled skies above Champaign, Illinois.

"Ready for another crappy day?" he asked as Parkview appeared in the distance.

"It won't be THAT bad," the Commander replied.

"I call bullshit, I'm starting to wonder if this program isn't the right thing for us…"

"To be completely honest, Pierre…so am I."

"This shit is hard as hell…not used to that, y'know?" and he laughed nervously, "Here we are, big bad soldiers, and we can't even figure out the concept of mechanics."

"Sometimes we're not cut out for things. I don't think we're cut out for this."

Piermont shrugged, "Dunno, mate. All I know is that we should just, finish out the semester at least, and then decide where to go from there."

"Amen, brother," and Alex affectionately petted his dragon's flank, causing the latter to begin purring contentedly.

"Oi! Spearow! Over here!" Piermont ran across the parking lot as Spyro tossed the football, catching it with ease and tossing it back.

Alex watched the game between them, Terrias to his left and Dash to his right. Terrance, Rapid, and Twilight emerged from the building, joining in with the game as they all played catch. Cynder, eye trained on the Commander; stood off by herself, trying to gather the courage needed to bring up the moral decision she was going to make. She silently prayed that Alex would understand, and that he wouldn't explode in fury or anger, and with another, final, heavy sigh, she walked up to him, saying, "Hey, Alex? Mind if I talk to you for a sec?"

The Commander, seeming worried and confused, spared a final glance towards the game before nodding and saying, "Sure," following the dragoness as she headed into the building. "Terrias," he called back, pausing and turning to face the servine, "Keep an eye on things will ya?"

Terrias nodded, "Sure, enjoy your little date with her," and he grinned.

"I highly doubt this is a date," he replied, and disappeared in the darkness of the building.

They strolled through the lobby, Cynder looking away from Alex as they walked in silence.

"Everything okay, mate?" he asked her.

She shook her head, "No…I have a very serious question to ask you, all bullshit aside, okay?"

"Sure," he replied, concerned, "I'm all ears."

"Lately…I've been thinking…"

"What about?"

She fell silent, then, squeezing her eyes shut, took a deep breath before saying, "I…I've been considering leaving the Terminators…now please hear me out."

"I'm listening, Cynder."

"It's not that I'm unhappy here, because I'm not. I _love _it here, in fact. Y'know? I love the army, I love Alpha Company, I love everything about this, and, of course, I love you…but the problem is…well…you know how Spyro and I have children, right?"

"But of course."

"Well, after Cheet's death…" and she fell silent again, her voice small, she added, "It began after Crash passed away…" and her voice regained its strength, although she was still nervous to bring this up, "I've been questioning…if something happens to either me or Spyro…especially considering now Alpha Company is vulnerable…who will raise our children? I don't want them to grow up without parents."

"That's completely understandable, Cynder. I don't want to separate your family."

"That's not everything though, I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't trust you or anyone else to take care of them…it's just that I don't want them raised as soldiers. Y'know, I was raised as a soldier, and my life was a living hell…not saying their lives will be hell either, but…you get my meaning."

Alex nodded, "Of course. You want them to have a better childhood than you yourself had, right? That's entirely natural and understandable. All parents want their children to have better lives than themselves…well…_good _parents anyway."

"Right, exactly. Against my own desires…I'm considering leaving the Terminator Militia, to be with my family…Spyro…even though I offered for him to stay here, has decided that he would like to come with me, if I leave, he will, too."

Alex nodded, "I'm perfectly okay with that, Cyn."

"I mean…I may come back later…and even then, I'm not entirely set on the idea just yet."

"Whatever you or Spy choose, I, as well as the rest of Alpha Company, are behind you 100% of the way."

Cynder seemed surprised and shocked by Alex's reply, and she froze in her tracks, eyes wide and large, turning to face the Commander, "R…Really?"

Alex nodded, "Of course! And, if you decide to leave and maybe come back some day, we will always welcome you two back with open arms. You are my sister-in-arms, as well as someone I really do love and care about…I want you and your mate to be happy. Regardless of your decision, I will stand by you all the way, and welcome you back with open arms should you decide to return. Once a sister, always a sister."

"I thought…"

"Cynder…I understand how you feel, I really do. If you want to leave, I don't blame you, and, if things don't work out, or you decide you can't live without us," and he chuckled here, "We are always here as a fallback for you, okay?"

"Th…thank you…"

"You're welcome," and the Commander smiled.

Cynder hugged him tightly, kissing him gently, "I love you…"

"Love you, too."

He stood once again, saluting her and saying, "It's been a wonderful five years, General."

Cynder nodded and laughed, returning the salute, "Yes it has."

"Just let me know on what you decide, when you do, okay?"

Cynder nodded, "Yep," and they returned outside together, rejoining the rest of their clique.

"I talked to Alex," Cynder began, pulling Spyro aside.

"Oi!" Piermont called, "The hell are you goin', Spearow?"

"Keep playing!" Spyro called back, "I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Whatever..."

Cynder led him into the lobby of 'W' building, still quiet and empty. "Anyway," Spyro began once they were alone, "You talked to Alex..."

"Yeah, I talked to Alex about our little...situation..."

"And he said...?"

"He said that he stands by us, whichever choice we make."

"I knew we had no cause for worry, but..."

"I still wasn't sure...I don't think you were either."

Spyro shook his head.

"I just hope he forgives us..."

"He already _said _he would though."

"Yeah but...I don't know. I'm just...so confused right now. This is the hardest choice I have ever had to make."

"Cynder, all we can really do is choose what we feel is right. Pray on it, God will tell us...He always does."

"I know..." but Cynder still seemed upset, "I really don't want to leave...but I feel that we have to..."

"Then we must," the purple dragon said firmly, "If we're being called to leave...then we...then we will have to leave."

"So...we ARE leaving then..."

Spyro fell silent for a few moments, then slowly nodded, tears beginning to shine in the corner of his eyes, "Yes...we are..."

"I'll let him know..."

"We both will," Spyro added, and followed her back outside.

"What the hell, mate!?" Piermont cried out in alarm, "You're fuckin' backing out!?"

"We're not 'backing out'," Spyro replied, "Cynder and I...we're just leaving to raise our family."

"Is this about me being a dick to you all the time?"

Spyro shook his head, "No, it's just a decision that we've spent a lot of time agonizing over. We just feel it's for the greater good...for the sake of our young family. Hear me out for a moment, guys. Alpha Company is vulnerable now, Crash and Cheet's deaths were proof of that! If something happens...and either Cynder or myself...or both of us...are killed..." and he shook his head, "Our children...our family...we don't want our children growing up with no parents. Both Cynder and I know how that feels, Cynder more than myself, and it isn't great. We only want our kids to live a normal life, with parents to be there for them. I don't ask you to understand our choice, but I _do _ask you to accept our decision."

"I can't believe you're leaving..." Spike replied sadly, "I understand where you are coming from but..."

Spyro smiled sadly, "Spike, you've come a long way since we found you on Installation 07," the dragon began, addressing his protege, "I think you've reached a point now where I can no longer help you anyway," he then turned his attention back to the rest of Alpha Company, "It's been a wonderful past few years, and I'm so thankful to all of you...new members included, for everything you've done for us...but it's time that we return to our family, and to move on. I will never forget any of you..." and his voice cracked, "I won't..."

"When are you leaving?" Terrias asked, voice slow and monotonous.

Cynder replied, "In the next couple of days..."

"Will we ever see you again?" Terrance asked.

"One of these days, Private," Spyro replied with a sad smile.

This said, the instructors arrived, and Alpha Company headed to the classroom, ready to begin class.

In Math-131, Alex sat in his usual corner, paying no attention to the class as he busied himself with a sketch. He was numb after Spyro's announcement, and his thoughts were pondering this recent decision while he sketched. Losing Spyro was like losing a brother, the Commander had grown close to both of the dragons since their admission back in January of 2009, and now here they were, preparing to leave, where it was very possible that Alex would never see them again. He was going to miss them, both of them. Spyro...his best friend and loyal second-in-command, and Cynder...the one who had claimed his virginity, and because of this, held a definite special part in his heart.

Finally, he finished his sketch, surprised once he awoke from his trance to find that he had sketched an amazingly real picture of a lone bottlenose dolphin swimming in an open sea. He had forgotten to draw the pupil in one of the dolphin's eyes, the left one, and it seemed a little deformed. He corrected the picture, then found it odd when he realized that it didn't seem right. Confused, but nevertheless bothered by the sense of imperfection in the sketch, he returned the odd eye to how it originally looked. "The hell you drawing?" Piermont whispered, "Some kind of fish?"

"It's a dolphin," and Alex grinned, "Her name is Ruby."

"Ruby?" and Piermont laughed, "The hell did THAT come from?"

Alex shrugged, "Dunno, just randomly thought it up."

"You're weird, bro."

Alex shrugged again, "Haters gonna hate."

"Alex! Pay attention!" Paulus hissed, and Alex glared at him, sighing heavily as he balled up the sketch and tossed it, basketball-style, into the trashcan, "He shoots! He scores! Ura!" and the class broke into laughter while Paulus glared angrily at him.

"Ah! Fuck you," Rainbow Dash replied, "You're no fun."

"This is a business, this isn't 'fun'."

"Nah, this is a class," Terrias replied, "Big difference, Boner Boy."

"This is a class that is vital to getting your Associates Degree."

"Don't give a pity fuck about degrees, I'm a soldier, I'm only here for the job."

"What a shame, such a terrible waste of intelligence."

"Didn't ask your opinion, Dickhole."

"Terrias, either shut up or you are free to leave at once."

Terrias shrugged arrogantly, "Nah, I'm perfectly fine where I am."

"Then shut up and pay attention."

Paulus turned his back on the class, returning his attention to the bored, and the servine flipped him both middle fingers, "Fuck you, too, asshole," he muttered, bringing on chuckles from his surrounding peers.

After class, Alpha Company returned to 'W' building, illuminated by the glow of the rapidly sinking sun, a scarlet orb in the golden, lavender, and violet skies. "Gonna be a beautiful night, I hear," Alex said, "We might have Skyrim skies tonight."

"Fuckin' A."

"Skyrim skies?" Terrance asked, "What are those?"

"Yeah," Dash added, followed by the similar replies of the other ponies.

"In other words," Spyro began, "We might see the _Aurora Borealis_. In Skyrim, at night, if you look up at around...eh...4 AM, you can see the star-filled skies, as well as a beautiful, emerald-green, gaseous ribbon over the starfield. It's a beautiful sight, we first saw it when we went to Riverwood."

"Gotta take us sometime," Rainbow Dash replied.

"I intend to someday," the Commander replied, "I think it's about time we go check up on ol' Ulfric and the Terminator-conversion the whole providence is undergoing."

"Terminators are moving in?" Terrance replied, "How big is your army, Alex?"

"Several billion strong, and we're still growing at an exponential rate. It doesn't matter what the President or his cronies throw at us, we're gaining more and more numbers every day."

"If you have so many in yours numbers," Gilda began, "Why don't you just go in there and wipe out the _Maxia _forever?"

"Several reasons..." Alex began, "Least of which is the obvious difficulty in making the world's largest invasion party follow orders to a 'T'. We also tried that, for Operation: Armageddon, didn't work very well."

"What happened?"

"_Maxia _don't give two shits on what they lose," Piermont replied bitterly, "We wiped out their entire goddamn capital, and an entire contingent of _Maxian _Elite forces, all we did was drive them underground for a little while. Next thing we know, Jazz waltzes in, organizes the barely living _Maxia_, manages to get them to all follow along and expand the _Maxia _Regime tenfold, and then he marches in and goes 'No Russian' on American civilians. I swear, they are worse than fuckin' rodents, it don't matter how many you kill, they keep on comin' in greater and greater numbers," and he struck a light, igniting the butt of the Marlboro in his mouth.

"There's no way to stop the _Maxia_?" Terrance asked, seemingly concerned.

"There is," Alex began, "Unfortunately, it's just not within our reach right now."

"How can we end the war then?"

"Kill the motherfucker behind all of it. Obviously, killing Jazz and even Necro did little to stop them...which means the only surefire way to eliminate the Regime is to go in there and cut off their goddamn head directly."

"In other words..."

"Put the Prez six feet underground," Schakri finished, "Oi, Pierre, gimme one of them."

Piermont reached into his jacket pocket, flipping a Marlboro Red into the black dragon's outstretched paw. "Purple Boy, light me up."

"Fuck you," Spyro replied.

"Hey, I'm not tryin' to start anything, just give me a goddamn light, please."

Spyro, shaking his head, abruptly ignited the black dragon's cigarette with a small puff of flame.

"Thanks."

"What's the plan then?" Terrance asked, "Or do we not have one?"

"Terrance, we don't even know where the president is hiding. We know he's hiding somewhere, but I'll be damned if we know exactly where, and all of our little spies aren't doing much to help us figure it out."

"Why?"

Alex shrugged, "Obviously, the bastard is pretty well hidden. Hell, haven't seen an eye or an ear from him since he escape from the prison after whichever fuckin' attack on New Alexandria it was."

"Which one?" Spyro asked.

Alex shrugged, "Do I _look _like I know? Whichever one that I was KO'd until after the whole fight was long over."

"Ah, I know which one...the one where you kicked his ass?"

"Yeah, and imprisoned him."

"Right..."

"The hell are you talking about?" Gilda asked.

"Nothing," both Spyro and Alex said in unison.

"So...we got nothing then?" Terrance replied.

"Unfortunately," the Commander began, "No we don't. We'll get him, don't worry. This time, next time we see him? I'm not going easy on his ass. I don't give a pity fuck about capturing the sleezy bastard. I'm gonna end this war once and for all, I'll put a goddamn bullet in his goddamn brain."

"Assassinating a president of the United States, Alex?" Piermont began, "Holy shit! That takes some balls!"

"Nonsense."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just send the Dark Brotherhood after his ass? They've killed leaders before."

"No," the Commander replied, a deep, homicidal hatred lighting up his eyes, "I want the pleasure of killing him myself, and I'll make sure it isn't direct. I want to prolong his suffering until there's nothing else to do, _then _I'll put a bullet in his brain. Killing him outright is too much of an easy and painless way out, he needs to suffer for all the harm he has caused to this nation and to this army, since his election in 2008. Worsening the whole situation is that I have a feeling he's gonna win reelection this year, I don't know how, and despite all the antagonism he's already being forced to deal with, I have a feeling he's gonna find a way to slide into victory."

"If he does..." Piermont began, "We're in deep trouble. Look how the country has fallen since '08? Only a complete moron would put him in charge of this shell of a country again, and even then, only an even _greater _moron would support him."

"Unfortunately," Alex began, "The necrotic seed of corruption runs thick in the blood of this nation and its government, poisoning the health of a formerly great country. As long as he remains in office, the United States will continue to collapse until it is nothing but a barren wasteland, claimed by no one, and ruling in the filth of anarchy. We can barely manage with what we're doing right now. Another four years and we won't stand a chance...I'm afraid there is no hope for the country. He will find a way to remain in office, and even after these four years are up, he will find a way to bypass the Constitution and continue his dictatorial rule until we are nothing but a husk of an army, long forgotten within the sands of time. Unless we end him first. In the words of Captain Price, history is determined by the victor. All you need to change history is one good lie and a river of blood. If we die, his lies will become the truth, and there will be no hope for us and the army. All will be lost."

"He better stay in hiding then, for his own sake," Dash replied, "Else he is _fucked_."

"No shit, Sherlock," Piermont snapped.

A day later, Alpha Company assembled near the southern gate of New Alexandria, saying their goodbyes to Spyro and Cynder. Once everyone had their say in the event, Alex, cane in hand, limped up to the two dragons, hugging each of them.

"Goodbye, Alex..." Spyro began.

"We'll miss you..." Cynder added.

"I shall see you guys later...so now is not the time for goodbyes, because we will see each other again."

"Maybe...hopefully..." Cynder replied sadly.

"Oh, and before you guys go, we have a little something for you."

Both dragons seemed puzzled, and Terrias stepped forward, a beat-up wooden box in hand. Alex carefully picked it up and handed it to the two dragons, saying, "A little token to remember us by..."

"What is it?" Spyro asked, and he and his mate exchanged confused glances as the purple dragon carefully opened up the box, revealing its contents, dogtags, one belonging to each member of Alpha Company.

"It's not much," Alex replied, "But at least, it should help keep the memory of all the times we had together."

"Thank you..." Spyro managed, and both of the dragons were soon tearing up.

"Goodbye and good luck!" the Commander called as the two dragons, with final goodbyes, stepped out of the open gate of the city, spreading their wings as the warm breeze blew past them. Both took one final look back at Alpha Company, Alex at the head, Dash to his right, Terrias to his left, and Piermont directly behind him, clustered together, all watching the two dragons. Alex then raised his hands in salute, and Alpha Company followed suit. Spyro nodded, and both he and his mate returned the salutes before finally leaping into the air, and with one last goodbye, flying off towards the sinking sun. Alpha Company stood just outside the city, watching until the two dragons disappeared beneath the charred horizon. They remained silent as they broke apart, returning to the city until only Alex remained. For several more minutes, the Commander stood in place, still, unmoving, an emotionless expression on his face as a single tear welled up in the corner of his eye. Rainbow Dash slowly walked up to him, nuzzling him affectionately as she rested her head on his shoulder.

To the west, the sun disappeared, shrouding the barren wasteland in darkness, the only light emitting from the _Fiernes Curtain_, and even the wind died down, the only thing disturbing the night was the continuous roar of the burning wall of dragonfire.


	42. Chapter XLI: A New Leaf

_**Chapter XLI**_**:**

**-''A New Leaf''-**

**-Mushroom Swamp, Dragon Realms-**

**-**_**05 November 2012**_**-**

**-**_**0830 Hours**_**-**

Spyro and Cynder arrived in the Mushroom Swamp just as the morning sun broke out above the seemingly endless forest of immense mushrooms. "It's been years…" the purple dragon muttered, "This place hasn't changed a bit."

"Amusing, isn't it?" Cynder began, "Four years after we left this place, and here we are, back to where we began, only with more memories and four years beneath are belts."

The purple dragon nodded, "I wonder how the others are gonna take our sudden return."

"Hopefully happily."

"I'm sure we don't have to worry about that, lover."

"Bigger question…"

"What?"

"How will they take our mating relationship?"

This made Spyro freeze; he realized that nobody here, not Sparx, not his adoptive parents, not the Guardians, knew he was mated to Cynder. "Good question…" the purple dragon replied, "Also must wonder how they will take our 'colorful' vocabulary and fucked up minds."

Cynder chuckled, "I doubt it will be accepted at first, but they'll have to get used to it."

Spyro then laughed, "Oh crap, Sparx is gonna shit bricks once he finds out you and I have mated."

"Little bastard doesn't like me…wonder how he's gonna take the fact that you and I are together now as mates…that we've had children together."

"I hope he accepts it…"

"I'm sure he will."

"Glad you are."

"He's _your _friend, damn near your brother, surely he would accept it."

"Yeah, but we all know that he absolutely despises you."

Cynder shrugged, "What happens, happens, I guess. Don't worry though, sexy," and she nuzzled her mate, "Everything will be fine."

"Let's just hope we can make a smooth return to the life of a civilian."

"We made it in the past."

"But even after we ended Gaul's life…Cynder, we never did _fully _return to a life of peace and tranquility. Hell, it wasn't even a month before we left the Mushroom Swamp to New Alexandria, then Cartoon City, to join the Terminators."

Cynder shrugged, "I guess you're right…"

"It's gonna be even _harder _now for us to adjust to life as a civilian, now that we don't have the war to worry about, or the city, now that we're civilians now instead of soldiers. Now we don't write the laws anymore, we have to follow them."

"It'll all work, Spyro."

"Damn I hope you're right…"

"I am," and she grinned slyly, "Sparx is gonna love us, hope he doesn't intend to sleep in the same room tonight."

Spyro grinned mischievously, "Even if he does, I don't care, exhibitionism, baby!"

"Oh, we're gonna have so much fun…even _with _our privacy violated."

"Yeah…"

"How long till we get to the Dragon Temple?"

Spyro shrugged, "I'm guessing about an hour or two. We still have some flying to do."

"This place is that huge, huh?"

Spyro nodded, "Yeah, it's deceptively large."

As the sun continued to rise, the mated pair of dragons flew circles around each other, continuously flying towards the Dragon Temple deep within the Mushroom Swamp.

The two dragons landed just outside of the Dragon Temple, exchanging anxious glances as, with heavy sighs, they entered the damp darkness, reeking of mold and mildew. "It's been so long..." Cynder began, her voice small.

"Yeah..." Spyro replied, "It has..."

They walked slowly through the dark halls, there footsteps echoing off of the arched walls, mixing with the eerie moans of the wind blowing through the cracks and crevices of the ancient hall. Spyro was ashamed of himself for feeling afraid to be here, surely there was nothing here that could harm him, after all, this was his home...

"No," he said to himself with a sigh, "This isn't my home...not anymore."

"Did you say something, Spyro?" Cynder asked, turning to face her mate.

The purple dragon shook his head, "Nope, nothing."

She gave him a concerned look, and he managed a sheepish smile. She walked up to him then, nuzzling his head affectionately with her own, "Are you okay?"

He nodded, looking down towards his feet as he idly brushed the slimy soil aside with the side of his paw, "Yeah...I'm fine, just a little...nervous."

"What are you nervous about?" she asked.

"Mainly about how everyone will feel once they see us...I guess I'm afraid to see how things are now, to see just how different things have become since we left."

"I highly doubt _too _much has changed in four years."

"Still..." he replied with a sigh, "I'm just...I dunno."

"It'll be alright," and she nuzzled him again, pecking him gently on the lips, "Okay?"

He nodded, "Yeah, okay."

"Let's go."

Alex lay stretched on his bed, hands behind his head, staring up at the slowly spinning ceiling fan, his mind was a confusing tangle of thoughts and memories, the majority of them concerning his recently departed companions. He was so lost within his mind, that he didn't notice when Rainbow Dash slipped in, standing over them and raising a single eyebrow towards her mate. Finally, his busy mind returned to earth, and he sat up upon sight of his mate.

"You okay?" she asked, sounding bemused.

He grunted, "Fine..."

"Missing Spy and Cyn?"

"The hell do you think?" he replied embittered.

"C'mon, it ain't _that _bad, you dealt without them in the past, right?"

"Yeah...but still..."

"I understand, you get used to seeing someone every day of your life, then once a day comes where you don't see them, and probably never will again...things can feel a little alien."

"I mean, I know they are fine, but it still doesn't keep me from worrying."

Rainbow Dash nuzzled her mate's shoulder, "Don't worry, they'll be fine."

"I know they will, Dash...but still."

"Know of any way I can cheer you up?"

"Nothing you _can _do, Dash," he replied with a hearty sigh.

For an unknown length of time, they stood on the balcony, overlooking the _Fiernes Curtain_, Alex lost in deep thought, Rainbow Dash with her head laying on her mate's shoulder, relaxing and enjoying the simple contact. Alex's mind suddenly flooded with memories concerning his odd meeting with that mysterious voice, the one that tended to intervene at the most inconvenient of times. Realizing that he needed to get it off his chest, he turned to face the one person he trusted with the secret, the one that he knew wouldn't make any smartass reply. "Hey, Dash?"

"Yeah, Love?" she replied, not moving.

"Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure..." she replied, and he shrugged his shoulders as she lifted her head, turning to face him, "What's on your mind?"

He took a deep breath, waiting several minutes as he gathered the courage to tell her. She sat down, waiting patiently, and finally as he began to tell her what had been bothering him...the voice herself intervened...

...Within seconds, both Rainbow Dash and Alex found themselves in containment cell, alone, in the dark.

"What?" Dash began in alarm, "Where in the hell are we?"

"Welcome, Rainbow Dash, to my not-so-humble abode."

"Who-?" Dash began, head snapping left and right as she squinted in the darkness, trying to make out who was speaking to them, "Who are you?" she hissed, getting into a fighting stance, "Show yourself! Coward!"

_Easy, Rainbow Dash, _the voice began, now in their heads, _I don't wish any harm to you or your friend._

_He's my _mate, Dash thought back angrily, _Not just my friend._

_Alex_, the female began, ignoring the Pegasus, _Why do you summon me?_

_I didn't 'summon' you, _Alex replied, _You brought us here, what's wrong?_

_You know my situation, Commander._

_What are you guys talking about? _Dash asked, _Who are you?_

_I am no one, Rainbow Dash, and a good friend to your mate._

_I wouldn't necessarily call us 'good friends' just yet, _Alex replied, _I only know her from these random...encounters..._

_You are the only one I can safely call 'friend', _the voice answered, sounding hurt, _I don't have many friends here...actually, I don't have any._

_Not our problem, _Dash snapped, _Now send us back home!_

_Dash..._ Alex warned, then, to the voice, _Why won't you tell us who you are?_

_I already _told _you, Commander, I am no one._

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, this 'no one' bullshit is getting quite annoying._

_Trust me, Commander, please, trust me like I've risked trusting you._

_Risked..._ and Alex snorted, _Really now? You 'risked' trusting me? I don't trust you, because you won't tell me who you are, I don't know you, and you keep lying to me._

Silence fell for an unknown length of time, and finally, the voice spoke again, sounding deeply hurt and unhappy, _I'm sorry for bothering you...I just hoped that you could help me...I didn't realize you are like the bastards tormenting me._

_Well I'm sorry, _Alex replied, now sounding arrogant, _I don't give a pity fuck about someone I've never met, especially since this whole encounter seems too suspicious to begin with!_

The overall mood darkened to a depressing level, and Alex could almost swear that the disembodied voice was struggling not to cry, _You really are no better than the _Maxia _and the _Caeda...and Alex stiffened in response as he was immediately thrown back to the balcony.

"Wait!" he cried out to the empty, nighttime skies, "What did you mean by that? You know of the _Maxia_?"

Nothing but the wind blowing, and Rainbow Dash, stirring, sat up, groaning, "Ow...what the hell just happened, Alex?"

"Hello!?" he cried out, not hearing his mate, "Where are you? Who are you? What do you know of the _Maxia_!"

He didn't know why, but for some reason, he was almost...saddened...by the sudden abandonment of the voice, and he felt a sudden empty hole in his mind. Then he realized why...the voice, no doubt in an attempt to cheer him up, had filled the empty voids left by Crash, Cheet, and now Spyro and Cynder, with her presence, a void where those four unique personalities and minds had been connected to his. _What the hell? _he thought to himself, _Was she... _and he shook his head, alarmed when waves of depression and longing, of loneliness, overcame his mood _Come back! _he called, _Please! I'm sorry!_

Nothing...no reply...just silence.

"Dammit..." he breathed, wiping a dampness by his eyes and alarmed when he realized that he was crying. _Shit, _he thought to himself, _I'm in too deep with this bullshit._

That night, Rainbow Dash and Alex once more submitted to their primal instincts, allowing to succumb to the shared pleasures of mating. While nearing the point of climax, the Commander suddenly found himself feeling naked and exposed, and while subconsciously searching for the spy, was alarmed to discover that the presence was that of the voice, she had returned, once more occupying the vacancy in his mind. He received a psychic flash then, an instance where a single image flashed across his mind's eye, a female with a smooth, streamlined body, one with vicious eyes, the left a cloudy, sapphire orb, watching from the shadows of a private corner, spying on the two as they fulfilled their duties to each other.

_So this..._ the female began, speaking to herself, but somehow still audible to the Commander's telepathic mind, _Is what it feels like to love and be loved..._

Ignoring the sense of intrusion, Alex addressed her directly, _What? You've never mated before?_

_No..._ the voice replied, _I have not...I've never even felt mating pleasure before._

_Have you ever masturbated?_

_What?_

_Y'know, played with yourself?_

_What are you talking about?_

_Um...never mind._

_I hope that I can feel this one day...it seems to feel good..._

As Rainbow Dash reached her climax, bringing him to it as well, he transferred his pleasure to the observing, unseen female, and he could sense that she, whoever she was, was caught off guard, but genuinely overjoyed at the experience.

_What...what was that?_

_That, my friend, is mating pleasure._

_Th...thank you..._

_You are welcome._

_I hope...I hope that I get a chance to experience that for real, instead of phantoms from you, I hope I get to experience that myself...before I die..._

_How are you so sure that whoever has imprisoned you wants to kill you?_

_I know...I've seen into their minds, their thoughts, their intentions...their schedule...my time is coming, but not yet._

Alex could sense distress in her mood, and he abruptly backed off.

_I'm sorry..._she replied, sounding on edge, _But I must go...farewell..._and just like that, she was gone, the presence having slithered away, not leaving the vacancy, but retreating further into it, as deep as she could go. Enough that he knew she was there, even if they were no longer close enough to hear each other, as if she was a mother bear having retreated deep into a cave and lapsing into hibernation.

_Goodnight, I guess..._ but no reply from her, not even any sign that she was stirring or had heard him.

Spyro and Cynder walked through the seemingly endless halls of the Dragon Temple as the sun peaked a high noon, shrouding the temple in darkness. "Kinda surprised we haven't seen anybody yet," Cynder began, "Do you think they are still here?"

Spyro paused in his tracks for a moment, closing his eyes as he expanded his mind throughout the labyrinthine halls of the ancient temple. After several breathless moments, his eyes snapped open and he nodded, "Yes, but they sleep."

"Still?"

Spyro nodded, "Yes, they're in the Sanctuary, as per usual."

"I hope we aren't attacked...hard telling how they'll react if we arrive without them realizing it, last thing we need is to be the victims of friendly fire because they, in their sleep-induced delirium, mistook us for intruders or thieves."

"I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Still, we must be on our guard...hard telling what we'll encounter."

Spyro laughed, "Look at you, expecting the worse."

"If there is one thing I've learned since we left to join the Terminator Militia, it's that there is no such place as a safe haven."

"I guess that's the blessing...or curse...of a soldier."

Cynder nodded, then in a solemn tone, "Agreed, it's a double-edged sword."

The two dragons paused at the closed door leading into the sanctuary, where they, taking deep breaths, muttered an inaudible prayer before finally opening the door and entering the cold darkness. The Guardians, much to the small dragons' amazement, were wide awake and waiting for them.

"I thought you said they were sleeping..." Cynder began.

"I thought they were..." Spyro replied, gulping.

"I am deeply surprised to see you back so soon, young Dragon," Ignitus, the fire guardian and Spyro's biological father, began, "A pleasant surprise, but a surprise nevertheless."

"So, the prodigal son and daughter returns," Terrador, the guardian of earth, began, "I thought you were with the Terminators?"

"We were," Cynder replied, "But we both were forced to make a difficult decision, and now we're here."

"Under what grounds?" Cyril, the guardian of ice, began.

"Can't you just say 'hi', Cyril?" Cynder replied.

"I don't see why I should, you abandoned your destiny to join a rogue army that you have no involvement in."

Spyro, now on the defensive, snorted, smoke pouring from his flared nostrils, "I didn't 'abandon' my destiny, I chose a new one!"

"You were supposed to remain with the Guardians and train to be a mentor."

"I don't care about the destiny you chose for me, Cynder and I, our destiny lies with the Terminators, don't make us regret returning home."

"Stand down, Cyril, Terrador," Ignitus replied harshly, "I believe that he had the choice."

"You are only defending him because he is your progeny, your offspring," Volteer, the guardian of electricity, replied.

"Regardless, it was his choice, he has the right to choose his own destiny."

"He should stay on the destiny he was given."

"Terrador, if he would have remained with his destiny from the very beginning, Cynder would have been killed by Gaul and his men."

"It's not our problem, Ignitus, what he did was reckless, unforgivable."

"Enough!" Ignitus hissed.

"Why have you returned, Spyro," Terrador asked.

"My family..." the purple dragon began, "Staying with the militia is not worth the risk of losing my family."

"Family?" Terrador began, "What do you mean...unless..."

Spyro nuzzled his mate, "Cynder is my mate," he said sternly, "She has been for several years."

Cynder nodded, "Yes."

"I should have seen it coming," Terrador replied with a sigh, shaking his head.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" emerged a familiar voice from behind them, and Spyro and Cynder turned to face Sparx, the little dragonfly's jaw dropped, "Cynder is your...your _mate_? What's wrong with you, dude?"

"I love her...there is no crime in that. She's the only one that I would ever wish to be with...we care about each other, very deeply, and we love each other."

Cynder nodded slowly in response.

"I always assumed you were insane."

"Why? Because I've found true love?"

"With a girl that used to be your mortal enemy. She tried to kill you, remember?"

"That was a long time ago," Cynder replied, "I've already paid for that sin, and I am forgiven."

"It's still the idea, how can you sleep with her. Don't you have the memories of your near death experiences with her plaguing you while you enjoy each others company?"

Spyro shook his head, "No, besides, those memories are little more than childish compared to some of the experiences I've had since I joined the Terminators. One thing my stay has done for me, I've grown up, a lot. I can't believe that I was so...so immature...afraid of something that could hardly warrant as danger. Then, I experienced some things that will forever haunt my sleep."

"Don't expect any pity," Terrador interrupted, "You brought this upon yourself."

"I'm well aware," Spyro said with a sigh, "I don't expect pity, especially from any of you, I don't need pity. I learned a lot during my time there, and it is experience that I do treasure. I wouldn't change it for the world."

"Ha, a truly noble cause," Sparx muttered.

"I thought you were my friend?"

"I am...and I'm giving you constructive criticism."

"Sounds to me like you're bashing my mate and my life's choices."

"Hey, whatever floats your boat, just don't expect me to venture down the same path. I'm perfectly happy hangin' here and playing it safe."

Spyro scoffed, "Of course, that's what you always do, 'play it safe'," he then turned to face the guardians, "That's all any of you have ever done, is play it safe."

"It's survival, Spyro," Cyril replied.

"Bull_shit_!" he roared, now thoroughly pissed off, "Survival is what we've been doing for four damn _years_!"

"And if you can't respect it, then you can all piss off!"

"Spyro..." Ignitus began.

"No! I don't want to hear it, c'mon, Cynder, we obviously made the wrong decision coming back to this hellhole."

As they turned to leave, Ignitus spoke up, "Spyro, stop."

"Why should I?"

"Rest be assured that we don't intend to be hostile."

"Really? Could've fooled me."

"They are only upset that you chose to find your own destiny instead of following the one that was set for you. I don't blame you for your decision, I would have done the same thing, if I was able to."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Only purple dragons have the ability to change their destinies, as well as the destinies of those around them. Tis why Cynder is alive today."

Spyro fell silent, "I love her, Ignitus...and she loves me, too."

Cynder responded by affectionately nuzzling her mate, purring contentedly.

"I can see that, and I respect that. Those that reject your relationship are ones that either never had the same pleasure, or ones who were caught up in a relationship that they were less than satisfied with."

"So you..."

"I had your mother, didn't I?"

Spyro nodded, "Yeah...I guess you're right."

"I understand what it means to fall so deeply in love with someone, I had much the same situation before Malefor killed your mother," the aging guardian fell silent then, the light in his eyes dulling and becoming much sadder, he was remembering the experience that had cost his mate her life. Finally, the light returned, "You may stay as long as you like, it's good to have you two back here again, and the others would agree, even if they don't seem to be at this point of time."

Spyro nodded as he and Cynder, with Sparx in tail, left the Sanctuary, heading to the adjacent room where they had both slept together long before any sexual thoughts had emerged between them.

Alpha Company relaxed in room W101 of the 'W' building for the lunch hour. There were not anymore classes that day, but they were both being bound and held there by Mark, who, at least at that point in time, was pulling the strings. He had a direct line to both the farm store Alex was seeking work...probably the only place he _could _find work, as well as direct lines to the authorities. Alex was beginning to question his friendship with Mark, as the daily experiences with one another were starting to reveal a much darker, more spiteful and controlling side to what Alex thought to be one of his best friends. Not only were threats of slaughtering his reputation with the store implied, but with so many familial connections to the authorities coupled with Alex's relationship with Cynder and Rainbow Dash, no doubt it was a ticking time bomb. Alex felt helpless, he couldn't retaliate, the last thing he needed was an assault and battery charge.

Currently, Alex was mulling over the puzzle of who this mysterious female contacting him on nearly a daily basis now was, while he idly cleaned beneath his fingernails with the blade of his KA-BAR. He could also sense some tension rising between General Elliot and the rest of Alpha Company. The general seemed to always be bitter and spiteful towards them now, seeming to believe that they were beginning to shake the harsh, strict standards Elliot imposed on the Terminator grunts loose, steadily growing more rogue and independent. With the war already taking a harsh toll on general morale with the militia, the _last _thing the Terminator Militia needed was a clean split among the ranks, a civil war within a civil war.

"Spyro and Cynder are two lucky bastards," Piermont remarked with a sigh, appearing by his rider's side.

"What do you mean?" the Commander replied, attention never diverting.

"Gettin' out while they're ahead. I have a feeling that the shit's about to hit the fan for us. Spearow and Cynder got out while everything was still good...lucky bastards."

Alex shrugged, "Oh well, we'll stomach it, we always do."

"Ayup, doesn't mean I gotta like it. Gotta admit though..."

"What?"

"Startin' to miss those bastards."

"Really? Pierre has a soft spot for Spearow and Cynder?"

"Fuck you," the forest dragon replied harshly, "Spearow's like a little brother to me. That's the only reason why I'm so hard on his ass."

"And Cynder?"

"My spicy, hot-ass sister."

Alex raised an eyebrow, "That is probably the single most disturbing thing I have ever heard you say, Pierre."

Piermont shrugged, "C'mon, don't tell me you aren't thinking that right now. Cynder's got a hot ass, don't you agree?"

"Sorry, bud, my eyes aren't on that ass."

"Right, you are more of a pussy-lover."

"Yep."

"That why you don't care that neither Dash or Cynder have big titties?"

"I could care less about breasts. I like some, but not big ones."

"Right, any more than a handful is a waste right?"

"Yep."

"Dash and Cynder don't even _have _a handful, I don't even think they have nipples."

"They do."

"Right, course you would know."

"Like I said, I don't really care about that. It's trivial to me. When I see a woman, all I care about is the-"

"Pussy," Piermont finished, chuckling.

Alex glared at his dragon, then finished, "...Personality."

"I call bullshit on that statement. That's a huge, steaming pile of bullshit."

"Sure the pussy and sex in general is a huge contributor, but believe it or not, I actually do care about a woman's personality. I mean, don't really want to get stuck with some bitch who I don't get along with and have nothing in common. That's why I don't like some of these bombshell blondes everybody seems to get horny for."

"Right, 'cause you like the chicks of the more...furred or scaled variety."

"Fuck you."

"You would if you could. You _are _bisexual when it comes to dragons, after all."

"Nope."

"C'mon, we all you would fuck me if you could, or at least 69 me. Unfortunately, my rider or not, if you tried, I _will _kick your ass until you are nothing but a bloody pulp. Spyro may get his kicks doing that shit, but not me."

Alex shook his head, then sighed, "There's no sense with arguing with an idiot."

"Hey! I ain't an idiot."

"Fuck you, spoobie."

"I ain't a fuckin' spoobie!"

"Take it easy, guys," Twilight Sparkle replied in a bemused tone, "No need to start some kind of celebrity death match."

"Hadouken!" Alex called in a perfect rendition of Ryu's famous saying.

Piermont then said, "Yoga fire!" unable to mirror Dhalsim's voice.

Sonic, grinning, lowered his voice and said, "Round one!"

"Shoryuken!"

"We need the E. Honda theme playing," Terrias said, chuckling, "That would make this all the better."

"Nah," Sonic said, "Let it be Guile's theme playing, considering Alex IS Guile."

"I can see it," Simba replied, grinning.

"Piermont would be Blanka."

"I think Alex would be more like Mr. X from...crap, what's it called..." Tails said, thinking.

"Streets of Rage?" Sonic answered.

"Yeah, Streets of Rage 2."

"Fuckin' hate Mr. X. Him and his goddamn Tommy gun."

"Can't be any better than Pinstripe from Crash Bandicoot."

"God, I hated Pinstripe..." then Sonic's mood darkened, and he muttered, "Crash..." as he remembered their recently departed ally.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash, who had been browsing YouTube, suddenly broke out in wild laughter.

"What?" Alex asked, his brief spat with Piermont forgotten.

"You wouldn't believe this! This is hillarious!" and Alpha Company gathered around her. The video she was watching had been titled "Commander Alex Vaughn and Spyro the Dragon: A Forbidden Love Affair".

"Oh shit..." Alex began, mood sinking, "I know what's going to happen..."

The video itself was video footage of the incident when Alex and Spyro had unknowingly become high on marijuana. During the time, they had both gotten very...intimate...with each other. The video showed the footage, everything from Spyro masturbating to an attempt at 69'ing between the two in their stoned stupor, all of it was timed to Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger", and even, a few times, became epileptic almost, such as the scenes where Spyro was masturbating.

Piermont completely lost it then, and Alex, head on his desk, groaned as the rest of the class rushed to surround the computer and watch the video.

"Fuck my life..." Alex mumbled.

"Nah," Piermont replied, barely managing to contain himself, "I'll let Spyro do that for you! I KNEW you were gay for him!"

"I'm not 'gay' or 'bi' for anybody," Alex snapped, "We were both stoned out of our fucking minds, we were high as kites, we had no control over what happened."

"Uh huh, sure you didn't."

Alex flipped his dragon the bird.

"Oh, _real _mature, Commander."

"Piss off!"

"Why? This is fucking hilarious! Spyro and Alex sittin' in a tree," Piermont began to sing, "F-U-C-K-I-N-G!"

Alex turned to Rudolph, who, while attempting to control his own outburst of laughter, was patting the Commander on the back, trying to soothe him, "Gun, mouth, now."

"C'mon, Alex," Rudolph began, "It's all in good fun."

"Yeah, how would _you _like it if it were, say, you and Prancy in that video instead of Alex and myself?"

"That would just be...awkward."

"No shit, Sherlock. That's how _I _feel."

"Where the hell did this come from, anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked, grinning widely.

"Welcome to the notorious fanbase for shipping me and Spyro, it happens quite a bit."

"Wonder why?"

Alex shrugged, "I assume because of a few instances..."

"Yeah," Piermont began, "Unfortunately, _amigo_, this video doesn't help your case, sure looks to me like you and Spearow are thoroughly enjoying each others...eh...'company'."

"Like I said," Alex muttered, "We were both high as kites when that happened."

"Need to lay off the drugs, mate."

"It was accidental," Alex began, "We were on a drug bust, we got trapped in a pot storage barn, the owner was dumb enough to leave a lit joint in the barn, caught a small pile of dry pot alight, and we became high off the fumes."

"Fact of the matter is, it doesn't help your case."

"Fuck me..." as Piermont opened his maw to begin to issue his response, Alex pointed his index finger at his dragon and threatened, "Don't you even _dare _finish that!"

"Okay then," Piermont began, thinking for a few moments before saying, "New serious question, how in the bloody hell are you gonna cope now that your scaly girlfriend is no longer here to milk you dry?"

Alex shook his head and ignored his dragon, replacing his earbuds as he relaxed in his chair, listening to the soothing sounds of Skyrim's soundtrack.


	43. Chapter XLII: Darkness Rising

_**Chapter XLII**_**:**

**-''Darkness Rising''-**

**-Presidential Bunker: Ruins of Washington DC, Virginia-**

**-**_**10**__** November 2012**_**-**

**-**_**2117 Hours**_**-**

"Mr. President, sir," a _Maxian _captain began, saluting, "General Mason wishes conference."

"Send him in," the President replied, looking up from the map of the United States before him. They were in the map room, attempting to fashion a battle plan utilizing another mass attack on the country, similar to Jazz's _Blood Week Crisis_.

"Yes, sir," the captain replied, nodding as he turned and walked out.

Several minutes later, the door slammed open and General Mason entered, walking up to where the president stood, hands behind his back.

"General Mason?" the president began with a nod, the general saluted and grabbed the president's outstretched hand, shaking it, "Do you have news?"

"Yes," the general replied, "Status report on the development of the _Caeda_."

"Did you acquire the support of the other groups?"

"Yes, sir. We finally managed to win the support of the remnants of the LKA."

"And the Imperials?"

"Still nothing as of yet."

"What about the teams over in the Masuda Regions?"

"Teams Rocket and Plasma have confirmed that they will aide us, still no reply from Teams Aqua or Magma."

"And Team Galactic?"

"They are...becoming difficult to negotiate with."

"Use whatever means at your disposal to ensure that they side with us. The _Caeda _Project is our best chance at neutralizing the Terminator Militia and their growing support."

"We've also managed to negotiate a deal with a small band of rogues located in Martaan, as well as Terminator Outcasts."

"Terminator Outcasts?"

"Soldiers that have been ousted from the militia for various reasons, many of them have been around since Commander Jazz was executed following his betrayal over a decade ago."

"Good...very good. What of the Brotherhood sages?"

"They understand our cause and will be willing to join our army...when _will_ the _Caeda _project be complete, sir?"

"As soon as we can establish a task force that can command the militia. The Terminators have Alpha Company pulling the strings, we will work on establishing our own High Command to lead the fledgling _Caeda _Militia."

"When will we receive an update on whether or not the project is complete?"

"I will contact you immediately."

"Very good, sir," and the general turned to leave.

"Oh, and General Mason?"

The general paused in his tracks and turned to face the president again, "Yes, sir?"

"Meanwhile, I have a special task for you and a small squadron."

"Yes, sir?"

"There are tales of an ancient Forerunner artifact located within Installation 02 that has the ability to resurrect shades."

"What would you like me to do, sir?"

"Find it, it's time we contact a few old friends of Commander Vaughn's."

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed."

"Yes, sir, it shall be done," and Mason left.

"I'm going to bed, you're welcome to join me if you like."

Alex blinked, leaving his memories and finding himself standing on his balcony. He turned to find Rainbow Dash standing beside him, her mane, combed down in preparation to retire for the night, blowing in the faint, warm breeze. "That sounds nice..." he replied, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close to him as he half-hugged her, kissing her forehead.

"Let's go then," and she smiled seductively, "I'm not waiting for long."

Dash disappeared back inside of their room, and as Alex approached the sliding glass door, something made him pause in his tracks, and he felt the familiar presence of the young girl enter his mind, emerging from whatever cranny she stayed in, _Alex..._ she began.

The Commander sighed, "Can I help you?"

_Do you think that you can send me that pleasure again?_

_Why?_

_It felt...amazing...even if a phantom feeling. Would you mind letting me feel that again?_

_I'll see what I can do, _he replied after several moments of silence.

_It would be much appreciated...thank you_.

_You're welcome...I guess..._

Both Rainbow Dash and Alex relaxed beside each other, pleasure-caused euphoria allowing them to feel closer and happier than ever before. As per usual, Rainbow Dash lay curled around her mate, using his head as a pillow, and Alex himself idly stroked her mane, "I gotta admit," she began, "Being with you is probably the greatest feeling in the world..."

"Since when did you become a gushy type?" Alex remarked, and she playfully punched his chest.

"You have a way of bringing someone's facade down."

"A facade? I thought you were legitimately a badass, I never knew you were faking it," she looked up at him, both grinning widely, "I am...but I'm just a little more sensitive around my mate. As opposed to being around a stranger or a normal friend," then she remarked, "Speak of the devil, did you transfer pleasure to what's-her-name?"

"Yeah."

"She seems to like it."

"She claims it's a feeling she's never had before. She also claims that she's never even masturbated before."

"Really?" and Dash seemed surprised, "That's a bit difficult to believe."

"Not every gal masturbates y'know."

"Or so they claim. Anyway, I wonder what's up with that girl...she says she's in distress, yet she won't even tell us her name. How are we supposed to help somebody that isn't willing to share any details with us?"

"If only I knew, Dash," Alex replied with a sigh, "Unfortunately, I don't."

They fell silent then, and for several minutes, they both lay in bed, eyes wide open and fully awake, Dash simply relaxing while Alex continued stroking her colorful mane.

Finally, Dash broke the silence again, "I miss Spyro and Cynder..."

"Same here."

"Do you think they're happy where they are?"

"I only hope so..." then, "Goodnight, sexy, I'm tired."

"'Night..." Dash replied, and she nuzzled her mate's chest as they both finally allowed sleep to take them away.

-**Installation 02-**

**-**_**11 November 2012**_**-**

**-**_**0612 Hours**_**-**

"General, sir, we're approximately twenty five kilometers east of our LZ."

"Get us there, Major, we have a mission to accomplish."

"General, sir, what are our objectives even?"

"I'll brief the whole squad once we arrive at the LZ."

Twenty minutes later, the _Maxia_-controlled Hornet landed on a flat expanse of land in the center of a large, deep canyon. "All out," General Mason commanded, and his eight man squad all leaped out of the Hornet. He took several steps forward, assault rifle cocked and loaded as he scanned his surroundings with the thermal scope he had equipped., "We're clear," he replied, then turned to face his squad.

"Listen up, 'cause I ain't repeating myself."

"Located somewhere on this ring is a Forerunner artifact that we desperately need to find."

"Sir," the pilot began, "The whole damn ring is a forerunner artifact, if we're looking for something in particular, we're gonna need any clues to tell it apart from every other ancient piece of crap on here."

"I don't have the details, Major, but from what I am told, we will know once we locate it."

"Where should we even possibly begin?" he asked, buttoning up his weatherproof jacket against the bitter cold and blinding whiteout.

"Search this canyon to begin things, I want every nook and cranny investigated. If you encounter any hostile wildlife, kill them. I would assume our target is located within one of the innumerable caverns located on the ring. Considering this whole ring is an endless network of tunnels and caves, we have our work cut out for us...let's move!"

"Hey...Alex?"

The Commander, who had been staring out at the _Fiernes Curtain_, stiffened as he slowly turned to face who had called him. Cynder, her bright, sapphire-emerald eyes shining as she ran up to her mate and pounced on him. Alex held her in his arms, hugging her tightly, his heart fluttering, unable to believe that she was back.

"I missed you..." the dragoness said, tears dripping down from her eyes and splashing onto Alex's bare shoulders. Her belly was very hot to the touch and vibrated with a deep hum, a sign of sexual arousal, in addition to that, he could feel her genital regions, swollen and wet against his bare belly, and he could fell her heartbeat, rapid.

"I missed you, too..." he replied, "I love you..."

Cynder opened her eyes, looking lovingly into his, "I love you, too," and they hugged again, her tailblade gently stroking up and down his back, sending goosebumps down his spine, "I just wish that we were together again."

"We still are though..."

"Make love to me..." and she kissed him deeply, her thin tongue gently touching the inside of his mouth as she opened her eyes, finding herself in the dragon temple once again. It was dark, the hard, rocky floor was slick to the touch and reeked of mold and mildew. The realization that she had only been dreaming struck her deeply, cutting her to pieces with a glowing hot blade. It was cold tonight, and a strong gust of wind blew in from the cracks and crevices of the dojo, blowing against her exposed torso, turning the liquids that had gathered around her body, dripping down her sacred regions, into ice. She shivered against the wind, wiping off the slick fluids and curling into a tighter ball, it was then she noticed that Spyro was missing.

She stood up, stretching as she looked around the dark dungeon. Some light poured in through holes in the roof, illuminating the cold, vicious eyes of the Malefor statue in the center of the dojo. She looked around, searching for any sign of Spyro, but he was nowhere to be found. It was then that she noticed that the door leading onto the balcony was open, and in the moonlight pouring in through the door, she spotted her mate, standing on the edge of the balcony, standing on his rear legs while his forelimbs leaned against the balcony, supporting his weight. His tail idly swung in the cold breeze.

"What are you doing up so late, Spyro?" she asked, her voice a tired whisper, stepping onto the balcony.

After several minutes of silence, his eyes concentrating on the mushroom swamp stretched out before him, he replied, "Nothing...I'm just...awake."

"Something's bothering you..." Cynder said, knowing her mate's mannerisms all too well.

"I'm..." and his voice cracked.

"You're what, Spyro?" she asked, concern thick in her voice, "What's wrong, Lover?"

Finally, with a sigh, he said, "I miss New Alexandria. I miss the Terminators, and the Commander...I miss home."

Cynder nodded, "I understand...but we promised to start a new life for the sake of our family."

"I know," he replied, voice cold, "But this isn't home...it never was, and it still, even now, isn't. Our home is New Alexandria, with the Commander, with Alpha Company...that's our home, not this damned place."

Cynder nodded again, "Yeah...I have to agree..." she turned to face her mate, then chuckled.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

She stroked his throat, where a small, fleshy mass was starting to bulge from his lower jaw, "Seems to me that you're getting a bit of a beard."

"Really?" and he felt the fleshy mass, a texture similar to that of the spines on his back and nape of the neck.

"You're growing older," and she laughed, "We both are. We're almost all grown up."

"Yeah..." and as Cynder turned to look out over the Mushroom Swamp, Spyro's eyes scanned down her body. She was becoming thinner, despite her pregnancies, her curves becoming much more apparent, making her look even _more_ feminine. Her horns were becoming longer, and he could see that she was beginning to look like her corrupt form.

"Give it a few years," he began, "You'll look just like your corrupted self."

She playfully punched him, "Thanks for reminding me," but she was grinning, and he was glad that she had overcome her past, reaching the point where she laughed at it instead of shying away from it.

"Imagine what Alex would look like in twenty, thirty years," Spyro replied, "Pending he decides to go more easy on his body."

"I think he would look handsome, might even have a Reznov-style salt-and-pepper goatee, if he would start wearing that fur cloak that Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak gave him, he would look pretty damn sexy."

"He'd look like a warlord, if you ask me."

"Technically he is a warlord, if you think about it."

"Here's another question for you..."

"Yeah?"

"How would Dash look?"

"Damn..." and Cynder thought about it for a few moments, "I can see it, she'd look pretty damn hot...not saying that in a lesbian way, just...well, you get the point. I think she could still retain her attractiveness with age."

"Yeah, I get your point," and he nodded.

"I'm curious to see where we would ALL be in 30 years, how we would look...what new members we would have. Y'know, what state would the world be in? The militia? It's food for thought, y'know?"

Spyro nodded, "Yeah."

Cynder placed her head on his shoulder, and he placed his head upon hers, purring softly.

"I love you..." she whispered.

"I love you, too, Cyn," and they stood together on the balcony, their tails intertwined, standing alone together as the first rays of daylight began to appear on the horizon.

_Alex opened his eyes, finding himself sitting on the top bleacher of an arena. He had apparently taken a nap, and he looked around, finding himself surrounded by families, all dressed in 1970s style attire. Ahead, he could see a large swimming pool, where a small pod of bottlenose dolphins were engaged in a show. Alex smiled as he relaxed, watching the show go on, and towards the middle of the show, he spied a young calf break away from the rest of the pod, experimented with what appeared to be a primitive form of hydrokinesis. Confused, he watched this young dolphin for awhile, alarmed when he heard the cocking of an all-too-familiar weapon...M240s. He turned to the right, seeing three men, all holding M240s, fully assembled and loaded. He was surprised that no one else noticed the gunmen. One of the men, the one in the center of the group, turned and nodded to each of his companions as all three stood._

_A family directly in front of them turned around, unhappy at the disturbance, but their eyes widened once they saw the gunmen, and with another nod from the center man, the trio opened fire on the massive, full crowd. The world was suddenly filled with the screams of men, women, and children as they fled from the gunmen, and the trio ruthlessly massacred everyone in the room. The center man tapped his ear, and Alex could suddenly hear his voice, deep and cold, as he said, "Secure the area."_

_The trio stepped down from the bleachers, stopping their rain of fire only when they needed to switch belts. The three broke ways then, the men to the left and right of the center man heading in those respective directions, while the second man kicked open the door leading to the ladder up to the platform where the female trainer cowered. Alex watched, unable to move, paralyzed completely, as the man removed her head with a katana before leaping into the water, swimming towards the calf._

_Alex watched as the other dolphins immediately charged at the assailant, trying to drag him underwater, trying to drown him. After a vicious fight with what Alex presumed was the alpha male, the man finally restrained the dolphin, slitting his throat. The water immediately turned red as the creature __twitched several times before finally stilling, and the man continued swimming towards the baby. Another dolphin, what Alex presumed was the calf's mother, charged towards the man, attempting to protect her offspring. The man wrestled her for several moments before he finally drove the katana through the dolphin's side, impaling her on the blade until she stilled and he tore the blade free. As he reached the young calf..._

...Alex awoke, feeling a deep, paranoid fear as he cried out. He couldn't move, and this only succeeded in terrifying him. Finally, his sleep paralysis disappeared, and he sat up abruptly, breathing and sweating heavily, the entire dream flashing before his eyes at a rapid pace before dissipating. He turned abruptly to face Dash, who only muttered something, groaning in her sleep as she shifted positions, turning her back to him.

"Well, God damn," General Mason began, shining his flashlight into a dark cave. In the center of the room, he spied a machine, covered in ice and snow, and he grunted, "Seems we found our resurrection machine," he turned to face his squad, commanding harshly, "Secure the perimeter, this will be quick."

He walked up to the snow-covered terminal, brushing away the snow as he tapped on the keyboard, the keys frozen shut. Eventually, the ice broke, and the terminal immediately came to life, revealing to him the secrets of Forerunner technology, locked away in a forgotten language. Utilizing what he knew of the Forerunners' language, he managed to navigate the sea of menus, discovering exactly what he was looking for. With a few more console taps, a tray opened to his immediate right, revealing a bin-like storage unit. He reached into his pocket, revealing a vile of ash, and he placed it tenderly into the bin, tapping several more times until the bin closed and a faint hum emerged from within. He removed his backpack, reaching into it and pulling out a large cooler as he opened it, revealing the gruesome contents, preserved in dry ice. He grinned widely, maniacally even, as he closed the cooler, turning towards the terminal as he resumed his frantic typing.

Several minutes later, a door on the large machine slid open, revealing the form within, and the being inside collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, crying for help.

General Mason walked up to the form, extending a hand as he helped the terrified creature to a standing position.

"Wh...who are you? Where am I?"

General Mason, grinning maliciously, replied, "Welcome back, Commander Jazz."

"Get...get away from me!" the rabbit replied, falling backwards up against the machine, "Please...don't hurt me!"

"The hell's wrong with him?" one of Mason's troops, a captain, began, walking up to the rabbit.

Mason frowned, "I know what's wrong with him...and I know how to fix it."

"Help!" Jazz cried frantically as the _Maxia _dragged him deeper into the cavern, forcing him to his knees.

General Mason, still at the machine as he placed his next gruesome object into the bin and began to frantically type at the terminal again, growled, "Get him to shut up!"

"On it, sir," the captain replied, and he quickly slit his wrists with his KA-BAR, drawing a pentagram on the center of the floor in blood before placing a bowl full of unknown ingredients into the center of the pentagram. Lighting candles he had placed around the circle, he chanted a phrase in Latin as the flames flared and the pentagram began to glow. In the center of the pentagram, there was a flash of deep blue, and a starry orb, the size of a golf ball, appeared. It quickly expanded in size as the flames flared higher and higher, unnatural, extremely hot wind blasting from the orb. The sphere exploded in a flash of white, and a shadowy creature, looking worse for wear, appeared in the center of the pentagram, on his knees.

The creature gasped for breath, each breath was liquid and wet, and seemed to bleed a dark, deep red fluid.

"Lord Lucifer?" the captain began.

The shadow-demon looked up, grinning grimly. He weakly stood, popping his neck and knuckles as he straightened, clearing his throat, and said, in a deep, layered voice, "No, I am the archdemon Necrondousk, I'm...eh...here in his place."

"Yes, sir," the captain replied, and he signaled for two more of Mason's squad to appear, dragging a terrified Jazz to the center of the room and throwing him before the shadow-demon. Jazz looked towards Necrodusk, eyes widening, and the captain said, "Commander Jazz can't seem to remember his past."

"How can I help?" Necrodusk asked, "Better question, _why _should I help?"

"Sir, we've been loyal to your master since our very founding! The least you can do is supply us with a possessing spirit! Without him, we won't be able to extinguish the Terminator Militia!"

Necrodusk stiffened, "Terminators you say?"

"Aye, sir."

Necrodusk fell silent, thinking for a few moments before grinning maliciously, "I happen to be in the market for a vessel."

"He's yours, Lord Necrondousk," the captain said as he stepped back and the shadow-demon approached the rabbit. Jazz cried out in alarm as Necrodusk placed one shadowy hand onto the rabbit's forehead and red light shined from the point of contact. The world began to shake, and a high-pitched ring, deafening in its intensity, sent the _Maxia _to the ground in pain. In an explosion of white light, Necrodusk, now a large mass of black smoke, rocketed forward rushing into Jazz's eyes, nose, and mouth, all glowing bright white. Jazz's screams became the harsh whispering of hundreds of demonic voices, and several heart-pounding moments later, in another explosion of light, Jazz fell forward, shuddering and twitching.

Necrodusk-possessed Jazz looked up then, grinning maliciously, "Take me to the Terminators," he said in a deep, layered voice.


	44. Chapter XLIII: The Otherworldly Journey

_**Chapter XLIII**_**:**

**-''The Otherworldly Journey''-**

**-Dragon Temple: Mushroom Swamp, Dragon Realms-**

**-_12 November 2012_-**

**-_0338 Hours_-**

To go back, or not to go back...

That was the question occupying Spyro's mind as he awoke from another light sleep, sneaking out of his mate's arms and outside onto the balcony, trying not to awaken her. Once safely outside, he walked over to the balcony, once more fixing his gaze over the Mushroom Swamp...only he was looking beyond the swamp, looking towards the horizon, where somewhere beneath it, New Alexandria lay. Even from out here in the middle of south Atlantic Ocean, he could see the haze of red, pulsating across the horizon, a emitted by the distant _Fiernes Curtain_. He understood Cynder's needing to find safety and stability to keep their growing family safe from harm, but at the same time, he couldn't ignore that immense impulse to stay in the Terminator Militia. He missed his companions, where he actually, for the first time in his entire life, felt accepted and wanted. It was his home...not this temple, where everyone, save for Ignitus, his father, either hated or mocked him. Even Sparx was pestering him on his decision to mate with Cynder.

This, of course, hurt him a bit, but Cynder was always there to drive the little dragonfly off and show when enough was enough. He knew that Sparx meant no harm in his mockery but at the same time, it did affect him. He loved Cynder more than he had ever loved anyone else, and he was angry at Sparx, who was so quick to harp on him for his life's decisions, when the dragonfly himself had no idea as to the hell that they had been forced to endure since their leaving back in early 2009. The dragonfly was too cowardly to even _attempt _to experience the same crap that they had. Spyro sighed, he didn't want to be here, and he knew he wasn't wanted. Sure he had abandoned his destiny, meant for him to live out the rest of his days in the temple, waiting for young dragonlings to come to be trained in the elements, in favor of action, of pursuing placement into the elite numbers of a famous army, one that respected him, one that he led...

"Alex..." he muttered, "I'm sorry..."

He felt terrible, sick, he felt like he had betrayed his friend. Alex has placed so much time and effort into training him to lead the Terminator Militia in the event that the Commander himself was unable to do so...and he had lived up to Alex's expectations briefly in the past, but now, he feared that his retirement was betraying Alex's trust and throwing all of that precious time and spent resources back at the Commander's face.

Deep down, he knew that Alex truly did understand his reason, even if the Commander himself had no true idea of how family was, given his origins, but it still hurt the dragon to know that he had abandoned his friends.

"Forgive me, Alex..." he sighed, "I only wish I was still there...with you guys. At least you accepted us...gave us the feeling of belonging, something that both Cynder and I had never felt before..." he then remembered how it was primarily Alex who had brought him and Cynder to mate to begin with. Without Alex's intervention, he and Cynder might have never gathered the courage to admit their mutual affections, or even if they would have, how long would it have been before they revealed the truth to each other?

"I want to go home..." he muttered to himself, and his mind was suddenly filled with memories of his time in the Terminators, from his arrival and acceptance into Alpha Company, through to his sudden leaving after heavy consideration. As he remembered his time in the Terminator Militia, the memory of his taboo experiences with Alex came to mind, and Spyro was alarmed when he felt a tightening in his loins. He looked down, watching as a red object emerged slowly from its sheathe, jutting straight outwards, angling towards his face. He sighed then, idly grabbing himself as he pleasured until release, making it quick and silent. Once the pleasure resided and his penis returned to its sheathe, he looked up once again, observing the fat moon high in the sky, colored with ribbons of green gases, like a frozen _Aurora Borealis_, what they had all called 'Skyrim skies'. Realizing the need to relax his troubled mind, Spyro heard an audible click within his mind as the song 'Secunda', from the Skyrim soundtrack began to play quietly, softly.

He sighed as he felt a wetness in his eyes, and tears began to roll down his scarred face, the droplets gathering in puddles and mixing with his splattered seed.

Cynder slowly walked towards the open door, peeking outside and watching her mate. She stuck to the shadows, watching in silence as Spyro's body shuddered and twitched with orgasm. She understood that he didn't want to be here, and that his mind was troubled as he fought his desire to remain in the Terminators. She, herself, had been enduring the same torment, especially since her sleep was being plagued with memories of her time in the militia, and her romantic affairs with the Commander. She missed him, and she missed the Terminators, and she began to question with returning here was the best choice after all.

They weren't accepted anyway, they weren't wanted here, and she was sure that if worse came to worse, that Alex would allow them to remain with them, and still choose to raise their family over fighting. Elliot might not be very favorable with the decision to allow Spyro and herself to remain in New Alexandria and not fight, but they all ranked above Elliot, even young Terrance, and she believed that Alex would back them up, would support them. That was one out of many things she loved and admired about the Commander, he went out of his way to ensure that his comrades remained happy. Nodding at her thoughts, she stepped onto the balcony and wrapped her tail around Spyro's neck, bring him close to her as they embraced.

"I want to go home..." Spyro said sadly.

"So do I..." Cynder replied, "So do I..."

Spyro and Cynder, with their children, asleep, on their mother's back, appeared over New Alexandria just as the first rays of sunlight began to punch through the ever-present maroon skies above the sprawling city, shimmering and tinted blue due to the active, protective, electron forcefield. Upon sight of the city, their moods instantly brightened, but their homesickness increased tenfold, and they both knew that this was where they belonged, that this was their home, and would forever be their home.

The two dragons landed just before the South Entrance gate, regretting leaving their radios behind. They walked together, side-by-side, towards the guardhouse as the guards looked at them with faces of amazement and wonder. "We're home..." Spyro said, turning his head to face his mate as he smiled.

She nodded, eyes shimmering, "Yes, we are."

"Commander Spyro and General Cynder..." the young guard said, voice cracking, and he instantly straightened and saluted.

"At ease, soldier," Spyro said with a chuckle, "We're not really with those titles anymore...will you let us in?"

"Oh! Yes, sir!" the guard said, rushing into the guardhouse, "Uh...sorry, sir!"

Both Spyro and Cynder chuckled, and the purple dragon continued, "Apology accepted, soldier."

The guard flipped the knife switch, a dull thud sounded as plumes of dust fell from the ramparts and the fifty-foot, steel, blast gate, causing the earth to tremble, slowly opened outward, revealing the gaping darkness of the interwall checkpoint. Once the outer gate opened, the two dragons walked in and the guards here nodded as they closed the outer gate, sending the world into darkness. Several seconds passed after the outer gates slammed shut, and there was the dull thunk of a knife switch being thrown as with another earth-trembling drone, the inner gate opened outward, revealing the dirt road cutting through the rolling fields on the outskirts of the city. In the distance, sparkling on the sunset, across the large suspension bridge and situated as an island in the middle of a wide lake, New Alexandria was shining and alive.

"Home...sweet home," Cynder said, and Spyro nodded as the two spread their wings and took to the skies, flying towards the distant city, filled with such elation at being home after what seemed like eons. They spiraled around each other and flew as the emerald fields and farms beneath them thinned out, giving way to the lake with the black, steel suspension bridge connecting the outskirts and the city. Once across the lake, they flew through the city, following the main thoroughfare as they passed through the business district of New Alexandria, arriving in Town Square and taking the route into the military district. Within minutes, the massive, ten story, Victorian-style Club Camelot came into view, and the two dragons landed just before the wrought-iron gate leading into the main sector of the military district. The guards nodded at the two dragons as they opened the gates, allowing them passage, and the two dragons walked down the palm tree-lined, freshly asphalted roads, following the street-facing, twenty foot tall, six foot thick stone, perimeter wall surrounding Club Camelot. They paused at the wrought-iron gate leading into the compound, and with joyous cries of approval and cheer from the guards, the gate opened, allowing Spyro and Cynder passage into Club Camelot...their _true _home. They entered the double doors, being greeted by the soldiers here, fresh from the night guard, heading to the ornate double doors leading to Club Camelot's rotunda, where they took to the air and flew upwards, landing on the penthouse floor and heading to Room 1.

Spyro turned to open the door...but it was locked. Feeling around his neck, he realized that he did not have possession of the key, remembering that he had returned it to Alex, along with their radios, shortly before their departure.

"Shit..." he breathed, "I forgot we don't have the keys anymore..."

"Let's just hang around," Cynder began, "They'll wake up soon enough, probably spend the day outside on the balcony."

Spyro shook his head, "Nope, they go back to school today."

"Crap..."

"We heading to Champaign? Or are we just gonna stick around until they get home later tonight?"

Cynder thought about it for a few moments, then said, "Let's head to Champaign..."

Spyro nodded, "I was thinking the same thing."

Without another word, the two dragons rose into the air, rocketing towards the southern side of the city as they began to glow a deep blue. Within moments, they disappeared in a flash of blue light, appearing just above Champaign, Illinois. As was custom, both Spyro and Cynder issued greeting roars, and they were bemused as their still-young offspring tried to imitate the actions of their parents.

Minutes later, the two dragons landed in the parking lot of 'W' building, entering the building and finding the diesel students in room W101, in the middle of Electrical. Spyro and Cynder exchanged victorious smiles, and at the count of three, the duo entered the room, silencing the instructor and the students, all who gaped in amazement at the dragons' sudden return. "Well, I'll be damned!" Zig said, "Look whose back!"

"Spyro! Cynder!" Dash said excitedly, leaping out of her seat as she ran to the two dragons, hugging them tightly and kissing them both, "You came back?"

"Damn well we did," Spyro replied, grinning, "The blood of the Terminator Militia runs in us too strong to let us live a normal life."

"God forbid," Alex said, limping over to them, cane in hand, as he hugged them both. Cynder leaped into his arms, causing him to stumble, and she wrapped her forelimbs around his neck, kissing him deeply, passionately, before nuzzling his neck.

"I missed you, Alex..." the dragoness said.

"I missed you, too, Cynder."

After several more moments of embrace, Cynder leaped down, and Alex, exchanging a bemused look with Spyro as Cynder happily trotted back to her mate's side, said, "Well, Spyro, you might as well do it, too."

He leaned his gilded cane against the table, bracing himself as Spyro hopped into his arms and hugged him tightly, "Good to see you, my friend," the Commander told the purple dragon as Spyro hopped down.

"Likewise," Spyro replied with a nod, "I missed you guys."

"We missed you, too, mate."

"Well I'll be damned!" Piermont said, suddenly entering the room, "Looks like Spearow and Cynderp decided to return after all!"

"Fuck you, Pierre," Spyro said, but he was grinning.

"Nah," the human-form dragon replied, winking, "I'll leave the fucking to Alex."

"Shut up, Pierre," the Commander said.

"Ah! C'mon! We all know you're gay for Spearow!"

"I'm not gay for Pokemon."

Piermont fell silent then, "You know what? Fuck you!"

"You would, wouldn't you?" Alex replied.

"Oh hell yes," Piermont replied with a nod, "The thought of having your dick inside me just makes me hot and wet and juicy. It just turns me on."

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Zig said with a laugh, "It's getting' a bit hot in here, now! We'll have to give this class an 'AO' rating."

"I thought you missed Spyro because he was your baby brother?" Alex teased.

"Fuck you!" Piermont replied, but he allowed both Spyro and Cynder to hop into his arms and hug him, "Good to see you back, guys," he admitted, "Hasn't been the same without y'all."

"Do I sense a soft spot in Pierre?" Spyro poked.

"Don't push your luck, Spearow," Piermont replied, but he was grinning, "Seriously though, you guys have been missed."

"Well," Spyro began, "We're back, for good this time."

"What's wrong?" Alex began, seeming concerned, "Something happen?"

"Not at all," Spyro replied, "Just...can't get used to life without you guys, it's not home without you."

"Like they say," Terrias began, "Home is where the heart is."

Spyro nodded at the servine, "Isn't more true than that, Lieutenant."

_So they returned?_

Alex opened his eyes, finding himself in an underwater cell, instead of in bed, with Cynder in his arms. Around him, he could sense something lurking in the darkness, just beyond his vision. _Who_? he asked the voice.

_Them, Spyro and Cynder_.

_Well...yeah, how do you know them?_

_I know of all of Alpha Company, you all were there when you saved my life_.

_I still have no idea what you mean?_

She sighed, _It's a shame, really_.

_What is your name, mate?_

_I have already told you, my name is no one_.

_Please stop the 'no one' bullshit, you have to be _some _one_.

_No, I mean, my name is No.1, as in experiment 'no. 1'_.

_Wait...you mean your name is _NUMBER _one_?

_Yes..._

_Oh..._ and suddenly, it all made sense to the Commander, _Who named you that?_

_The _Caeda_..._

_Who?_

_What time are we in?_

_2012._

_2012?_

_Yes._

_Oh...what date?_

_November twelfth or thirteenth..._

_I see, now. So you have yet to meet the _Caeda_._

_Who are the Caeda?_

_An evil army, one that spawned from the _Maxia. _You may not have encountered them yet, but I sense that you will, very soon_.

_Why did they kidnap you, No.1?_

_I don't know, _she replied sadly, and Alex could have sworn he heard a kind of whistle, _All I know is that they took me from my family and friends...and they killed all of my friends_.

_Where are you? You sound close..._

"Alex!" and the Commander's eyes opened, finding himself staring into the sad eyes of a very unhappy and awake Cynder.

"Cynder? Wh...what's going on?"

"You fell asleep while we were mating," and she frowned, turning her back to him, "Am I not that good anymore?"

"No! No! That's not it! It's just been a very stressful..."

"I'm sorry..." she interrupted, "This was a mistake," and she climbed out of bed.

"Cynder!" and he ran after her as she left his room, returning to her own.

Alex, still in the nude, turned to face the disturbed but unsurprised members of Alpha Company, surrounding the television, "Didya lose somethin'?" Piermont remarked.

"Fuck you," the Commander replied embittered, and he grabbed a blanket that was tossed on the couch beside him, tying it around his waist.

"I thought that's what Cynder was doing," Rainbow Dash replied, grinning.

"I...fell asleep."

"Oh shit..." came the united replies of the other members of Alpha Company.

Terrias then said, "Well, looks like your stuck with Dash."

The Pegasus stood up, getting between the Commander and the view of Alpha Company, "You're right," she told the servine, and she covered Alex as the both of them retreated back to his bedroom, and he sat down on the bed, getting a drink from the bottle of water on his nightstand as Dash closed the door behind her, sitting beside her mate and looking at him tenderly, "Everything okay?" she asked him, wrapping one furry forelimb around his shoulders and pulling him against her. She half-hugged him, and he sighed.

"Been better," he replied, "She came to me again."

"Who did?"

"No.1."

"Ah...did we ever find out her name?"

"Yeah," he began, looking up at his mate, "It _IS_, indeed, No.1."

"No one?"

"No, 'no. 1', as in experiment 'number one'."

"No.1? The hell kind of name is _THAT_?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, but she said that the _Caeda_, kidnapped her, killing her friends and family in the process.

"The _Caeda_? Who the hell are they?"

"Apparently, the _Maxia_ Regime has themselves some secret plans going on, and No.1, somehow, knows what it's all about."

"We need to help her then...if she _DOES_ have ears on the inside of the _Maxia_, or the _Caeda_, or whatever the hell they are calling themselves now, she would make a valuable ally to us."

"Agreed, but Cynder woke me up before I got a chance to get her location."

"Son of a bitch..." Dash breathed, "Can you contact her again?"

"I can try, no guarantee it will work."

"Then _try_, mate, we _need _her."

Alex nodded, then closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind, trying to navigate the endless ocean of individual minds that populated the world, trying to single out the unique mind of No.1, however, she had crawled into whatever recess that she populated, and he couldn't find her. Finally, after several minutes, he finally released his held breath and sighed, "God damn it."

"Nothing?"

He shook his head, sighing again, "She went back to her little hole."

"How can she expect us to save her life when she won't even tell us where she's located?"

He shrugged, "Damned if _I _know."

"Crap," and Dash sighed, "Oh well."

"Yep..."

"No.1, huh?"

"Aye."

"What kind of creature are we even _dealing _with if it's named, or even being _referred _to as 'No.1'?"

"Something that's been a governmental guinea pig for as long as they've been alive."

"It's kinda sad, and I actually kinda feel bad for her."

"Same here, I just wish we could help her somehow."

"Anyway, on a lighter note," and Dash cuddled close to her mate, wrapping her warm, furry body around his, "I take it Cynder didn't finish you off?"

"Now how could you ever guess that?" and he grinned.

"Because, I know you, and when you came out of that room, you still had one helluva hard-on."

Alex laughed, "'Kay, I'll give you that, sexy."

"Well..." and she kissed his neck, "Luckily for you, as long as you promise not to fall asleep on _me_, I'll finish for you?"

"Yes, please..."

She kissed him, whispering in his ear, "I guess I've gotta job to do, huh?" and she grew comfortable, resting on his stomach as she positioned herself, teasing him for several minutes before finally allowing him to finish. After the event, she collapsed in his arms, resting her head on his chest as he felt her heart racing in her chest. "Never gets old..." she breathed.

"Agreed," he replied, stroking her mane and kissing the top of her head.

"Well...did you send any pleasure to No.1? Since she seems to like that shit."

"Tried to, but I'm not sure if she got it."

"Well, can't say you didn't try."

"Nope."

"Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight," and they fell asleep together.

Across the room, in the darkest corner, hiding in the shadows, a ghostlike form stared at the pair, eyes so full of sadness and loneliness, and No.1, with a sigh, said, _If only I was there...such passion, such pleasure...what I wouldn't give to feel that for real..._ before slowly fading away.

Alex slowly opened his eyes, shuddering against the biting cold wind blowing against his body. Seeing it was still dark, he tried to fall back asleep again, comforted by the faint roar of wind. Realizing something was off, his eyes shot open again, and he sat straight up, finding that he had fallen asleep in a dark alley, in a pile of empty, cardboard boxes beside a dumpster, between two brick buildings. He looked up, blinking as snow collected on his eyebrows and hair, blinking as he frantically looked around.

_What the hell? _He thought, _Where in the bloody hell _am _I_?

He leaped up, running through the alley and towards the street, aware that he was barefoot, and the sound of his bare feet slapping against concrete was the only sounded, save for the wind. He peeked out of the alley, finding himself in the middle of a city at night. Looking to the sky, he could a full, fat moon near the peak of the sky. Headlights shined on the street before him, and he abruptly retreated back into the alley, hiding behind the dumpster as a beat-up, rusted-out, badly dented, maroon Buick drove slowly past, the snow illuminated in the headlights. The vehicle was equipped with a sub woofer, and something was loose, vibrating the whole vehicle to the beat of some muffled rap song.

_The fuck _AM _I? _he thought, and he looked around, finally identifying that he was in Connorsville, specifically, near the outskirts of the ghetto. _Oh _CRAP! he thought, _A white guy, bare-ass naked, in the middle of the fuckin' ghetto, in the dead of the night, this is _NOT _good_.

He sneaked out of the alley, extremely cautious and alert for the slightest sound as he crept along the dark building storefronts, trying to stick to the shadows as much as he could. Whenever a car would pass, he would immediately leap for whatever cover he could fine, and when he reached an intersection, he quickly took cover within the doorway of a closed hand-me-down shop facing the street heading north and south, just as a white van, the windows blacked out, drove past him on the east and west street intersecting.

_Son of a bitch..._ he breathed, _I need to figure out what the hell is going on...where are the others? Is this some kind of fucked up joke? _and he growled at the thought of Piermont or Spyro and Cynder somehow drugging him up and dumping him in the middle of the ghetto as some kind of prank. He was weary of the 'vampires' out, and froze whenever he heard voices. When voices emerged on the sidewalk behind him, around a corner that was hidden by a shop, he pressed his body against the doorway facing away from the direction of the voices. Several minutes passed, and a group of five black kids, approximately fifteen or sixteen years of age, passed by him. He held his breath, amazed when they passed within inches of him without noticing his existence.

It was then that he began to question whether or not he was even _visible _to passerby. _Wait... _he thought, _Am I invisible? Am I _dreaming_?_ Very weary, he waited until the voices had dissipated before he crawled out of hiding, crossing the street as fast as he could and diving behind a planter.

Directly ahead, up the street (in the direction he was supposed to go), he could see a busy street. Unwilling to take the risk of getting caught, he looked around, ignoring the cold biting into his bare flesh, as he finally identified a street that would take him to an alley, located less than a mile away, that he remembered, after innumerable patrols of this sector, led to an almost always abandoned park. However, he had _never _been in this region at night, this was too dangerous for even members of Alpha Company. Walking down the empty streets, he paused in front of a closed pawn shop. Closing his eyes and nervous about what he was intending to do, he punched the window in, tearing the steel bars out, hissing as his body healed his heavily bleeding wounds. Once he was healed, he carefully crawled through the busted window, grunting whenever broken glass dug into his bare flesh, or the jagged edges of the broken bars scraped through his skin. Once inside, he healed his wounds, sneaking through the darkness as he dashed through the shop, finally finding the wardrobe section. Finding a pair of underwear, a pair of leather moccasins, and a large, fur coat that eerily reminded him of the bear-fur cloak given to him by Ulfric Stormcloak following the siege of Solitude almost a year ago, he quickly got dressed, also finding a cheap balaclava, modeled after the character _Ghost_'s one in the video game _Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2_, he put that on as well, easily cracking the safe beneath the counter using the age-old stethoscope technique, borrowing a stethoscope he found in the clearance bin, and pocketing a grand of cash.

Using a pair of leather gloves that were missing the fingers, he punched through the tempered glass of the gun display case, causing a red light beneath the counter to begin flashing...a silent alarm. Swearing beneath his breath, he stole a pair of night vision goggles, as well as pocketing a Colt .45 revolver and several boxes of ammo, quickly retreating through the window and speeding up the street, hiding in the alley behind a dumpster as police cars raced past, sirens blaring. _Oops_, he smirked, and he ran towards the back of the alley, where a ten-foot-tall brick wall divided him from the alley facing the park. He leaped into the air, grabbing onto the top and he mantled over the wall, landing on his feet on the other side and collapsing in a niche between a dumpster and the wall, catching his breath. Once he had relaxed, he strolled out of the alley, right into the way of the five kids again, now popping something, what he presumed was candy, and drinking out of bottles of coke.

"Who dat?" one of the boys said, "Hey! Who're you and watcha doin' in our territory?"

"I want no trouble, boys," Alex began.

"Boys? Boys! Who you callin' 'boys'? I'll fuck you up!"

"Heh...amusing," and he chuckled.

"Who you laughin' at, nigga," and they stepped forward, hands in their pockets, no doubt they had their hands on the butts of a weapon.

"You want to shoot me?" Alex began, and he laughed.

"Oh, we'll do _more _'an just shoot ya," one by one, they revealed Uzis and aimed at the Commander.

"Take the shot," and he raised his hands, "I dare you."

There was the resounding crack of the submachine guns, all scoring their target. The Commander grunted before falling forward. As the kids approached to loot him, the Commander laughed and stood up again, several maroon holes now apparent in his torso.

"What? The hell are you?"

With a growl, the Commander leaped into action, quickly disarming and knocking out the boys with superhuman reflexes and attacks. Within seconds, he was alone on the street, and he could hear the sound of approaching sirens. "Looks like my cue," he began, and he sped away, leaping off an overpass and into the park as he ran deeper inside, hidden from the street by the trees.

The Commander walked through the park, the sirens now distant. No doubt the authorities were searching for whoever had beat those kids, as well as whoever had robbed the pawn shop, with this park next to the scenes of both crimes, no doubt they were going into the woods. However, the Commander was positive that he could evade them if needed, and even then, he doubted that they could stop him. He already knew he was no longer in his own world, the fact that the glowing arc emitting from the _Fiernes Curtain _was not there, as was the LEDs of the Ring, somehow, he had entered another universe...while he slept.

It was quite amusing, actually, but at the same time, this worried him, he wondered if Alpha Company had stayed put, or if they had ended up here as well. How would he even return? That's what worried him most. With no knowledge of _how _he got here, he had no knowledge on _how _to get back. Even after trying to hack a Bluetooth headset he had 'acquired' at the pawn shop in an attempt to tune in to the frequency occupied by Alpha Company, he called for them, but had so far received no answer. Odds are, they didn't have their radios with them, or even if they did, they were either turned off, or unable to pick him up, being in a different universe.

He remembered that King Max and the Swizzle Firmian armies had a transuniversal communicator, meaning that if he could figure out how to dial into that frequency, he could very easily pick them up and seek help. The City Minecrawlers had an advanced teleportation system that enabled them to go to different universes, odds are, they could get to him here and take him back home. The issue was finding something large enough to transfer a powerful enough signal that could reach them, and finding a way to access the hidden frequency used by Swizzle Firma.

He paused by the shore of a pond in the heart of the park, sitting on the loose rock as he retreated into the depths of his mind, expanding his mental eye across the surrounding landscape for miles and miles within seconds, searching for any of the unique signatures of his companions. When he could pick up no signal of his comrades, he growled, "Son of a bitch!" and then he felt something snap, as he was suddenly filled with the feeling that someone was behind him. He tried to turn to see who had sneaked up on him, but he found that he was paralyzed...he couldn't move.

"Problems?"

His paralysis finally breaking, he twisted around abruptly, revolver in hand, ready to fire on whoever had approached him. However, upon sight of who had appeared, his jaw dropped, his eyes widened, and his hand began to tremble.

"Don't worry," came the voice of a beautiful, very familiar woman, about early twenties, her eyes were of a stunning sapphire blue, and almost seemed to glow, and her hair was long and black, draped around her shoulders. She wore a long dress, dingy white and badly stained.

"Who...who the hell?"

"It's me," the young woman said, "No.1."

"What the _fuck_?" and he holstered his gun, "Is _this _where you live? Did you take me here!?"

"No! No!" and she hushed him, "No, I didn't bring you here, and this isn't where I live. I managed to manifest myself here, but I had to pull on your memories, I hope you aren't mad."

Then he realized why he felt he knew the woman...it was an adult Sabrina Ford mixed with elements of his fiance.

"No.1...what the hell are you _doing _here?"

She shrugged, "Technically, I'm not really here...but I saw that you were in trouble and I...well...I managed to gather enough strength to force my conscious here. Nobody else can see me, I'm basically an imaginary friend," and she frowned, "But at least I'm here..."

"Where am I, then? Do you know?"

She shook her head, "No, I don't."

"Dammit, No.1! Then what _DO _you know?"

"Nothing that can help you...but I thought that you needed me..."

"Where are my friends?"

"Around..."

"Are they here? In this world, I mean?"

She nodded, "Yes, they are."

"Why can't I sense them?"

"Your abilities are limited here...the reality of this universe is fighting you."

"Well...that's just fan-fuckin'-tastic," he said, taking off his balaclava.

Suddenly, No.1 hugged him tightly, causing him to stumble and nearly knocking the wind out of him.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed, managing to break free of the contact and backing away.

"Sorry..." she said, sounding shy, "I've been wanting to do that for awhile now..."

"What-?"

"When you've been alone for as long as I have, the only contact receiving being the abusive kind, I've been longing for a tender touch, one that won't hurt me...and it just so happens that the contact I wanted was yours..."

"Why me?"

"Because you have been nothing but good to me, which is something that I've never experienced before."

Alex was overcome with a deep sadness, and he realized that it was radiating off of her. "What did they do to you?"

She replied, "Enough..."

"What did they do?"

"I...I don't want to think about it," and he realized that she was starting to panic.

"Okay, that's fine, I understand."

She nodded abruptly in reply, "Thanks..."

As they walked through the city, the sun slowly rising to the east, Alex found that he didn't know what to talk about with her. Whenever she was still in his mind, he had more questions for her than time to ask, but now that they were together, even if temporarily, he found that he didn't know what to talk about. Judging by her silence, he could tell that she had the same issue.

"What's wrong, No.1?" he asked, "Have nothing to say?"

She shrugged, "I...don't know what to talk about, to be honest. There's so much that I want to say...I just don't know what to ask or where to even begin."

"Well, maybe we can..." and then he paused in his tracks as he saw Rainbow Dash, being cornered by several police officers.

"Dash!"

"Alex?" and she turned abruptly to see him, "Alex!"

"Dash!" he ran towards the pegasus, the cops, startled by the Commander's appearance, ran towards him, as Dash pounced on him and kissed him hard and fast. The officers moved to intervene, and Alex and Dash swiftly brought them down.

"You're okay! I was kinda worried..."

"I'm fine," and he smiled, laughing, "I was worried about you, too."

"Uh...Commander?" No.1 began, as she glanced nervously towards the cops, who were picking themselves up off the ground and preparing to call in backup, "The officers?"

"Right...take care of 'em."

"Who?" Dash began, "Me?"

"No, I was talking to No.1."

"She's here?"

"Yeah...can't you..." and he fell silent.

"Nobody can see me except for you," No.1 said, "Remember?"

"Right...can't you make yourself visible to her?"

No.1 shook her head, "Unfortunately, no I can't."

"Who are you talking to?" Dash asked, confused.

"No.1," Alex replied, "She managed to appear to me...but she can't be seen by anyone else."

"What's she look like?"

"A cross between an old friend of mine and my fiance."

"Sounds sexy," and she smirked.

"What the hell?" No.1 replied, and chuckled, "That's kinda funny. I like her already."

"Good for you," Alex began, grinning, "But she's mine."

"Hell yeah!" Dash replied, kissing Alex firmly, "I'm his and only his."

"I have no attraction to other females," No.1 said, and Alex informed Dash of what she said.

"O...kay..." Dash replied, confused.

"Anway," the Commander began, "Have you seen Alpha Company anywhere?"

Dash shrugged, "Are you sure that they're not back home, and that only you and I got sent here?"

"No..." No.1 suddenly said, "The others, they are here, too."

"Where?"

She shook her head, "I...I don't know, I can just sense them."

"Alex," Dash began, worry in her voice, "Where in the hell are we, anyway?"

"I don't know," Alex replied sourly.

"Does No.1 know?"

Alex turned to face his unseen companion, but she shook her head. "She doesn't know either," Alex said, relaying the information.

"Damn it," Dash sighed, "What do you suggest we do then?"

"Damned if I know..." the Commander replied, "I guess we should try and find the rest of Alpha Company. Then, maybe we can contact Swizzle Firma and the minecrawlers to get us back home."

"Can they receive any of our transmissions?" Dash asked.

"I would assume so, the frequency they use is able to travel across of the multiverse."

"So basically, your plan, then, is just to wing it?"

"Pretty much Corporal," Alex said, his voice perfectly imitating Sergeant Foley's from _Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2_, and Alex picked up a radio from one of the fallen police officers, "Lucky for us, we can tap into their communications lines. If they find Alpha Company, we'll know."

It took several hours, but soon following the distress calls, they managed to regroup with the rest of Alpha Company, one by one.

_Alex opened his eyes, finding himself standing on the muddy, grassy shores of what he assumed to be an estuary. The smell of salt was thick in the air, and was so prominent that he could taste it. He could also taste the salty sea spray on his lips. The sounds of the rolling waves mixed with that of exotic birds and distant thunder, creating a beautiful tropical soundtrack. He was barefoot, and he could feel the silky smooth, yet slightly grainy, texture of the white sands beneath his feet mix between his toes, a sensation that was so small, yet so pleasant. Occasionally, he would have a cool sea breeze blast across his exposed chest, counterbalancing the tropical temperatures, the heat and humidity of the surrounding air. Goosebumps broke out on his torso as his nipples became erect from the cold, yet he didn't shiver._

_The world before him was locked at sunset, the bright red sphere of the sun causing the skies to glow a brilliant and beautiful pallet, a mixture of colors: red, orange, yellow, blue, and purple, mixing together to paint a picturesque skyline. Above him, he could see altocumulus clouds sailing lazily past. Behind them, the world was pitch black, and thousands of white stars were visible. Alex returned his attention to the sea where the deep sapphire waters splashed against the shores, dampening the sand beneath his feet. Suddenly, out of the music of the tropical beach, he could hear a unique sound, a type of clicking, and as the landscape continued to darken at a rapid pace, and the red hemisphere in the sky, causing the sea to glisten like millions of tiny diamonds, sank lower and lower, the clicking became closer and more prominent, now sounding like a whistle, and a voice, one he identified as the woman, No.1, entered his mind, saying _So peaceful...isn't it beautiful?

"_Yes it is," he replied, and he smiled, he knew this was a dream, and even though he could feel the rough click as he became lucid, he still didn't want to change anything, he was enjoying the serenity, the tranquility, he enjoyed the lack of action or battle, and he enjoyed just standing here on the shores, where he could safely let his guard completely down and not have to worry about being attacked or harmed. He was at one with himself, he was at peace. Suddenly, he caught movement in the water to his immediate left, and as he looked to face the creature, he saw two white orbs staring at him as the creature's head poked from the water..._

_It was a bottlenose dolphin._

_Alex and the dolphin stared at each other for several minutes, before the creature sank into the water, emerging a hundred feet out and turning to face him, whistling and clicking towards him...beckoning him to enter the waters. _Great Commander Alex Vaughn_, he thought, _Swimming with dolphins...but what the hell? _and he found himself in swimming shorts as he jumped into the water, swimming towards the sea creature._

So, you decided to come after all? _the creature spoke telepathically, in the voice of No.1._

"_Of course," he replied, "I don't mind a little swim in the sea, rarely do I ever have time to enjoy life, y'know, with the fuckin' war going on and shit."_

"_Well," the dolphin said, speaking now, "Here's your chance, a bit of paradise, so that you can take your mind off of the war."_

"_Thanks," he said._

_The dolphin hugged him, wrapping its fins around his torso, "You're welcome," then, "Grab onto my fin, I'll take you for a swim."_

_Alex did, struggling to hold onto the slick flesh of her dorsal fin._

"_Hold on tight!" it said, still in No.1's voice, and Alex tried as the dolphin leaped out of the water and into the air, arching high in the sky as she slammed down into the water again, the whole activity sending an adrenaline rush surging through Alex's body. The rush of cold water suddenly slapping against his skin, as well as the feel of the cold water rushing into his ears, eyes, and open mouth and nose felt so real...it was incredible!_

_The dolphin did several more complicated maneuvers and tricks, showing off its full strength and maneuverability before returning to the shores. Amazingly, by the time they had returned to the shores, it was high noon, and he didn't feel the least bit tired. Suddenly, as he stumbled on to the shore and turned to say goodbye to the dolphin, it stayed there, seeming sad. "What's wrong?" he asked._

"_Nothing..." it said, and as it returned to the sea, it suddenly paused and returned to the shore, "Please don't leave..." it said, "Please?"_

_He was filled with an overwhelming sense of unhappiness and loneliness, and he decided to stay with the dolphin. "Fine," he said._

"_Thank you..." and silence fell before the dolphin finally spoke again, "Listen...I need to...uh..."_

"_What? You have to go?"_

"_No! No!" it said, "That's not it at all...I'm just...uh..." and as Alex watched the dolphin do a small backflip into the sea, he could see that its belly was blushed a pinkish color, and that the genital slit was pronounced and swollen...it was female._

"_Whoa..." he remarked, feeling a sudden tightening in his loins as he felt somehow drawn to the creature, a feeling that alarmed him, as he knew that the dream was going to evolve into something he knew all too well._

"_Ah..." the dolphin said, and he could almost see her grin wider as she glanced down his body, seeing the extent of his interest, "It would seem that I have aroused you."_

"_Yeah...like THAT's real hard to do..." he replied grimly._

"_Don't be so hard on yourself," she answered, and she swam closer to the banks, "I, for one, find it cute that you are so attracted to me."_

"_You're a dolphin," he replied, "I'm not a delphinic zoophile, turn into a woman, then maybe we'll consider doing something."_

_His remark caused her to recoil a bit, and he could tell that he had offended her, perhaps, even, hurt her feelings, "Oh..." she said, "That's...that's good, I guess..."_

"_What? This isn't your natural form is it?"_

"_It wouldn't matter if it was, would it?" No.1 replied, "I think we all have a wild side."_

"_I sense something's...off...about you..."_

"_Come here, and I'll show you."_

_Alarmed by her rather harsh command, he somehow felt complied to do it, and he lost all control of his body as he wandered into the waters and No.1 approached him. He reached out to pet her, staring at his arm in fear, realizing that he was NOT controlling himself. No.1 then did something that caused him to entirely lose control of his nerves. She bit him, the contact was light, but it was still alarming, although she was gentle, and she began to grit the rows of small, sharp fangs across his hand, a feeling that was both frightening, and intensely pleasuring at the same time. No.1 made a move then...as she swam to his side and humped him. Alarmed, he quickly turned tail and swam away, but the dolphin was quick to catch up to him, probing his crotch with her snout as she grabbed his foot with her teeth and pulled him underwater briefly. He tried to fight her, surfacing again, but upon attempting to return to the shores, No.1 once more dragged him underwater, just long enough to cause him to lose control, but not long enough to harm him._

_Eventually, he saw he had no way to fight, and he surrendered to No.1. She nuzzled him gently then once he surrendered and complied, and he was surprised when she grabbed onto his hand with her genital slit, masturbating against it. "What are you doing?" he asked._

_No.1 smiled, and he felt the oddest feeling as, instead of the usual feeling whenever he fisted one of his mates to orgasm, she seemed to make her genital muscles massage his hand. Finally, she released him, and he lost control of his body as he slipped off his swimming trunks and he felt himself swimming towards No.1, now turned on her side. "Don't worry," she said, "I'll be careful," and he mounted her. He wrapped his arms around her, and she wrapped her fins around him, and he was filled with an amazing sensation as her slightly twitching genital muscles actually _reached out _from her body, grabbing onto his erect self and pulling him inside of her. There was some shifting and violent moving on her part as she got comfortable, and then she stilled as he felt her genital muscles expand and contract, a queer feeling as her muscles massaged the entire length of his penis. He struggled to hold __back the imminence of orgasm, amazed that No.1 could bring him so much pleasure, even from within a dream._

_Occasionally, the dolphin would buck towards him, the motions brief and spastic, obviously involuntary. Less than a minute later, he completely lost control as he found himself unable to hold back any longer, and he went over the edge. To add to it, No.1 reached orgasm as well, and the sensation of two bodies, both pressed tightly together, shuddering and twitching against one another, as well as the intense heat of their bodies, pressed together, against the outside, icy coldness of the water was more pleasant than could ever be described._

_Amazingly, his orgasm lasted much longer than normal, lasting nearly a full minute before it began to hurt, and it finally receded. No.1's muscles completely relaxed then, as the dolphin's body completely surrendered and submitted to the Commander. Alex held her, refusing to let go, and rested his head against her warm, slick belly, listening to her rapid heartbeat. "I can't ever thank you enough..." No.1 said, "You make life worth living."_

_Alex grinned, "I try," and he did something that BOTH parties were not expecting, he kissed her. As they kissed, the world began to tremble and lose solidity, the colors, extremely vibrant and sharp, began to lose their intensity, and soon, the world completely dissolved as..._

...Alex opened his eyes, finding himself in a small, dirty, but cheap hotel room. Rainbow Dash was in his arms, and he remembered what they had done. Despite that, however, he could feel an alarming wetness in his boxers, and he realized that, apparently, his sexy dream had been more realistic than he really wanted it to be...

Dash didn't seem to notice his sudden awakening, and mumbled something before turning her back to him, curling into a tiny ball. He gently stroked her body, bringing the covers which had fallen off across her body and replacing them as he hugged her. Smiling as he watched his mate sleep, peacefully, he turned the opposite direction, nearly crying out as he spied No.1 there beside him, her odd, light blue eyes looking into his, as if she was staring into his very soul, "Jesus, No.1!" he whispered, "What the hell are you _doing _here?"

She shrugged, "I don't know...I've been here."

"For how long?"

"Since soon after you and Rainbow Dash fell asleep."

"What the fuck? Creepy fuckin' stalker!"

"Hey, _you _are the one with the wet dreams, not me!"

His mood sobered, "How did you know that?"

"Uh...duh! I was in them, too!" she said, sounding as if it was obvious.

"But how...how did you get _INTO_ them?"

She shrugged again, "I just did."

"So that dolphin..."

"Was really me."

"And that pleasure..."

"Was mutual. I gotta admit, you sure do know how to please a girl."

"Don't tell me..."

"Yeah..." and she looked beneath the covers, "You aren't the only one who had a wet dream. To be honest, that's the first time that's ever happened to me...it's kinda...I dunno...terrifying. I probably _WOULD_ be freaking out right now, if not for the fact that I can sense, from you, that it is entirely normal, and that there is nothing wrong with it."

"So...you are..."

"Quite wet, actually..." and she blushed fiercely, "Sorry, but that was a _REALLY_ good dream."

"No shit," and Alex collapsed again, laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling, as the ceiling fan above their bed slowly turned, silently.

"Question," No.1 began, "If...a situation like that really _DID_ come up, y'know, where I was a dolphin, you were you, and it was just me and you...would you actually...y'know...do that?"

Alex turned to face the girl, "Do I look like I would know? Anyway, I...I don't want to think about it...goodnight, No.1," and he turned his back to her, curling up against his mate as sleep fell over him once again.

No.1 watched him sleep, sad, offended, her feelings deeply hurt. Only the Commander could cut her so deep and painful, and only him could make her feel that way, and still work his way back up to her full respect. She didn't understand how he could do this, and it worried her, at the same time as it instilled in her a sense of peace and security. She sighed sadly, before turning around, curling into as small a ball as she could muster, and falling into a light, troubled sleep.

Alpha Company was awakened early that morning by harsh pounding on the door of their hotel rooms, and they could hear voices yelling, "Open up! Now! This is the police!"

Alex immediately jumped out of bed, quickly shaking both Rainbow Dash and No.1 awake as the harsh pounding continued and the police began a countdown.

"You have ten seconds to open this door!"

"Shit!" Alex breathed.

"What the hell is going on?" both No.1 and Rainbow Dash asked.

"Looks like Fuzzy finally caught up to us!"

"The _police_!?" Dash exclaimed, "Son of a bitch! We need to get the hell out of here!"

"No _shit_, Sherlock!" Alex hissed.

"What do we do?" No.1 asked.

"I don't fucking know!"

"7...6.."

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, _CRAP_!" Alex exclaimed anxiously, quickly searching around the room before his eyes fell upon the window. "That's it!" he exclaimed.

"2...1..."

Just then, the door exploded behind them, sending all three to the ground as SWAT soldiers flooded the room, training their laser-sighted SCAR-H's on Alex and Dash.

"Shit!" Dash exclaimed, "The hell do we do!"

"Freeze!" one of the armored men began, signaling for his companions to surround them, "One move, and we open fire!"

"Piss off!" Dash hissed.

"Easy," Alex began, "We don't mean you guys any harm..."

"You are under arrest for theft, murder, and assault and battery."

_Alex! _Dash thought telepathically, _The hell are we gonna do?_

_I don't know, Dash,_ Alex replied, _No.1...any ideas?_

She shrugged, "I'm sorry...I don't know what to do."

"Figure something out!" Alex hissed.

"Silence!" the soldiers replied, quickly tossing Alex to the ground as one of them sat upon him, jamming the barrel of the assault rifle up against the back of the Commander's head, drawing blood.

"Alex!" Dash cried as she was forced to stand, "Ack! Get your fucking hands off of me!" she hissed, and she struggled to break free of them.

One of the SWAT soldiers tapped his ear and said, "We've obtained the suspects, we're bringing them in."

Alex roared with fury as he managed to break free of their grasp, viciously fighting them off. The soldiers were quick to retaliate, and they once more mass attacked the Commander, jumping onto him and pinning him to the ground as he felt a brief, biting pain in his throat and instant numbness filled his body. "Nighty night!" one of the restraining soldiers said before darkness enveloped his line of sight and he passed out.

The Commander awoke, feeling himself being supported and dragged. As he opened his eyes, he could see a clean, white, tile floor beneath him, and he groaned as he looked up. He was in the lobby of some kind of governmental facility, and, although he tried to move, he found he couldn't, his body was still numb, and he was still paralyzed. "He's stirring," one of the soldiers supporting him said nervously.

Another, harsher and older voice then said, tone full of malice, "The sedatives have yet to wear off, stop bitching."

"No.1," he called out loud, drugged, and he echoed this call with his telepathy, "Where are you..."

_I'm right here_, the voice of his companion said, and he turned, his head feeling as if it was made of lead, to see the girl walking quickly beside the guards, a worried look on her face, trying to find a way to save him.

"Silence!" the second voice said, and he felt a painful blow to the back of his head, enough to send stars shooting across his vision.

"Conserve your strength..." he said, addressing the girl, "You can't help me..."

_I have to! I _need_ you!_

"I said SILENCE!" the second voice roared again, and Alex felt another dazing blow, this one much harder than the last, across the back of his head. Briefly, he could hear No.1 gasp.

"Go...to...hell!" Alex roared.

_Alex! _No.1 cried, _There has to be SOMETHING I can do!_

"Unless you know how to interact with this world, there is nothing you can do, No.1..." he muttered weakly.

_I'm not gonna let them hurt you!_

"I'm...sorry...but there is nothing you can do..."

_Alex..._

When another painful blow smashed across his head, he screamed out, "You need to contact them, Ruby!"

"Now who is he talking to?" one of the guards remarked.

"Apparently his imaginary friend."

_Ruby...? _No.1 began, _Whose Ruby?_

"No.1..." he began weakly, "Find a way...to contact King Max...of Swizzle Firma...relay our...relay our situation and location."

_What?_

"Go!"

_Who are you talking about? And who is Ruby?_

"Ruby! JUST GO GODDAMMIT!"

"ENOUGH!" the guard roared, and Alex suffered another knockout blow.

"They have the Commander!" Cynder roared, "We need to go save them!"

"It's too late for him, Cynder," Spyro replied sadly, "We need to move on without him."

"Damn it!" and Cynder stopped, violently pushing her mate, who fell on his side to the ground. The two were in an ally that ran past the motel, having escaped through their bedroom window shortly before the SWAT teams had burst in, "We are NOT leaving him!"

"I didn't say we were!" Spyro hissed, a bloody cut on his lip healing as he wiped the blood off of his muzzle, and he violently shoved her back, "But we have other issues at the moment! We have no _fucking _idea where we are, and we have the whole goddamn government who are seeking to put _our _asses into the goddamn fryer. We _need _to find a way to get help!"

"Do you have any brilliant ideas? Or are you all talk and no action?"

"Fuck you!" he hissed, causing his mate to slightly flinch. As he turned to face the rising sun, he growled, "Perhaps...perhaps if we can contact Max..." he then stiffened as he quickly turned to face his mate again, "I have an idea..."

"Well? The hell is it?"

"Swizzle Firma uses a hidden frequency that can traverse across multiple universes and timelines, it's what they use to remain in contact with their City Minecrawlers, if we can find a way to patch into that communications band, we can perhaps get one of them to bust us out of here and take us back home."

"Any bright ideas on how to achieve that? Not only do I doubt that there's a satellite even _large _enough to stretch out to Swizzle Firma, which is halfway across the damned galaxy mind you, but we also need to figure out a way to locate and lock onto that specific signal, it's called 'hidden' for a reason, normal comms systems can access that frequency."

"Perhaps..." and he turned to face a towering building in the distance, with two massive communications towers, and a massive satellite dish aimed south, "Perhaps we can..."

"Y'know, _sharing _would be nice."

"Listen," Spyro began and he nodded towards the distant structures, "You see those?"

"Yeah."

"Military satellite. I bet if we can access those comm satellites, we can hack and connect to various cell towers, satellites, cables dishes, and other systems, then, like concentrating light with a mirror to create a laser, we can intensify and concentrate the signal to stretch out far enough. As for the issue locating Swizzle Firma's radio frequency, military satellites have the widest range of accessible frequencies...plus, I have a rough location of where it lies on the frequency chart."

"What are we waiting for then?"

"I thought you would like it," and he grinned as he tapped his ear and spoke, "Alpha Company, this is Commander Spyro, we have an idea on how to get out of this dump."

"Mind sharing the info, Spyro?" Terrias' voice replied.

"There's a military base a few miles southeast of the motel, if we can overtake those systems, maybe we can contact Swizzle Firma, I'm sure King Max would be _more _than willing to get us out of here."

Silence for a few moments, then Terrias came over the line again, "Yes, sir, we're oscar mike and heading your way."

"Ura."

Spyro turned to face Cynder, nodding towards the base, "C'mon, let's go."

Cynder nodded, and sprinted forward, following her mate.

Terrias, having rendezvoused with Spyro and Cynder, as well as the rest of the scattered Alpha Company, walked alongside Alex's wing-second as they marched towards the base, ignoring the terrified civilians and swiftly neutralizing anyone who stood in their way. The streets were crawling with officers, and now some army reserves had arrived to challenge them as well. Armed with acquired weapons, Alpha Company managed to blast through the disorganized troops as they quickly gained territory.

"Excellent!" Spyro said, "At this rate, we'll be upon the base within the hour!"

"Commander," Terrias began, "The hell are we gonna do with Dash and Alex?"

"I don't know," Spyro began grimly, "Once we establish contact with Swizzle Firma, I'll head out to bust out the Commander."

"Do we even know where he is?"

Spyro fell silent.

"You don't...do you?"

"We'll find him," Spyro began solemnly, looking away, "Don't worry, we can stay separate for very long."

Alex was harshly thrown into a small cell, the impact of his landing on the hard, concrete arousing him from his unconsciousness. Dash was nowhere to be seen, and neither was No.1. He stood up, crying out as dizziness rushed past him, causing his vision to flush red as he collapsed forward onto the ground again, his ears were ringing, most of his body was numb, stiff, and sore, and his entire body felt as heavy as lead.

_Ruby..._

He groaned, sitting up, sitting against the wall. He was disoriented, hallucinating, the dismal light of the tiny containment cell was sharpened to a blinding intensity due to the drugs he had been dosed with, and he felt sick and detached, as if his soul was only connected to his body by a thin thread. He kept finding himself in the estuary where he and No.1 had shared one hell of a dream, before it would flash back to the cell, and his mind was blank, he thought nothing, he was incredibly tired, too tired to do or say anything.

_Ruby..._

_Who is Ruby?_

_No...not Ruby...No.1..._

Where was she? This was the first time since first contact that he could not sense her presence, and he was deeply saddened by the gaping emptiness in his mind, left abandoned by Crash and Cheet following their untimely demises, and occupied by No.1 since.

"No.1..." he said, delirious, hysterical tears came to his eyes as he laughed like a loon, his laughter soon dissolving into tears, "No.1...where'd ya go, love?"

_I'm here... _emerged her unmistakeable voice, and he felt the massive presence of her mind flood into that gaping emptiness, returning that pleasant and wonderful 'full' feeling once again, _I have always been here...and I shall I continue to be here..._

_Why aren't you here right now?_

_I am._

_I can't see you._

_I apologize..._

_Where are you? I NEED you!_

_I can't come back, I'm sorry._

_Please, come back!_

_I'm too weak...it sapped what little strength I had left..._

_Don't leave me!_

_I'm sorry..._

_Help me!_

_I can't._

_Why._

_Do you remember me?_

_What?_

_Do you remember me..._

"Remember...Ruby..." he groaned.

_Remember me...I was there._

_You were?_

_Yes._

_Where?_

_I was always there on the sidelines, watching, waiting._

_What are you talking about._

_I have been there, your protector, your defender..._

_What?_

_...Since the day you were born._

_What do you mean?_

_I am your Guardian..._

_I don't understand...No.1?_

_I am your Guardian Angel..._

_No.1...come back._

_You saved me._

_What?_

_The pain...the pain!_

_Pain..._

_IT HURTS!_

A sharp pain tore through the dazed Commander's body as he cried out and his muscles spasmed, as if he was being electrocuted. A surge of unknown memories flooded through his mind, and he didn't know what the hell was going on. He could sense No.1, but at the same time, he couldn't sense her. His soul finally became detached from his body then as he...

_Do you love me?_

...Felt himself being ripped away from the containment cell, sent somewhere unknown.

_I love you_.

He was taken back to Connorsville, dawn of his third birthday, and he opened his eyes to see his mother. As she picked him up, hugging him and wishing her bright angel a happy birthday, he could see, over her shoulder, the faint outline of a familiar creature, blue orbs of eyes staring at him, watching him, the left clouded over,.

_I have been there since the very beginning._

He was then taken back, even farther, where he saw his mother, on a wheelchair, crying tears of pain as she clutched her extended belly. The wheelchair rushed past him as his mother was taken to a hospital room, and the world flickered briefly before he found himself standing by his mother's bedside. Her legs, covered with a sheet, were spread, and a doctor sat between them, telling his mother to 'push'. There was the drastic cries of pain from his mother, followed by the cries of a baby, and the world flashed white again as he could see a faint outline of that same creature, standing over the bloody baby, gently stroking the body, expression one of joy and compassion.

_I have always been there...for you...my protector...my savior...my love..._

Another brief flash of light, and he found himself as a young boy, dressed in the tan fatigues of the Tan Army, in the middle of the final battle of the Green/Tan Army war. The young boy was on the ground, and a young man...

"_Zack," Alex whispers..._

...Turns to him, a tired look on his face, as he whispers, "Stay still, stay low, look away, whatever you do, don't live!"

_I was there at Zack's death._

Alex watched as the young man was forced to stand before a member of the green army. The Green soldier walked behind the young human, forcing him to his knees, as the green soldier placed a pistol to the back of the man's head, and pulled the trigger. Standing beside the young Commander, gently stroking his back, was that same ghostly form. Upon the crack of the gun, the screen went white.

_I was there at the birth of the Terminator Militia_.

The next scene Alex saw was him, once more as a young boy, this time in Africa, as he played hide-and-go-seek with young Simba and Nala. Standing on Pride Rock, watching the game, was that outlined form, watching in solemn silence.

_I was there at Rapid's death._

Alex relived his former wing-second's demise, only now, standing just behind the Commander, was that mysterious form.

_I was at Pride Rock, when you met Necrodusk, I was at Rudolph's membership, I was at the construction of Club Camelot, and I was at the dawn of the Second Civil War. I was there when you were tortured beneath Washington DC, and I was there during the Battle of Champaign. I have been there, I have always been there, and I will _continue _to be there. For you are my friend, my life-bonded companion, the one I was assigned to protect, and I will continue to protect you from harm...and...I love you._

_Ruby...who are you?_

_I am No.1,_ the confused, wounded voice of No.1 said, that odd, serious, almost ancient and wise monotone she had previously had was gone, _I told you..._

_Ruby...who is Ruby?_

"URA!" Spyro cried as they busted through the doors of the base, tearing through the desperate guards with ease.

Alpha Company charged upstairs, fighting their way to the control room for the communications relay. After several minutes, they charged into the control room, located within the satellite's cradle, and while Terrias and Aria busied themselves with closing off and cutting power to the steel blast door to prevent the soldiers from entry, Spyro, with aide from Tails, set to work on hacking the database in an attempt to seize control over the structure. "Might want to hurry!" Terrias exclaimed, glancing out the thick window as the soldiers converged on the door, readying explosives, "Looks like they're willing to blow their way in."

"Let them," Tails said not looking away from the computer terminal has he quickly hammered on the keyboard keys, "This shouldn't take any longer than another minute or two."

"I don't think we HAVE another minute or two!" Terrias exclaimed, "Their rigging the damn charges RIGHT NOW!"

"Hold them off then for awhile," Tails replied, continuing his frantic typing. Several seconds later, the world vibrated violently as it began to shift and move.

"The hell did you do, Lieutenant!?" Terrias exclaimed.

"I've aligning the dish!" Tails replied, "I need about two minutes to reach full alignment."

"_WHAT!?_" Piermont roared, "We don't HAVE two minutes!"

"This can't be rushed!" Tails hissed, "The whole coding is encrypted and heavily protected, it's already gonna be a nightmare to hack this!"

"You've done shit like this before haven't you?"

Silence for a few moments from Tails, then, "No...not really."

"How long do you think it will take to make contact?"

Tails shrugged, "Shortest, moving at the speed we are is...approximately 36 to 48 hours."

"_HELL _no! We can't wait two days! Hurry the fuck up!"

"I'm _trying_! But this isn't some walk in the park!" and he continued his frantic typing.

Suddenly, the room shook violently again as the satellite finally came to a stop. "Yes!" Tails exclaimed, "Ura! Alignment complete, commencing frequency scan!"

There was a dull thud, followed by a powerful explosion that filled the room with smoke and sent Alpha Company to the ground. They picked themselves up, coughing and blinded by the acrid black smoke as an alarm sounded, and the sprinklers activated. There was the music of firing assault rifles, and bullets ricocheted off of everything as Alpha Company dove for cover.

"Shit!" Tails hissed, "Keep them distracted! If they shoot up the systems, we will not be able to establish contact!"

"Hurry up!" Piermont roared, and he dove out of cover, quickly transforming into his natural dragon form as he charged and relentlessly tore into the crowd of soldiers. While they were distracted by Piermont, the other members of Alpha Company charged into the fray, further distracting the guards while Tails, with Spyro, Cynder, and Terrias guarding him, reclaimed his position at the main terminal and awaited the results of the frequency scan.

"Finally!" Tails exclaimed after several breathless moments, "Got results!"

"Establish a connection!" Spyro hissed, joining the fray as the guards began to regain their bearings.

"Doing that right now...and...gotcha! Attention! This is Lieutenant Miles 'Tails' Prower of Alpha Company requesting immediate aide. We're under heavy fire from unknown forces, and are pinned down in an unknown location, requesting extraction!" he shut off the mic, then turned to Terrias and said, "God...I hope this works..."

"Don't we all," Cynder replied with a nod.

Several breathless minutes later, the unmistakeable voice of King Max came on the line, "We have locked onto your coordinates, Tails, and we'll be sending troops your way, proceed to the extraction point, approximately two miles south of your current position, and we'll be there in an hour."

"Yes, sir," Tails replied with a nod, then, he turned to face Alpha Company, who had bested the guards, for now, and we're catching their breaths, "You heard 'em!" he said, "Let's go bust out Alex and Dash and haul ass over to the LZ."

"Wait," Spyro interrupted, "You guys go, I'm going in alone."

"Hell no!" Sonic exclaimed, "We're coming with you!"

Spyro shook his head, "I can't risk you guys, too, get to the extraction point, I'll meet you there."

"We're not leaving you," Cynder began, stepping forward.

"Yes you are."

"No we're not."

Spyro growled viciously, causing the others, including Cynder, to back away, "No, you're _NOT!_ _I'm _going in, _YOU _are heading to the extraction point! I'll meet you there, Alex and Dash in tow."

Several moments of silence, and Cynder opened her muzzle to reply before Spyro abruptly silenced her, "You heard me...get moving, I'll see you there."

"What if something happens?" Cynder asked, sounding worried.

Spyro smiled grimly, "Then I'll see you all in Hell."

_No.1...who are you? Why is it that you...why are you giving me these images, why are you telling me these things?_

_It's because I love you...I'm here to protect you...I'm..._

_...ALEX!_

The mental scream was powerful, explosive, instantly, the Commander was fully alert, and his heart was pounding. "Spyro?" he asked, "Spyro! Is that you!?"

_Commander..._

"Spyro!"

_Let me help you..._

_No.1? No...not No.1...Ruby..._

There was an explosion directly in front of him, one that sent the Commander flying back. When he looked up, he gasped as he saw an odd form before him. It looked like a dark, shadowy version of a dolphin, with bright sapphire eyes, and black smoke rising from its form, "Come with me," it said, in No.1's voice, the odd, wise, monotone one she had used earlier, only the voice was layered.

"No.1..."

"Come with me if you want to escape," it said again.

Alex nodded and stood, stumbling towards the beast. He could hear the cries of surprised guards as No.1, using very violent and deadly hydrokinesis, tore through the guards. The guards fired upon the creature, but the bullets only passed through her body, disintegrating immediately after leaving her body.

"Stay behind me," No.1 said, "You'll be safe."

Minutes later, they found themselves outside the complex. An alarm sounded, and soldiers rushed out of the base, firing upon them. "Alex?" came a familiar voice from behind him, and Alex turned to see Spyro, looking exhausted, standing there. "Alex!" and the purple dragon ran up to him, embracing him.

"Alex! We need to get the hell out of here!"

"You there! Dragon!" No.1 roared, causing Spyro to immediately fall back at the sudden appearance of the creature, "Stay close to me if you want to get out of here!"

"Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Ruby," it replied, "Now, enough questions! We don't have time, the Minecrawlers will be here any minute now."

"Wait..." Alex began, turning to face the creature that had called herself 'Ruby', "How do you know about the Minecrawlers?"

She apparently didn't hear him, because she kept on moving forward, saying nothing, paying no attention to him and giving absolutely no sign that she had heard him. A distant explosion sounded, and after several flashes of blinding, a distant City Minecrawler appeared, trudging forward, causing the world to shake, as if locked in a violent earthquake. The low rumble of the Minecrawlers engines was deafening in its loudness, so loud that they could no longer communicate physically, and were forced to result to telepathy.

_Looks like our ride is here!_ Spyro began, _Ha ha! Let's get our asses out of this shitty place!_

Alex nodded.

_By the way, where's Rainbow Dash?_

Alex shrugged, _She wasn't captured..._

_Then where is she?_

Alex, suddenly worried, said, _I don't know..._

"She is fine_,_" Ruby said, her voice somehow audible, even over the roar of the Minecrawler engines, turning to face Alex, "She is with your companions."

_When did she get to Alpha Company? _Spyro asked.

"I just sent her there, I was about to send the Commander as well when you charged in. Now enough of the interrogation, we need to get there before the Minecrawlers leave."

Spyro and Alex sped over to where Alpha Company was gathered at the base of the Minecrawler. Swizzle Firmian armies surrounded the area, firing heavily upon the soldiers who were struggling to hold their territory. Max appeared in the open doorway into the Minecrawler's base, "Hurry!" he said, "We don't have much time! The energy streams are about to run out of alignment!"

"Let's go!" Spyro roared, and he charged towards the machine, Alex in pursuit until...

A cloud of tranquilizer darts shot through the air, striking both Alex and Spyro several times. In an instant, paralysis overcame their bodies as the pair went down. "Damn it!" Max hissed, beginning to run out and grab them...unfortunately, the Minecrawler began to slow, and he was forced to make a difficult choice. "Get them!" Terrias hissed.

"We can't!" Max said, "We're out of time!"

The door to the Minecrawler shut as the world flickered dangerously white.

Inside the Minecrawler, Piermont charged towards the king of Swizzle Firma, "The hell are you doing? We need to get them!"

"Piermont! We can't! We're out of time!"

"We have time to fetch them!"

"No we don't! The energy streams are at the edge of alignment, if we don't go RIGHT NOW, the Minecrawler we will not make it home! When the streams become aligned again, we will return and fetch them, but for now, we have no choice but to leave them."

"Are you nuts?" Cynder hissed, "We need to help them!"

"We can't, General, the opportunity has just passed us."

"Spyro!" Cynder cried, racing towards the door as she opened it again.

"Cynder! What the hell are you doing!" Max roared, charging towards them. Right as he reached her, however, the world flashed white once again, and the Minecrawler disappeared into the energy stream.

Alex and Spyro, both heavily sedated, struggled to remain conscious. They were aware that the quaking of the earth and the deafening drone had gone, but they were so high on sedatives that they didn't realize what had just occurred. They couldn't move, they were entirely paralyzed, and their bodies were numb. As they slipped away into unconsciousness, soldiers surrounded them, weapons trained on them, and one of the soldiers stepped forward, crouching and checking the pair's pulses, "They're alive..." he said, and he stood and turned to face the crowd of soldiers, "Radio command, tell them that we have two of 'em."

"Sir, yes sir," came a flurry of replies, and the group dispersed as the leader picked Spyro up by the horn, and Alex by the collar of his shirt, and dragged them away.


	45. Chapter XLIV: Incarcerate & Experiment

_**Chapter XLIV**_**:**

**-''Incarceration and Experimentation''-**

**-Connorsville, Illinois-**

**-_13 November 2012_-**

**-_1640 Hours_-**

"Spyro?"

The purple dragon, who had been standing in the middle of the Burned Lands, located in the shadow of the _Fiernes Curtain_, barely turned his head to address his mate as Cynder stepped up to him, standing beside him. "Evening, Sweetheart," he said, smiling.

She grinned shyly and nuzzled him, purring. "Are you ready for our date?"

He grinned mischievously, "I've been ready."

Cynder smiled seductively, although the light shining in her eyes was like that of an excited child. She absolutely adored her mate, and when she hugged him, Spyro could barely mange to hold back a gasp as he felt her seem to melt into his embrace...and she was crying.

"Cynder..." he began, sounding worried, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong...I'm just happy. Whenever I'm around you, I'm happy...and you make life worth living."

Confused by the randomness of the sudden admissions...as she hadn't acted this way since the first time they had mated, Spyro asking, seeming worried, "What's wrong? Something's going on."

"Nothing's wrong," she replied, smiling, "I'm just happy that you are my mate...and I love you."

"I love you, too, Cyn."

"You mean more to me than anything else in the world, I never want to leave you...and I just want to feel your unique...special touch. Alex is a good lover, true, but only _you _can make me the happiest to be around...only _you _can give me the most powerful and most amazing feeling...I want to feel it...will you make love to me?" she didn't even give him time to reply before she had pounced upon him, kissing him firmly, her thin tongue tangling with his as she involuntarily humped against him. Every time their bellies contacted, he could feel the hot dampness of her sacred regions, and he could feel a tightening in his own loins as he looked between them. Sure enough, a small red bulb appeared from within the pulsing lips of his sheathe. As the object grew and emerged fully, throbbing slightly as a milky fluid began to bubble and drip from the tip, he was overcome with the amazing feeling of Cynder wrapping her mouth around it, suckling and lapping gently.

The scent of a female in heat became very intense, and her musk overwhelmed his nostrils, the smell intensely arousing. She jumped into the air, laying down on his stomach as she continued suckling him, softly pawing at the object of her appreciation. She raised her tail and rear to him, and he instinctively dipped his muzzle inside, licking and kissing it, the scent smearing his nose and mouth. He felt his animal instincts cloud over his humanity, and he bucked towards Cynder. The female leaped off of him, walking away as she crouched down on her forelimbs, raising her rear to him and spreading her wings, clearly expressing her readiness for the mount. Still bucking the air, he walked up to her, hopping onto his rear limbs as he swiftly entered her and began to hump quickly and powerfully. The sensation was intensely pleasuring, and as he continued, his own musky scent filled the air, as an angry and dominant fire lit in his eyes. Both dragons' scales raised with arousal, and Cynder bucked upwards towards him as she pulsed and throbbed around him.

He grew closer to the edge and moved faster and faster, until eventually, she cried out as she reached her climax, the rapid, rhythmic pulsing of her organs bringing him to an instant climax. Once he had succeeded in mating, he stayed in awhile longer, struggling to hold the mount, until his defining appendage slipped outside of her, retreating back into its sheathe.

All of a sudden, the sound of a heart monitor rapidly beating filled the air and Spyro's eyes shot open as his amethyst irises violently searched around his environment. He was panicking, and struggled to flee, finding that he was bound, which further intensified his panic. He was surrounded on all sides by scientists in yellow hazmat suits. He heard the sound of a breathing apparatus, and he cried out as he felt a foreign object, a tube that had been inserted in his throat. He was hooked up to various machines, and the scientists were rumbling on in surprise and confusion. He had been strapped down to a table on his back, and a blinding light was shining down on him. Before him, his sex-defining appendage was fully emerged, the blood-red tip curving towards his face, and he could see a small dab of semen upon it. Another scientist appeared out of nowhere, a cup in hand as he quickly put on gloves, grabbing violently onto the purple dragon's penis and quickly tugging it until with several violent, involuntary humps, he reached orgasm. Immediately, the cup was around the object, and Spyro watched, both aroused and disturbed by the jets of milky seed splashing against the walls of the cup before sliding down and collecting into the basin. He was pinned down until ejaculation had finished, and the scientist wiped him clean, depositing the soiled tissue into a red, plastic baggie.

The scientist then said, "Semen sample collected, I'm gonna run this up to the techs, this was a surprise I'm overjoyed we collected, it will be invaluable to our research."

Once his penis began to retreat, one of the scientists grabbed it, actually managing to hurt the dragon a bit in the process, and he taped a bag around it. Spyro followed the clear hoses of the bag, which led to a glass jar on the table beside him. He urinated then, and was alarmed to see the golden fluid directed through the hoses and gathering into the jar. Staring into the jar, he could see slight blurry clouds, apparently formed by the remnants of the semen.

"Excellent," another scientist said, like the last one, it sounded as if he was talking over a radio link, "All we need now is a stool sample...which we're bound to get in good time."

"What the hell? What are you perverted bastards doing!?" Spyro choked.

The scientists all fell back, crying out, "The beast can speak!?"

"You're damn right this beast can speak! Now let me out of here! I don't know who you are, or what you're doing...but you need to stop! NOW!"

Spyro let loose a powerful growl as smoke poured from his nostrils, and he launched every breath at his disposal, driving the scientists away. _Where the hell am I? _he asked himself, _What happened...I...I can't remember!_

He groaned as broken memories surged through his mind, flaring painfully. From them, he failed to gather what exactly was going on, where he was, and even, who he was. He felt ill, and it felt as if every muscle in his body was as heavy as lead. _Cynder... _he thought, and memory of his identity instantly returned, _My lover...my mate. My name is Spyro the Dragon..._ with that, all other memories returned, _I'm a regional commander, second-in-command to Commander Alex Vaughn. We're Terminators...we got trapped here...we were supposed to go back, but the Minecrawler left before we could get on..._

Then...

_Alex...did...did he make it back? _With the fear that he might potentially be left behind, alone, with Alex having made it to safely, he began to panic, _Alex...oh God, please don't let him leave me here! He's my best friend! I don't want to be here alone!_

He felt like a frightened child, as helpless as a newborn infant. Alex was more than just a best friend, he was the dragon's blood brother...and... _He's my mate..._

Much to Spyro's disbelief, he didn't find the idea that he was _technically _mated to Alex disturbing, in fact, it was more relieving than anything. All of Alpha Company was close, all Spyro thought about their relationship was that they were a little closer than others. The purple dragon closed his eyes, and found that he saw elements of his recent dream with Cynder, mixing with memories of the times that he and Alex had engaged in certain...acts...although they were far and few between.

"Alex...Cynder..."he said sadly.

Like Spyro, Alex was also engaged in a sexy dream, only this time, he was still an alicorn stallion, and he was on his mating flight with Rainbow Dash. Somehow, at the same time as he and Dash were actively engaged in serious foreplay and mating, he could see in the background, No.1, observing the events while she self-pleasured.

"Don't worry about her," Rainbow Dash said, smug smile on her face as she winked at Alex, "All that matters is that you make me feel like the greatest gal in the world, and she flashed her soaking wet regions for emphasis. There was no mount, they played around for a small while before they eventually settled on 69'ing to climax. Unlike Spyro, he awoke before he reached the end, and he awoke only to a deep ache in his loins. More than anything, he longed for the touch of Rainbow Dash, and he was saddened to find that she was not here with him. It was then that recent events struck him, and he violently sat up, observing his surroundings. Not only was he hooked up to a variety of machines but he was surrounded by scientists, all who fell back at his sudden awakening.

He roared loudly, swearing profusely as a murderous glimmer in his eyes appeared, and he reached for the closest scientist, grabbing him by the throat as he smashed the guy's face into the cart by the bedside, grabbing a scalpel from the table and preparing to jam it into the man's throat. Instantly, the other scientists reacted violently, not only landing several painful blows, but also injecting him with several syringes of sedatives. All feeling in his limbs fell to numbness, and he found that he was unable to move, he was paralyzed, and he fell back in his bed before drifting off into unconsciousness.

No.1 stood by Alex's bedside, trying to hold his hand, but saddened when her hand passed through his. She longed to feel his touch, and she only wished that she was there with him, physically. There was something very special about him, and just being next to him instilled a feeling she had never felt before. Not only did she feel comfortable around him, but she felt safe, and a warm, fluttering feeling was always in her heart when she saw him. She only wished that their long distance relationship could be physical.

Her only hope was that he wasn't disgusted when they finally met...and she worried deeply about this. She cared about him, and she hoped that he cared about her. At the same time, she was self-conscious, worried that once Alex found out who she truly was...what she truly was...that he would be disgusted. That would completely break her heart. She whined softly, a sound that would give away the truth of her identity. She tried to stroke the Commander's hair, but she felt nothing, and with a sigh, she blinked, finding herself back in her own body, back in her containment cell. She was curious when a strange sensation appeared on her lower torso, and she touched that strange spot between her legs, hissing when a blast of pleasure was sent surging through her body. The liquid before her began to cloud over as her lips pulsed, and she stared, curious, at a cloud of milky-colored liquid, lingering around her thighs. She touched herself again, and that same sensation arrived, she continued this, and when a feeling similar to the phantom mating pleasures Alex gave her, only intensified, exploded in her lower belly, she wondered what it would feel like if Alex did that to her...what it would feel like if he put his thing inside of her...she then wondered what it looked like, she could see something...it...poking, hard and straight, from his pants when he had awakened, and she promised herself that she would try desperately to convince him to reveal himself to her.

Finally, sighing sadly, she curled up and drifted off into a light sleep.

"What the hell are we gonna do?" Cynder began, hysterical, "We can't just leave them there!"

"There's nothing we _can _do!" Terrias exclaimed, "All we CAN do is just settle down...don't worry, Cynder, we'll find them, and we'll bring them back home."

"Exactly," Rainbow Dash began, frowning, "Besides, both Alex and Spyro can hold their own, I have faith that they'll do fine...plus..." and she remembered No.1, the being that Alex could see, but she could not, "I'm sure he has a guardian angel watching over him."

"I hope they're okay..." Aria said, burying her head in her mate's chest.

Terrias hugged her back, "They're fine, I know they are."

"I hope they'll be okay..." Cynder began sadly.

"Have faith," Rainbow Dash replied with the ghost of a smile, hugging the dragoness, "They're okay."

Piermont walked into the room then, "I just got off the phone with Elliot," and he sighed, "Seems that the energy streams won't be in their ideal alignment until tomorrow morning at the very earliest."

"Crap, so what are we going to do then?" Terrias asked.

Piermont shrugged, idly reaching into his pocket as he stuck a Marlboro into his mouth, lighting it with a small flame he created in the palm of his hand, "Sit here and wait. Max will contact us as soon as the energy streams reach alignment, then we'll march down there with the Minecrawlers and get Spearow and Alex out of there, however, because of that world's placement along the path of the intersecting slipstreams, we only have five minutes with the Minecrawlers, so we will have to hurry, else we'll be stuck there until the next alignment, and it's hard telling how time passes there compared to here. For all we know, when we go back there in the morning, it could be twenty years after we left!"

"Let's hope not..." Dash muttered beneath her breath, and she sighed, _Alex..._

The Commander slowly awoke, finding himself on a gurney being rushed through sterile, white walls, towards a destination unknown. The scientists were still around him, and when he tried to move, he found that he was bound and cuffed to the bedrails. "Spyro..." he muttered, delirious as his vision flashed from the scene before him, to various memories.

"He's waking up..." one of the scientists said, voice distant and echoing, appearing cautious...even worried.

"Don't mind him," a gruffer voice replied sternly, even maliciously, "He's all tied up, there is no way in hell he's gonna fight back."

"Do ya think it's possible that we have a legitimate dragon?"

"Are you referring to the purple creature?"

"Yes."

"I highly doubt it, I bet it's nothing more than some kind of fucking furry in a latex suit. Nothing to worry about."

"Sure?" another scientist asked in a chiefly British accent.

"Pretty damn so," the leader replied.

"What about this boy here?" the first man asked.

"Probably the furry's boyfriend, like I said, nothing to worry about," the leader answered.

"Whose the man and whose the woman?" the British man teased.

"I'm guessing the furry's the woman and the boy's the man," the leader replied.

"Disturbing," the Brit continued.

"Don't knock it until you've tried it," the first, younger man replied. "At first, being with my boyfriend was disturbing...and scared me a little...but it's really not that bad. Between my boyfriend and my girlfriend, I actually prefer Luca..."

"Shut up, Willy."

The bisexual man groaned, "My name is John."

"No, your name is Willy," the Brit teased.

"I still don't get it..."

"Willy likes willies," the leader replied with a smirk.

"Leave me alone...goddamn bigot."

The leader growled and violently shoved the man into the wall, and the man began to throw another punch before the British man and another scientist restrained him. "Easy there, no need to start something..."

Alex stared at them during the whole spectacle, but he did not see the amusing exchange, instead, he saw a vicious replay of his and Terrias' executions, as well as the massacre in the fountain during the Battle of Champaign, that all coupled together with the more recent memories of Crash and Cheet's deaths.

_They need your help..._

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes with a gasp, quickly looking around, and automatically curling close to where Alex would normally sleep...then she realized that he wasn't there. Feeling unhappy, but nevertheless intent on bringing him back home. _No.1? _she thought out towards the voice.

_Rainbow Dash, you NEED to help him!_

_I wish I could, No.1, but the problem is that there isn't anyway we can get there...at least not right now._

_Then how did you get there the FIRST time?_

_I don't know, _Dash replied unhappily, _Unfortunately, there is nothing that we can do at the moment...we'll go get him at the first opportunity we have._

_You don't understand! _No.1 said, sounding on the edge of panic, _They are both going through some terrible experiments! I'm afraid that something bad will happen to them!_

_Them? _Dash began rather harshly, _Or Alex?_

_Does it matter?_

_Yes it does._

_I don't see why it matters._

Dash scowled.

_Anyway, that's beside the point! What matters is that Alex and Spyro are in danger!_

_As much as I really don't want to sound like this, _the Pegasus began, _But Alex and Spyro can both hold their own, especially for another few hours._

"Rainbow Dash..." and the Pegasus sat up, abruptly turning around and nearly jumping from surprise once she saw a mare, what appeared to be a bastard child of Fluttershy and Applejack, stood before her. The eyes on the mare were eerie ice-blue orbs, and her left eye was clouded over, as if nothing more than a white pearl instead of an eyeball. There was also an unusual scar around the unusual eye, the flesh was wrinkled and pinched, as if someone had grabbed the flesh and twisted it.

"What? Who in the hell are _you_? No.1?"

The mare nodded, "Yes, you see, I manifested my intelligence to you in the form of a figure...or collection of figures...from your past. Nobody else can hear or see me now, however."

"Is this the form you appeared to Alex in?"

No.1 shook her head, "No, I appeared as someone else to him."

"Who?"

No.1 shrugged, "I don't know...but anyway, Alex and Spyro are in trouble...we need to help them!"

Dash, irritated, once more said, "We _CAN'T _help them right now, No.1! The only way we can get to whatever world they're in is with help from the Minecrawlers...but the energy streams need to be ideal for that to occur. Unfortunately, the stream alignment is not what it needs to be, and until it is, we can't get there...I have faith that they can last a little longer...question is, do _YOU _have faith in him?"

Silence for a few moments on No.1's part, then, "Of course I do!"

"You're lying," Dash replied sternly, "I figured you _WOULD _know, considering that you seem to be more buddy-buddy with him than he is with a lot of people here."

"I don't know him _nearly _enough, Rainbow Dash, he's a mystery."

"Didn't you say he revealed his origins to you?"

"Yes...kinda."

"He hasn't even done that to _me_," and Dash frowned, upset at her mate's apparent distrust, "As far as I'm concerned, he hasn't done that to _anyone _here. All they know is what they've experienced with him, or what Simba has told them, since he's been here since the founding of the Terminators...I would at least hope he'd do that to me...considering that I've given him everything I have that's not already called for...I'm his mate...he took that...that innocence away from me...I would hope that he would trust me enough to tell me the full story of his past."

No.1 shook her head, "No, you don't want to know. His past is marked with betrayal and a deep, welling hatred. Even before he began this army...you wouldn't want to know about the pains and sorrows he's been forced to endure."

"Still, I think it would be nice if he trusted his own mate enough to tell her the full story!"

No.1 chuckled, "Rainbow Dash, you have no cause to be jealous, he truly loves you, and he trusts you more than you think. Aside from Piermont, he trusts you, as his mate, more than anyone else."

"More so than Spyro?"

"On a certain level, yes, on another, no."

"What is _that _supposed to mean!"

"Nothing that you should worry about."

"Tell me!"

"He trusts the militia's greatest secrets and command to Spyro, but he does not to you."

"What? Why the hell not?"

"Because, primarily, I would assume that you have not been here long enough for him to see the true potential in you."

"He doesn't _let _me show that!"

"Yes he does, all the time. Perhaps, with time, he can see you as kindhearted and responsible as you are, and allow you to be his 'wing-third'."

Dash sighed with annoyance, but let the topic go, returning to the original argument, "Can you tell me how Alex is right now? I admit, I'm kinda worried about him."

No.1 nodded, then said, "He's fine, I just checked up on him. Both he and Spyro are sleeping soundly, as are the scientists, they are under no harm right now."

"Then why were you freaking out earlier?"

"Because, harm is planned for them...and it would be best to rescue them now, while there is little resistance, than later, where he is under constant surveillance and heavy guard."

After a few moments of silence, Rainbow Dash, sounding sad, began, "No.1...I have a favor for you."

No.1 nodded, "Ask away."

"Can you go to where Alex is, and tell him that I love him, that I miss him, and that I hope he is okay?"

No.1 fell silent for a few moments, and Dash worried how the mare would react to her bizarre request of compassion. Finally No.1 nodded, "That, I can do. Is there anything else?"

Dash shook her head, "No, there isn't...and thank you...tell him that we're coming for him, and that we'll be there for them both before they even know it!"

"I shall relay the information," and with this, No.1 faded away.

Alex opened his eyes, slowly, very slowly. His whole body ached and burned, his limbs felt like lead, and his heart beat slowly and powerfully in his ears. _Wha...what happened?_

When he realized that he couldn't move, that he was strapped tightly down, he began to panic, until a warm light suddenly burst from deep within, expanding until it filled his entire form, and heard No.1's voice, soothing, calm, saying, _Don't be afraid, Alex...please...don't be afraid, I will let no harm come to you, I promise..._

_N...No.1?_

Suddenly, he blinked, finding himself in a small cottage, outside the one window, he could see snow falling slowly, lazily, down upon a darkened world, lost in night. The cottage he was in was warm, brightly lit, small, but cozy. A massive fireplace kept the cold and darkness away, and the cottage held little more than a bed, a table, and a couch. _So...peaceful..._ he thought.

There was a knock on the cottage door, causing him to jump, and he abruptly turned around, grabbing a hunter's knife from the table as he approached the door, slowly, opening it just slightly so he could see who was outside.

"Don't worry," a female voice said, "I'm not going to hurt you, Alex."

Relieved when he identified the voice as No.1's, he opened the door fully, allowing her to step inside...and he was stunned. A beautiful brunette, with warm eyes, a long, flowing dress, and nearly flawless skin looked up at him, smiling shyly.

"Who...who are you?"

"It's me," she said, smiling warmly, "No.1."

Alex lost control then as he hugged her tightly, the smell of French vanilla lingering around her. "Is...is this your true form?"

Her eyes then took on a faint glimmer, "Possibly," and she winked, but then her mood sobered, "Your companions miss you, especially Cynder and Rainbow Dash...I miss you."

"But you're here."

She shook her head, "Once more, only mentally, I'm not physically here."

"So we've never met in person then, No.1?"

"In the time you are in now, no we have not," and she seemed sad, "I kinda wish I could see you again."

"One of these days," Alex replied, "Don't worry, No.1, one of these days."

"Your friends are coming to rescue you...do not worry, they will be here to save you as soon as they can."

"I have faith in them."

No.1 smiled, "We'll talk soon."

"Goodbye, No.1."

She smiled, "Goodbye, Alex," and the Commander woke up, finding himself strapped to the table once more. Still sedated, but at least more alert than before.

"Truly remarkable..." a distant voice rang out as Spyro slowly opened his eyes. He was paralyzed...his body felt stiff and ached, and all he could do was listen, "This creature..." the voice continued, "It is unlike anything we've seen before. We may have truly discovered a previously unknown species."

"Yeah, well, we need to find the creature a mate, or else all of this could come to a crashing failure if we accidentally kill him, we don't know his limitations," another voice replied.

"We won't kill him."

"How can we be so sure?"

"We have him under careful observation."

"We have never seen a species like this before."

"Hm..."

"But...I may have a plan. Perhaps we can create more."

"Explain?"

"We've already collected DNA samples from him, in blood, flesh, and semen, all we need to do is find a way to reverse engineer this."

"Do you think we could possibly create a fully functional female?"

"That may be the problem...but if you've ever watched Jurassic Park, nature will find a way."

"Ha! There's a difference between that and this. Jurassic Park is science fiction, this is real life."

"It's worth a try."

"What should we do about the other one?"

"The boy?"

"Yes."

"As far as I'm concerned, he's a human being and nothing more."

"Cyn...der..." Spyro managed to say in a harsh whisper, "Where...are...you?"

Rainbow Dash stood outside on hers and her mate's balcony, staring out towards the _Fiernes Curtain_, even as the sun rose in the sky, she stared forward unhappily, worrying about Alex. "Please be safe..." she muttered beneath her breath, "I love you...and I miss you..."

"Your sorrow is felt, even by me."

Dash stiffened, turning abruptly to see that the mare, No.1, had returned.

For some reason, excited, Rainbow Dash lost control and raced over to No.1, embracing her tightly, "Oh God! Please tell me Alex is okay!"

No.1 seemed uncomfortable by Dash's sudden show of affection, but she ignored it, saying, "He is fine, sleeping soundly...dreaming of you," and her voice seemed sad when she said the last part.

Dash sighed in relief, "I'm not going to lie to you, No.1, I really want him right now..."

"You long for him?"

"Among other things..."

"Ah, you seek mating pleasure."

Dash blushed, looking away, "Perhaps..."

"I can sense from him that he wishes for you as well...he longs for you...both of them long to be with their mates."

Suddenly, No.1 cried out in pain as she collapsed forward.

"No.1!" Dash exclaimed, running to her side. The mare didn't hear her, only doubled over in pain as tears began to slide down your face.

"St...stop..." she choked, "Please...just stop..." and she slowly faded away.

"No.1?" Dash began, "No.1!"

"Wake up, worm!" came a harsh voice, and Alex felt the pain of being slapped in the face. Instantly alert and enraged, he hissed as he struggled to break free of the binds keeping him pressed tightly to the table. He was surrounded by four scientists, all who didn't seem phased at all by his homicidal fury. Once his anger receded, the man who the harsh voice belonged to walked to his bedside, saying, "I have questions, and you are going to answer them, truthfully."

"Why should I...listen to you?" Alex weakly managed, smiling arrogantly, "You fuckers won't break me...I've been through worse shit than any of you can manage to pull out of your ass."

"Who is that beast who arrived with you?"

Alex laughed weakly, "What's wrong? Never seen a dragon before?"

"Dragons do not exist, Boy."

"They do...at least...where I'm from."

"I am not in the mood to toy around with some apparent military brat."

"Now how would you know that?"

"Who are you...and I mean, what's your real name, it's obvious these identification papers are fabricated. Who are you?"

"I am the Great Commander...Alex Vaughn..." he muttered, "Commander...of the Terminator Militia...let both me and Spyro go...and I promise...I will kill you quickly..."

"From what I can see, 'Commander', of your current situation, you are in no position to begin ordering me around."

"My allies...my brothers...they will come back for us...and end your pathetic existence!"

"Idle threats if your 'brothers' left you here for dead. Why would they bother coming back for you? Why would they leave you if they wanted you?"

"Even...if Alpha Company does not come back for us...our mates...they will."

"Mates? What language are you speaking, boy? Or were you raised with animals?"

"You stupid, sad motherfucker...Dash will come for me...as will Cynder for Spyro, with or without the support of the rest of my unit. You...you can't contain us for very long."

The man turned to face one of the scientists, then hissed, "Do we have all the samples we need?"

"Yes, sir," the scientist replied, consulting a clipboard he held, "We are ready to advance on your word."

"Good," the man bit, "Take this arrogant little retard to the mortuary, it's time for his autopsy."

"What do we do about the dragon? He is still alive as well."

"Either let them live, or put them out of their misery, I don't care either way, no radical human or animal rights organization knows of their existence, and they have no verifiable identity, as far as I'm concerned, they ARE in fact otherworldly beings. So, we will treat them just like we did at Roswell over 70 years ago, take them in, do an autopsy, we have some valuable specimens here."

"Yes, sir."

"Good, get on it."

"Sir, yes sir," and as the lead researcher left, the scientists restrained the Commander as they undid his binds and proceeded to inject him with some kind of serum. Alex was unsure if it was another sedative, or a euthanization agent, he worried for the latter, but also was not fond of the former either. He only hoped that if it WAS, indeed, a euthanization agent, that the mutation serum still in his blood, although suppressed, could render it ineffective. As whatever chemical he had been injected with began to numb his body, and force him in an out of consciousness, he found his mind constantly retreating to New Alexandria, Alpha Company, and especially, Rainbow Dash and his fiance. He did not want to die, but at the same time, he understood that death was nothing more than another part of the circle of life, he only hoped that if he died here...both could move on from him...to find love and union after he was gone.

Then, he found that he feared for Spyro's safety as well. This would have been a much different situation, one he would be more willing to accept, had he been here alone. He had done much harm in his life, even if not necessarily intentional, and he felt that death was a proper punishment that he was more than due for. Spyro...he still had a lot of years left on him, in addition to that, although he seemed to be adapting to faith well, Alex still feared that he would be rejected passage to Heaven, once they both managed to trudge through the judgment stay in Hell.

Another thought that arrived, Hell. He had managed to escape the Devil's Arena, he could only imagine what punishments were in store for him...he just hoped that Spyro was shown mercy. He found that he thought of the purple dragon like his little brother, or even his son, and he didn't want the dragon to have to suffer. Although Alex firmly believed that they would not be dealt more than they could handle...he still was not wanting to return to that period of harsh punishment and nightmarish torture. "Sarah...Dash...Cynder..." he muttered, each mention bringing joyful thoughts and memories to his mind. With one final thought, this one geared towards Terrias, Alex found his consciousness flutter, and his mind became detached from his body, and he blacked out.

When he came to, he was strapped down to another table, staring into a bright light above his head. He groaned, narrowing his eyes and shying away from the harsh light. All of his senses were sharpened to painful intensity, and his body felt numb and heavy. Distantly, he could hear the echoes of voices, and as his vision, blurred over, began to clear, he saw two scientists standing above him. One of them was wielding a bone saw, the other a scalpel. He tried to speak, but found he couldn't, and felt a sharp pain as he looked down, watching as the second scientist made the first incision, a thin red line down the center of his chest.

He turned to the right, seeing an unconscious Spyro across the room. Another pair of scientists were surrounding him, no doubt doing the same thing to the purple dragon that he was going through.

"Fascinating!" one of the scientists...the one with the scalpel, said, "It would seem that this specimen has abnormal healing abilities. Every incision I make is healed almost instantly!"

"Make it quick," the other scientist replied coldly, "We're here to get our information."

"Blood screening showed an unusual cell deformation throughout his body...a genetic mutation. We found the same cellular arrangement in the dragon."

"So what? These two are mutants?"

"Apparently so."

"Interesting..."

Another incision was made, and Alex cried out in pain as the scientist spread the lips of his wound, opening up his chest.

"Listen to that..." the one with the bone saw said, "The music of pain."

Alpha Company gathered in the conference room early the next morning, following a call from General Elliot. However, the general did not enter alone, walking in beside him was King Max, Cuban cigar burning brightly in the corner of his mouth, one by one, the members of Alpha Company greeted him, and those that had never met him in person were genuinely surprised to see that they were dealing with a robotic, bipedal, six-legged dog, developed by a mad scientist.

"Listen up," Elliot began, lighting his OWN cigar, "The energy streams will be in alignment in less than an hour, when they do get into the proper alignment, King Max here is gonna send a single squadron, accompanied by a Minecrawler, to help you guys find the two commanders and get them out of there. I'll leave the details for Max."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," the dog said in his usual angry-sounding tone, "But yes, I'm coming along with you, one way or the other, we're getting the commanders out of there."

"They're suffering..." Dash suddenly began, sounding sad and faint.

"I know..." Elliot began, trying to sound understanding, "But they will only suffer longer if we don't bust them out now."

"He's...in pain...so much pain..." Dash replied, sounding dazed.

"You okay, Dash?" Terrias, who was sitting beside her, asked, shaking her.

She sat up with a start, shaking her head, "Who? What? I'm fine..."

"Sure?" and the concern was obvious on every face of Alpha Company.

"Yeah..." she said nervously, "I'm fine..."

_So much pain... _No.1 said from within her mind. The creature had accidentally taken over Dash's mind and body, effectively possessing her, from her apparent delirium.

"Yeah..." Elliot said, "Anyway, Max, are we ready for the assault?"

"Ready whenever you are."

Elliot turned to face Alpha Company, "Then let's move gents, c'mon."

The Minecrawlers appeared on the outskirts of the city, followed immediately after by Alpha Company and a small contingent of Swizzle Firmians. "We'll keep the any authorities off of your asses," Max said, "You guys head on, we only have an hour at most, so you better hurry up."

"We'll be back here for extraction," Dash said firmly with a nod, "Cynder, Terrias, guys, let's go."

_They are coming..._

"So...much...pain..." Alex muttered in his sedative-induced delirium.

"He's still alive?" the scientist with the bone saw began, "That's interesting."

"Enough chatter, let's hurry this up."

_They are coming..._ the voice repeated.

"N...No.1..." he muttered.

"No one?" and the scalpel-wielding scientist exchanged a bemused glance with his companion, "The kid is insane."

_I am here, Alex...do not be afraid, my friend..._

"No.1...help me..."

"Shut up," the scalpel-wielding scientist said, not looking up from his work.

_I can't, I'm afraid...but Alpha Company...they have arrived, and they are coming for you_.

"Dash!" Alex exclaimed, opening his eyes and startling the scientists.

"Jesus Christ! Get him down!" the bone saw scientist hissed.

Alex began to glow blue as the hole in his chest healed, much to the alarm of the scientists.

"What the hell is this thing!" the bone saw scientist hissed in alarm, crying out as Alex's eyes turned red. In a layered voice, he said, "_Comos! Sereventos! Arramos!_"

The scientists both cried out as they doubled over, their skin bubbling and boiling, and with a final, hellish scream of terror and pain, they both exploded in columns of red, all flesh and blood liquified. The Commander sat up then, still glowing blue as the mutation serum in his blood countered the sedatives and euthanization agents, rendering them ineffective. Alex burst blasted open the doors to the operating room. Scientists fled away from him as he tore through the building, leveling and destroying anything in his path, searching for any sign of Spyro.

"Where are they No.1?" he asked.

Telepathically, she replied, _They are heading your way now, but they have not much time! You must find Spyro before they get here, else he'll be left behind!_

"I refuse to leave a man behind, especially Spyro."

_I know_, she replied, _You must hurry, however_.

"Any idea where they are holding him?"

He could sense an aura of uncertainty radiating off the mental presence of No.1, and he realized that she had just given him a telepathic shrug, _I have no idea_.

"I thought you could see the future?"

_Only to some degree, and only because I remember what you told me_.

"Told you?"

_Yes, after we first met, you shared your entire identity...or at least most of it...to me._

"Most of it?"

_Yes...I still have no idea of what has happened roughly between your third and fourth year of life._

"Of course..." he replied grimly, "That is something nobody needs to worry about."

_Hurry! You must find Spyro! We're running out of time!_

"How much time do we have?" and he stormed into the left wing, frantically searching the innumerable rooms.

No.1 sent him a telepathic shrug, _I am not sure...I would assume about ten minutes, at the most._

"Son of a...! That's not enough time!"

_I can't stop it, I'm afraid, and I apologize for not being that much help_...

"Don't worry yourself," Alex replied soothingly, "It's not like it's your fault we're in this damned place to begin with...is it?"

_No! No! Of course not! I would never do such a thing...at least consciously..._

"Understood," and he physically nodded in affirmation. Closing his eyes, he crouched to the ground, placing the palm of his hand against the ceramic tile floor, expanding his mind and perception across the entire surrounding complex. Due to the suppression of the mutation serum, he was unable to infinitely expand his perception like he normally could, but he could at least stretch out through the complex, searching the pitch black, white-lined world for the familiar aura and presence of Spyro. _Where are you, mate... _he thought out impatiently.

Finally, he managed to lock onto a unique signature aura, and he singled it out, identifying it as Spyro's and realizing that the purple dragon was being held two levels beneath his current position, approximately one hundred fifty yards northeast. Locking onto Spyro's signature, he quickly made haste to the elevators, impatiently awaiting the ride as he emerged on the sublevel, charging through armed scientists and governmental agents towards the room occupied by Spyro.

_They are almost here! _No.1 said, sounding unnerved and on edge.

_We'll make it, _he replied reassuringly, and he could sense the tension in No.1's aura loosen, _Don't worry_.

"Die you sons of bitches!" Piermont hissed, gunning down the guardsmen at the gate to the compound as the Minecrawlers effortlessly blasted the walls and gates to shreds.

"Into the breach!" Dash called out, and several soldiers cried out 'ura' in response.

Over their radios, Max's urgent, uneasy voice sounded, "We're running out of time, we're pushing the edges of alignment! You must hurry!"

"How long do we have?" the pegasus asked.

"Perhaps ninety seconds."

"Plenty of time!"

"What-?"

"Cynder!" Dash called out.

"What?" the dragoness replied viciously, finishing off a wounded guard.

"Keep Alpha Company here...guard the Minecrawlers, I'm going in."

"The hell you're not!" Cynder replied bitterly, "We're going in together."

"No, you're not," Dash replied firmly, "We have a little more than a minute to bust our mates' asses out of this fucking gulag. I can match the speed...but only if I don't have anyone else to worry about."

"You're not going in alone, Dash," Cynder replied angrily, "Alex and Spyro were together! Damn near the two strongest members of this army, and even THEY couldn't hold their own against these guys! You have barely been here six months, haven't seen much action, and no offense, but I doubt you can hold your own, especially since even ALEX can't!"

"All we're doing bickering is wasting time, Cyn, I'm going in alone, and if you don't like that? With all due respect, but you can kiss my ass," and with this said, Dash sped ahead into the building with lightning speed, a cyan-blue and rainbow blur.

"God dammit," Cynder muttered, "The bitch won't listen."

"What should we do, General?" Terrias asked.

"Enough of the formalities, Terrias," Cynder replied with a sigh, "This ain't a battle, this is a rescue."

"O...kay...what should we do, Cynder? Should we follow her?"

Cynder thought about it for a few moments, staring at the building. Alpha Company, having finished off the guards, stared around in awkward silence, unsure of what to do, and also nervous about making their nearly impossible deadline. Finally, Cynder broke the silence, and with a heavy sigh, lowering her head and closing her eyes, she said, "No...Dash is right. Even if she isn't as experienced in this crap as the rest of us, she is still much faster and more agile than us. Let's just hope that she knows how to outrun guards."

Terrias grinned widely, "I doubt she'll have much of a problem with that, she's got more balls than all of us combined, besides, she's got to have that burst of speed she loves every once in awhile...burn some energy and keep her satisfied when Alex forces her to go slow in bed."

"Ha...yeah..." Cynder replied with a slight, grim chuckle, "No doubts about that."

Alex frantically tore through the subbasement, scouring every nook and cranny for his wing-second, "Goddammit! Where in the bloody hell is he!?" the Commander hissed, nervous and on edge.

_Interesting..._ No.1 said, sounding surprised, _It would seem that Dash has just made history...or changed it rather_.

"What do you mean, No.1?"

_She persuaded the others...or should I say 'forced'...to come alone...instead of all of Alpha Company coming along, resulting in Cynder getting caught, and one helluva close rescue and escape...closer than this actually._

Alex let out a hearty laugh, "Why am I not surprised, Dash knows how to mix things up a little...add spice to even the blandest of flavors..." then he fell silent as he frowned, "Shit, I'm starting to sound like Cilan."

"Who?"

"Eh...never mind."

"Alex!" came a voice from behind them.

"Ah...speak of the devil," and Alex turned to face Dash, who sped through a hole in the floor, landing beside her mate and smiling victoriously, "_DAYUM_ it feels good to spread my wings and blast away every once in awhile! I think I broke my _old _speed record!"

"You came alone?"

Rainbow Dash sobered, "Yeah, we're in trouble, we're running low on time, and I know that I can make it...but only if I come alone...didn't really give the others much say in the matter. Anyway, let's high tail it out of here and get back to the others before our time runs out!"

Alex abruptly shook his head, "No, I'm not leaving without Spyro."

"Where is he?"

Alex's demeanor sank, "To be honest...I don't know."

"Alex..."

"Go back to the others, I'll get up there as soon as I can."

"We don't have time, and I'll be _damned _if I'm leaving you back here again!"

"Dash...go back to the others, that's an order."

"You know what? No. I'm not taking your orders. I'm not doing this to disrespect or disobey you, I'm doing it as your mate...I'm not leaving you behind again...if you stay, so do I...end of story."

Alex chuckled, "You always _did _have a way with words."

She smiled, "I try my best."

The ground shook beneath them, and the ceiling ahead collapsed to the ground in a ball of flame and belching smoke.

"Now...uh...sorry to interrupt this touching moment...but we might want to hurry, the Minecrawlers are leaving any second now, with or without us!"

Alex nodded.

_Go..._ No.1 said.

"What?" Alex exclaimed, "Not yet, I need to find Spyro!"

_Go back, Alex, time is too thin now to detour, you must go back_.

"I'm not leaving without Spyro."

"No.1?" Dash asked, facing Alex. The Commander nodded, and Dash turned to face the hall ahead, looking around, "No.1, if he stays, so am I."

_Rainbow Dash, you and Alex go back to the surface, I have Commander Spyro_.

"What are you going to do?" Dash asked, still finding herself startled by No.1's powerful mental voice.

_Don't worry about what I do, just get back to the surface, I promise you that even Commander Spyro will get out safely._

Alex remained silent, and Dash, although nervous and eager to leave, remained firmly by her mate's side.

_Trust me, Alex...please...I beg you, just go._

Finally, with a heavy sigh, Alex turned to face Dash, "Let's go."

The Pegasus nodded, then crouched forward, "Hop on, we're not gonna make it back on foot."

Alex quickly mounted his mate, and in a burst of color, Dash raced back at near the speed of sound, managing to tackle hairpin curves that startled Alex and forced him to brace for a crash each time. The ride was intense, and made him ill.

"Don't worry, Alex," Dash called back quickly, "This ain't my first rodeo...although I admit, I've never been under a time restraint this strict before...but I know how to navigate claustrophobic corridors at high speeds. Just...do me a favor...don't puke...at least hold your stomach until we get back to the others."

"Heh..." Alex replied grimly, "I haven't eaten since the night before we got here, I don't think I can manage to upchuck anything other than bile."

"Charming..." and Dash chuckled slyly, a seductive glimmer alight in her eyes, "Guess we'll have to feed you when we get back home, eh?"

"Do you always have to tag sexual innuendos onto your words?" but he was grinning.

Dash shrugged, "Sorry...you tend to bring out the seductress in me," and she winked, her eyes shining with love and appreciation.

"Dash!" Alex cried, "Look out!"

"Oh _SHIT!_" and the Pegasus barely managed to pull off a tight hairpin curve, nearly throwing Alex off of her. She looked back nervously, "Eheheh...sorry."

"Pay attention!" he hissed, sounding harsher than he really meant.

She didn't seem to be terribly affected, aside from embarrassment, she only nodded and said, "R...Right..."

The building shook again as it began to collapse, "Light ahead," Alex called out.

"I see it..." but then it began to close as the world collapsed, shrinking the opening, "Oh crap! Hold on, this is gonna be tight!"

"That's what she said..." Alex muttered, but found that his attempt at raw humor collapsed beneath the true fear and intensity of the situation.

"We're gonna cut it close...!" and right as the breach closed, Dash zoomed through, emerging into the open, smoky skies as she abruptly slowed down and flew at a less breakneck, but still high, speed towards the two Minecrawlers, still rolling forward with the energy streams, unable to stop, and Alpha Company, who were obviously reluctant about leaving the compound behind them, but knowing that they needed to maintain close proximity to the Minecrawlers if they hoped to make it back. Upon Dash's landing in the heart of the gathered Alpha Company, the others of Alex's unit surrounded him, each embracing him and announcing their praises that he was alive and well. When Cynder queried as to where Spyro was, the demeanor of Alex and Dash sank, and right as they were about to inform her of their failure, there was a brilliant, blinding flash of dark blue light, and Spyro appeared beside them, unconscious, but alive his wounds partially healed, but still bleeding.

"Spyro!" Cynder cried out, racing to her mate's side as she finished healing him and nudged him onto her back.

Alex turned to the left, where, at the edge of the group, he could see a slight, shadowy shape shimmering in the air, with that sapphire blue eye, and the one clouded one, staring back at him.

_Thank you, _he thought out to No.1.

The shaped nodded and faded away completely as the Minecrawlers, with a violent, quaking rumble, were sucked back into the energy streams and carried back to Swizzle Firma.

Alpha Company found themselves standing in the throne room of King Max, where the king himself was out of breath and appearing exhausted, ironic considering his automaton nature. "That was a bit too close for comfort..." Max replied with a breathy exhale, "Holy crap..."

"You're telling us," Dash said. She then turned to her mate, nuzzling him affectionately, before turning to face Max again, "Thank you," and she saluted him.

Max waved it off, "It was nothing...but we did cut it pretty damn close...I would appreciate if you would kindly not do THAT again."

Alex chuckled, "I don't want to, nor do I intend to any time soon."

"Yeah, you may not INTEND to," Max began, "But somehow, you still manage to pull close shaves all the time."

Alex shrugged, "I'm just the kind of guy who likes the epic, edge-of-your-seat, ever-suspenseful thriller."

"Yeah...don't think the rest of us are that way, but that's alright, you guys are safe...unfortunately, the energy streams are way too far out of alignment now to even get back to New Alexandria...looks like you guys will be staying with us for the night...I'll send you all back first thing in the morning."

"That's fine," Alex replied, "Just...do me a favor..."

"_MORE _favors, Commander? Don't you think you've run out?" but he had a tone of bemusement in his voice.

"Well...a couple of favors actually."

"'Course, what do you need?"

"A nice big meal, a fine bottle of wine, and a private room...meal first, others later."

"Ah, I see what is going on...but aren't you a little too young to drink, Commander?"

"Technically, I'm too young to mate...compared to you human age standards," Dash replied, "But has that stopped me?"

"Good point I guess...how old _are _you anyway?"

"Fifteen..."

"Seems the Commander is not only bestial, but pedophile?"

"Don't start, Max."

"Alright, alright! Jesus, just making a joke."


End file.
